MSSNY Fights for New York Physicians: Pushing Back Against Aetna’s Downcoding Policy Click to Enlarge Colleagues: MSSNY is pushing back against Aetna’s new downcoding policy, which automatically reduces the level of Evaluation and Management (E/M) codes on physician claims without reviewing the supporting documentation. This week,
Benefits of Membership Click to Enlarge Colleagues:Your MSSNY leadership has engaged in productive dialogue with CIGNA over their recent announcement of a downcoding policy. As a result, CIGNA has indicated that they will comply with New York State laws requiring physicians to be notified when they are
Whiplash Click to Enlarge Colleagues: As of October 17, we have now spent all of October under a government shutdown and MSSNY leadership and staff have been working tirelessly to understand its implications for your practice and your patients. As of Wednesday, we received word
Help Us Help You Click to Enlarge Colleagues: Cigna and Aetna both have announced and/or begun an exercise where they are systematically downcoding from a level 4 to 3 on all visits for a subset of physicians. Cigna announced that this will only apply to
The Unraveling of the CDC and the Rise of State-Based Public Health Directives Click to Enlarge Colleagues:The events of the past month threaten to undo a century of progress in public health.On August 8, a gunman fired more than 500 rounds into the Centers for Disease Control
A Brief Update Click to Enlarge Colleagues: I hope you have had a wonderful summer so far. Your medical society leadership and staff have been hard at work on your behalf, and I wish to give you a brief summary. At the state level, it
No Rest for the Weary Click to Enlarge Colleagues: With the big bill passed, one would think that there may be a pause for the health care system to absorb these changes. Unfortunately, the House of Medicine has no such luck. In a recent NY
Medicaid Funding Impact on NY's Healthcare Delivery System Click to Enlarge Colleagues: On July 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed the budget reconciliation bill into law. This comprehensive legislation encompasses healthcare, tax, and other initiatives that will profoundly impact the delivery of care for
If You Do X, I’m Going to Quit Click to Enlarge Colleagues:While I continue to be optimistic about what we can achieve as a profession, there is not a single statement that saps my energy more than “If you do x, I'm going to quit MSSNY.” As
Speaking Truth to Power Click to Enlarge Colleagues:This week, I had the opportunity to meet directly with members of the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees and its newly announced Executive Vice President, Dr. Jon Whyte. On behalf of New York’s physicians, I expressed—unequivocally—our deep frustration
