MSSNY Pulse – November 15, 2024

MSSNY and the American Medical Association continue to be deeply alarmed about the growing financial instability of the Medicare physician payment system due to a confluence of fiscal uncertainties physician practices face related to the Change Healthcare cyberattack, statutory payment cuts, lack of inflationary updates, and significant administrative barriers. The payment system remains on an unsustainable path threatening beneficiaries’ access to physicians.

Therefore, it is urgent that Congress pass legislation (HR 10073) before year end to replace pending Medicare cuts for 2025 with increases, and work with the physician community to develop long-term solutions to the systematic problems with the Medicare physician payment system and preserve patient access.

Congress needs to establish a permanent, annual inflationary Medicare physician payment update that keeps up with the cost of practicing medicine and encourages practice innovation. They also need to eliminate or completely overhaul the overly burdensome Medicare Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).

Tell your Representative to cosponsor the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 10073)!

Time is running out! There are precious few legislative days left before the end of the year with Congress expected to conduct a “lame duck” session now that the elections are over. This will be the last opportunity for Congress to pass H.R. 10073 as part of the final year-end package.

That’s why it is so important that you contact your Representative and urge them to cosponsor “The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 10073) today!

While this legislation would only address physician payment for 2025, it is a crucial first step in providing much needed relief and achieving our ultimate goal of complete physician Medicare payment reform in the new Congress.

Everyone agrees the Medicare physician payment system is broken, and it’s time for Congress to do something about it!

Below are flyers that can be downloaded and either posted in your waiting room or given directly to your patients.

Click directly on the image to download the flyer.

There are now additional requirements for the Child Abuse course that include protocols to reduce implicit bias in decision-making processes, strategies for identifying adverse childhood experiences, and guidelines to assist in recognizing signs of abuse or maltreatment while interacting virtually within the New York State Mandated Identification and Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment/Neglect coursework.  This coursework must be completed by April 2025.

The State Education Department has a list of SED-accredited providers. MSSNY recommends that physicians take the approved training curriculum by the April 1, 2025 deadline:  OP:Training: Mandated Training Related to Child Abuse.

The law exempts from the training an individual who can document, to the satisfaction of the Department, that there is no need for the training based on the nature of his or her practice. You may be eligible for an exemption if the nature of your practice is such that you do not have professional contact with persons under the age of 18 years.  An exemption form must be filed with the SED (the form can be found on the SED website: OP:Training: Mandated Training Related to Child Abuse.)