Advocacy

Archived Updates

SIR Advocacy Update - August 2022

Read SIR's August Advocacy Update

In this edition, we highlight:

Congress-passed Reconciliation legislation
The House passes Telehealth extension
SIR's request for additional GME slots
A recent SIR-led event for Sen. Todd Young (R-IN)

SIR Advocacy Update - July 2022

Read SIR's July Advocacy Update

In this edition, we highlight:

The recent victory regarding a Rhode Island bill dealing with uterine artery embolization
Letters sent to Congress lobbying for GME as well as the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS)
Recent meetings with Members of Congress

SIR Advocacy Update - June 2022

Read SIR's June Advocacy Update

You will find the most up-to-date news coming out of Washington regarding Congressional & regulatory issues impacting interventional radiology.

SIR Advocacy Update - May 2022

Here you can find the most up-to-date news coming out of Washington regarding Congressional & regulatory issues impacting interventional radiology. This is what SIR's government affairs team is tirelessly working on to benefit our members' practices and patients' lives.

SIR Sends Letter to Congress Calling for Increased NIH Funding

SIR joined other organizations in sending a letter to Congressional leaders recommending a program level of at least $49.048 billion for the NIH base budget for 2023. Additionally, the letters calls for lawmakers to ensure that any funding for the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) supplement the $49 billion recommendation for NIH’s base budget, rather than supplant the essential foundational investment in the NIH.

NIH-funded biomedical, behavioral, social, and population-based research improves our understanding of fundamental life and health sciences, equips the nation to combat both known and unprecedented health threats, and converts the hope of improved health into a reality for patients and their families.

SIR Advocacy Update - 4/22/22

This update includes recent SIR sign-on letters to Congress and the Administration as well as reports from recent meetings with Members of Congress.

SIR Advocacy Update - 2/28/22

SIR Sends Letter to CMS Regarding GME Slots

On Feb. 18, SIR sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, in response to the FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (IPPS) Final Rule on Graduate Medical Education Proposals (CMS-1752-F). This final rule sought outside input and public comment on two distribution methodologies for 1,000 new training slots found in the FY2022 IPPS proposed rule.

Alternative 1 would distribute slots based on a hospital’s HPSA score and would apply for five years. Alternative 2 would award slots to hospitals that
meet all four categories in the CAA for FY 2023 only, to allow CMS additional time to work with stakeholders on a more refined distribution criteria and process.

SIR strongly supports Alternative 2. By increasing the number of GME training positions for Interventional Radiologists, it will ensure patients have
access to critical services for many critical procedures such as:
• hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes
• maternal health (antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum hemorrhage)
• peripheral artery disease (limb salvage)
• dialysis access (creation and revision of arteriovenous fistula, grafts and central lines)
• radiation oncology and other innovative cancer treatments
• pain management such as non-opioid alternatives

Join SIR's effort—ask Congress to extend the 3.75 conversion factor

On November 2, 2021 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rule for CY2022. While CMS did adopt some of SIR’s suggested changes, the final rule will impose Medicare pay cuts in the aggregate of 9% for some of our members. SIR is asking Congress to pass legislation to extend the 3.75% conversion factor pay increase through the end of 2022. Please act now to participate in our latest call to action to deflect Medicare pay cuts to IR.

Medicare Payment Coalition letter and advocacy

On Nov. 29, 2021, SIR joined 308 organizations in a letter to congressional leadership urging the inclusion of language to extend the 3.75% payment adjustment in any viable year-end piece of legislation. SIR is an active member of the Medicare Payment Coalition and taking part in Congressional and Administration meetings to fight for fair physician pay.

SIR joins AMA led group asking for revisions to the No Surprises Act

On Nov. 17, 2021, SIR joined over 100 organizations in a letter to the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor asking that they revise requirements in the most recent Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing the No Surprises Act (NSA) that require an Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) entity to assume the Qualified Payment Amount (QPA) is a reasonable out-of-network rate, unless credible information submitted by the parties clearly demonstrates that the QPA is materially different from the appropriate out-of-network rate.

SIR signs onto letter to Congressional leadership urging timely appropriation process completion

On Oct. 21, 2021, SIR joined over 200 organizations in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to complete the fiscal year 2022 appropriations process before the current continuing resolution (CR) expires this December.

SIR joins AMA led group to express concern over electronic payments in health care

On October 14, 2021 joined with the American Medical Association and over ninety organizations representing state medical associations and the nation’s medical specialty societies in a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to express our strong concerns over unfair business practices with respect to electronic payments in health care.

Physician Clinical Registry Coalition comments on proposed CY 2022 updates to the Quality Payment Program

On September 13, 2021, SIR signed onto the Physician Clinical Registry Coalition’s Comments on the Proposed CY 2022 Updates to the Quality Payment Program. The Coalition is a group of medical society-sponsored clinical data registries that collect and analyze clinical outcomes data to identify best practices and improve patient care. Most of the members of the Coalition have been approved as QCDRs or QRs for 2022. The Coalition urged CMS to avoid increasing burdens on participants and to incentivize the use of QCDRs and other clinical outcomes data registries.

SIR joins the CardioVascular Coalition urging CMS not to finalize the Clinical Labor Policy included in the 2022 PFS proposed rule

On September 7, 2021, SIR sent a letter to CMS in response to their 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule. SIR strongly urged CMS not to finalize the clinical labor policy included in the 2022 PFS proposed rule at this time and to coordinate with Congress on fundamental reform to the PFS through legislation this year in light of the fact that the “budget neutrality” provision in the 2021 PFS Final Rule E/M policy is still causing negative impacts in the form of a scheduled 3.75 percent cut to the conversion factor in 2022.

SIR signs onto coalition letter to Congress seeking stabilization of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule methodology

SIR joined the ACR and other medical specialty groups members to send a letter to Congress on July 23, 2021. The letter urges Congress to stabilize the methodology to calculate the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and to avoid deep pay cuts.

SIR signs onto GME Advocacy Coalition letter to CMS about GME distribution methodology

SIR joined the Association of American Medical Colleges and other GME Advocacy Coalition members to send a letter to CMS on June 28, 2021. The letter urges CMS to finalize the Alternative 2 methodology in the FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule, with modifications, and increase the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) slots awarded per hospital for FY 2023 and all succeeding years.

SIR submits comment to CMS about GME distribution methodology

SIR submitted a comment letter to CMS on June 25, 2021, about proposed GME distribution methodologies. SIR's letter supports alternative two, which would award slots to hospitals that meet all four categories in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 for Fiscal Year 2023 only and to allow CMS additional time to work with stakeholders on a more refined distribution criteria and process.

SIR signs onto AMA letter to CMMI about alternative payment models

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to CMMI on May 27, 2021. The letter makes recommendations to improve the process for designing and implementing alternative payment models (APMs) and to better engage the physician community in their development.

SIR signs onto letter to Congress about investing in the nation's health care infrastructure

SIR joined the American College of Radiology (ACR) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on Apr. 27, 2021. The letter urges Congress to make a critical investment in the nation’s health care infrastructure by providing an additional $3 billion for the MPFS to once again mitigate expected reductions to the Medicare conversion factor, ensuring financial stability for physicians and practices in 2022.

SIR signs onto AMA letter to CMS about addressing MIPS cost measures benchmarks

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to CMS on Apr. 13, 2021. The letter urges CMS to immediately release 2018, 2019, and 2020 MIPS cost measures benchmarks and further make cost measure benchmarks and patient attribution information available on a rolling, close to real-time basis during the 2021 performance year and future performance periods thereafter.

March 2021 SIR Washington Report

Read the latest edition of the SIR Washington Report.

SIR signs onto AMA letter to CMS about addressing issues in the 2022 Quality Payment Program proposed rule

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to CMS on Mar. 5, 2021. The letter urges CMS to address reinventing MIPS to ensure the design, prioritization, and scoring of MVPs fulfill their aims and MVPs are voluntary in the 2022 Quality Payment Program proposed rule.

SIR signs onto ACR letter to thank and urge Congress to consider additional policy options in the year to alleviate Medicare payment cuts

SIR joined the American College of Radiology (ACR) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on Feb. 22, 2021. The letter thanks members of the 116th Congress for including language in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to alleviate the devastating Medicare payment cuts. The letter also urges Congress to consider additional policy options in the year ahead to address shortcomings in future Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rules.

SIR signs onto AMA letter to Congress about extending Medicare sequester moratorium

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on Feb. 12, 2021. The letter urges Congress to pass H.R. 315, which would extend the congressionally enacted moratorium on Medicare sequester cuts through the duration of the public health emergency.

SIR joined the Cardiovascular Coalition to urge President Biden to prioritize amputation prevention

SIR joined the Cardiovascular Coalition in completing a joint call to action between Jan. 21 and Feb. 2. The call to action urged U.S Representatives to join a letter to President Biden asking him to prioritize amputation prevention. Thank you to all that participated. The Voices for IR’s call to action resulted in 68 U.S. Representatives receiving 79 messages.

Congress enacts legislation that reduces proposed cuts to IR Medicare pay

SIR members were able to convince Congress to include a measure in the year-end COVID-19 relief bill signed on Dec. 27 to drastically reduce the Medicare reimbursement cuts to interventional radiology. The legislation increased all Medicare payment codes by 3.75% for 2021, suspended payment for HCPCS code G2211 for three years, and delayed the application of the Medicare sequestration rule, thus reducing the expected -8% cut for IR Medicare payments to -2%, effective January 1, 2021.

This is a big win for IR and one that could not have been accomplished without your letters, emails, and phone calls to Congress. With a new Congress and administration coming in, there is more work to be done and we need your help to demonstrate the value IR brings to the healthcare system. Please join our Voices for IR grassroots program today to stay connected to our important advocacy efforts.

SIR signs onto AMA letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs about physician-led team-based care

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Jan. 7, 2021. The letter urges the VA to rescind the Interim Final Rule (IFR) and consider policy alternatives that prioritize physician-led team-based care.

SIR signs onto a letter to Congress supporting S. 5007: Holding Providers Harmless from Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020

SIR joined the American College of Radiology (ACR) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on Dec.14, 2020. The letter thanks Senators Boozman, Cramer, Hyde-Smith, Cotton, and Collins for their leadership in introducing S. 5007, a bill to halt pending Medicare payment cuts resulting from the planned evaluation and management (E/M) code changes slated for implementation on January 1, 2021.

SIR signs onto press statement about Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

SIR joined the American College of Radiology (ACR) and other medical specialty societies to release a press statement on Dec. 1, 2020. The press statement urges Congress to include legislation in any year-end package to prevent these arbitrary Medicare cuts due to CMS’ unresponsiveness to address mitigating payment cuts associated with budget neutrality requirements.

SIR signs onto a letter to Congress supporting H.R. 8702: Holding Providers Harmless from Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020

SIR joined the American College of Radiology (ACR) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on Nov. 11, 2020. The letter thanks Representatives Bera, Bucshon, Boyle, Finkenauer, Holding, Marshall, Roe, and Ruiz for their leadership in introducing H.R. 8702, a bill to halt pending Medicare payment cuts resulting from the planned evaluation and management (E/M) code changes slated for implementation on January 1, 2021.

SIR signs onto a letter to CMS asking it to implement CPT Code 99072 to cover PPE

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to CMS on Nov. 10, 2020. The letter urges CMS to immediately implement and pay for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code 99072 to compensate practices for the additional supplies and new staff activities required to provide safe patient care during the public health emergency.

SIR signs onto a letter to Congress about H.R. 8505: Waiving Budget Neutrality

SIR joined the American College of Radiology (ACR) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on Oct. 9, 2020. The letter thanks Congressmen Michael Burgess, MD, and Bobby Rush for their leadership in introducing H.R. 8505, a bill to prevent pending Medicare payment cuts by waiving the budget neutrality requirements stipulated in Section 1848(c)(2) of the Social Security Act for the finalized evaluation and management (E/M) code proposal slated for implementation on Jan. 1, 2021.

SIR submits comment to FDA about Polidocanol products

SIR submitted a comment letter to the FDA on Sept. 29, 2020. SIR's letter supports the FDA in its re-evaluation efforts and offers information on two venous pathologies with needs that are unmet by the commercially available agents.

SIR signs onto a letter to Congress opposing H.R. 884: Medicare Mental Health Access Act

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on Sept. 22, 2020. The letter urges Congress to oppose H.R. 884, which would change the definition of “physician” under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists.

SIR and ACR submit comments jointly on Peripheral Vascular Atherectomy Medical Devices.

SIR and the College of American Radiology submitted a joint comment letter to the FDA on Sept. 11, 2020. The letter supports the FDA in its efforts to update the FDA Guidance Document on Peripheral Vascular Atherectomy Devices- Premarket [510 (k)] Submissions to create a greater degree of clinical safety and device operational predictability.

SIR signs onto CAP press statement about waiving E/M coding budget neutrality

SIR joined the College of American Pathologists and other medical specialty societies to release a press statement on Aug. 4, 2020. The press statement urges Congress and CMS to collaborate on developing a solution that will allow the changes to the E/M services to proceed, while at the same time preventing cuts to our health care professionals due to budget neutrality.

SIR signs onto AMA letter to Congress about excluding surprise billing provision from the new COVID-19 relief package.

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on July 29, 2020. The letter urges Congress to not include surprise medical billing provisions in the new COVID-19 relief legislation under discussion in Congress. The letter makes the point that legislation to address the current public health emergency is not the appropriate vehicle or time to address this issue when agreement in significant outstanding issues remains elusive.

SIR signs onto AMA letter to HHS about waiving E/M coding budget neutrality

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to HHS on July 1, 2020. The letter urges HHS to utilize its authority under the public health emergency declaration to preserve patient access to care and mitigate financial distress due to the pandemic by implementing the office visit increases as planned while waiving budget neutrality requirements for the new Medicare office visit payment policy.

SIR signs onto AMA letter to the State Department and Department of Homeland Security about H-1B visas

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to the State Department and Department of Homeland Security on July 8, 2020. The letter urges the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to clarify that all health care professionals—not only those who are involved in COVID-19 research and practice—are critical to our national interest, and therefore exempt from the proclamation.

SIR signs onto a letter to CMS about scope of practice

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to CMS on June 11, 2020. The letter strongly opposes the proposal to expand the scope of services NPPs furnish in IRFs, and urges CMS to uphold the role of the rehabilitation physician in delivering and overseeing care for patients in IRF settings.

SIR signs onto a letter to Congress about targeted and limited liability protections

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on June 9, 2020. The letter urges Congress to include the targeted and limited liability protections that are in the bipartisan bill, H.R. 7059, the “Coronavirus Provider Protection Act.”

SIR supports the AdvaMed, AHA and AORN guidance about re-entry of medical device representatives

SIR joined AdvaMed, the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) and other medical specialty societies to support a guided statement on June 9, 2020. The guided statement concerns the safe re-entry of medical device representatives into the surgical setting.

SIR signs onto a letter to Congress about "phase four" COVID-19 relief bill package

SIR joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical specialty societies to send a letter to Congress on April 15, 2020. The letter strongly urges Congress to take additional steps to protect patient access to care by preserving the viability of physicsan practices as part of the nation’s essential health care system in any “phase four” coronavirus relief bill package.

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