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CME Coalition Applauds CMS Proposal to Recognize CME as ‘Performance Improvement Activity’ in Physician Reimbursement Rule

6/21/2017

A proposal from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), reflecting support from over 300 stakeholders, would reward physicians for their participation in continuing medical education (CME) activities.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 688-0223, arosenberg@thornrun.com

The CME Coalition applauds the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for their proposal to recognize accredited continuing medical education (CME) as a Clinical Practice Improvement Activity (CPIA) under the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) — a physician reimbursement system created by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). As detailed in the proposed rule (pg. 1042), CMS recommends that “completion of an accredited performance improving medical education program” be included under the list of CPIAs under MIPS — one of the key policy changes proposed for the Quality Payment Program Year 2.

VIDEO: CME Coalitions Andrew Rosenberg and Tom Sullivan Discuss CME and Physician Payment

5/26/2017

On Tuesday, myCME's David Azevedo caught up with Andy Rosenberg and Tom Sullivan of the CME Coalition to discuss the latest developments related to MACRA and CME . “I think there’s an openness in the government to make things easier for physicians to get credit for the work they are doing,” noted Sullivan in the interview. "If I’m going to participate in a quality improvement program, that should qualify as quality improvement.” Rosenberg went on to comment that he is “hopeful” now that CMS has opened up the process to reconsider new measures. “I’m very bullish on our long-term chances of eventually getting them to recognize a role for CME in MIPS," he said.

Policy and Medicine Notes CME participation in FDA meeting on Safe Opioid Use

5/26/2017

On Tuesday, the CME Coalition was featured in an article by Policy and Medicine for its participation in the May 9-10 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) public meeting on the training of healthcare providers on pain management and safe use of opioid medication. CME Coalition’s Andrew Rosenberg and Tom Sullivan provided comments at the meeting to reinforce that education is a valuable tool in combating the opioid epidemic. “To encourage clinician's to participate in the Opioid REMS, the CME Coalition recommended that FDA work with CMS to include Opioid REMS CME as an improvement activity in the Quality Payment Program,” the article notes. The piece also goes onto acknowledge the value and importance of continuing medical education as an asset in reducing overdose deaths due to opioids.

CME Coalition Statement on Passage of 21st Century Cures Act, Maintenance of Open Payments Reporting Exemption for Independent, Indirect CME Payments

12/9/2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301

December 8, 2016 – On Tuesday, December 6, the Senate approved, by a vote of 94-5, a wide-ranging biomedical innovation bill called the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 34), which will provide about $4.8 billion over 10 years in medical research funding, make changes to the FDA’s review of medical products, and advance mental health reforms. The bill now heads to the desk of President Obama, who is expected to sign the measure into law. The bill passed the House of Representatives last week.

Policy and Medicine: Open Payments Having an Adverse Effect on Physician-Rep Relationships

11/2/2016

An article published in Policy and Medicine shows that since the release of Open Payments data, the percentage of physicians who do not allow access to medical industry salespeople have begun to increase. However, author Tom Sullivan argues that the increasing no-access rate might not be very beneficial for physicians. "Such high rates of no-access may not be the best thing for the health care industry as a whole" he writes. "Such visits from drug and device reps can be beneficial to doctors and their staff, as it provides a time for them to ask questions of the rep to see if the offered device or prescription is a good fit for any of their patients."

The CME Coalition Quoted in Coalition for Healthcare Communication Article On CMS Revised FAQ Post

10/6/2016

Yesterday, the CME Coalition was featured in an article by the Coalition for Healthcare Communication (CHC) on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) recently revised FAQ post on its Open Payments website regarding the reporting of CME-related payments. The CME Coalition states that although “this FAQ is fully consistent with its earlier interpretation of the status of independent CME-related payments when CMS revised the regulations in 2014, as well as the interpretation of other leading stakeholders like the American Medical Association, the revised FAQ now provides even greater clarity to stakeholders.”

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