On January 23, 2020, the CME Coalition held a webinar on the proposed changes to the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support. ACCME released their proposed update to the Standards for Commercial Support on January 7, and comments to the ACCME are due February 21. This webinar featured a panel of leading experts to provide a detailed analysis of the proposed changes. Slides from the webinar are available here. | |
On January 10, 2020, the CME Coalition's Andrew Rosenberg and Rockpoint's Tom Sullivan presented to the annual conference of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions (ACEhp) (see here for the slides). The presentation provided an overview of key topics of interest to stakeholders in the CME community, including the political dynamics in Washington, CME for MIPS, Open Payments, activity on Capitol Hill relating to CME, and various state action around proposed "gift bans."
The CME Coalition has submitted comments to Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Fred Upton (R-MI) in response to their solicitation for comments on ‘Cures 2.0’ — an important next step in their efforts to advance medical research and foster innovation. As the letter points out, policymakers have increasingly recognized that there is an important role for enhanced provider education to address discrete policy challenges.
At the 17th Annual Independent Medical Education and Grants Summit, CME Coalition Senior Advisor Andy Rosenberg and Rockpointe’s Tom Sullivan gave a “Washington Update” regarding the latest political implications for the CME enterprise.
On September 23, 2019, the CME Coalition submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the agency’s proposed revisions to payment policies under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), encouraging the agency to consider the role of CME for quality improvement in future rulemakings on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVP). The letter complimented CMS’ acknowledgement of continuing medical education as a part of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for opioid analgesics, noting that the rule will bolster participation in programs to inform providers about the risks associated with opioids. The CME Coalition also applauded the clarity CMS seeks to achieve by consolidating the “accredited/certified” and “unaccredited/non-certified” CME program categories in Open Payments to match the statutory language of “medical education programs.” “CME is crucial for quality improvement and we appreciate CMS making physicians’ lifelong learning a priority,” wrote CME Coalition Senior Advisor Andrew Rosenberg.
At the 17th Annual Independent Medical Education and Grants Summit, CME Coalition Senior Advisor Andy Rosenberg joined a panel of industry experts to discuss how CME providers can repackage their programs to achieve MIPS compliance and ensure physicians receive Medicare reimbursement credit for their participation in your programs. A slide deck for the presentation can be accessed here.
At the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions 2019 Annual Conference, CME Coalition's Andy Rosenberg and Tom Sullivan provided an update on the major legislative and regulatory issues that the Coalition has been engaged in throughout this year. A slide deck for the presentation can be accessed here.
The CME Coalition submitted comments this week to Maine’s Board of Pharmacy, calling on it to revisit its proposed rule to limit honoraria for physicians participating in CME activities to $250 per calendar year. The Board’s proposal implements a state law that prohibits industry gifts to physicians and establishes certain exemptions, such as the $250 exemption for payments for physicians sharing medical knowledge with their peers. That exemption does not allow for physicians to be adequately compensated for their time and expertise, which would lead to fewer knowledgeable doctors being willing to speak at CME programs.
The CME Coalition recently submitted the attached comments on the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education's (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support (SCS) process. The Standards for Commercial Support are designed to ensure that CME activities are independent and free of commercial bias. All accredited CME providers in the ACCME System are responsible for complying with the Standards for Commercial Support and the policies that supplement the Standards.
The CME Coalition applauds U.S. Representatives Phil Roe (R-TN), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Andy Harris (R-MD), and Ami Bera (D-CA) for their introduction of a congressional resolution expressing support for the need to expand training for physicians on opioid prescribing. These four key Members of Congress — all physicians in their own right — have recognized the role of CME in the professional development of America’s physician workforce.
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