Members of Congress Urged to Reform Policies Requiring Budget Neutrality Within the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule A coalition of professional medical societies, including ISASS, submitted a letter on October 31, 2023, to members of the US Congress thanking them for their efforts on reform policies requiring the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule to maintain budget neutrality...

Physician Burnout Is Growing On October 19, 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on rates of burnout for U.S. health care professionals, including physicians. Perceptions of working conditions and mental health status from 2018-2022 were tracked, and the resulting study found that health care workers reported more days...

HHS Releases Unfavorable Opinion Against Physician Practices On September 28, 2023, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a ruling in which it refused to bless an arrangement proposed by a anatomic pathology laboratory company. Under the proposed arrangement, the company would contract with other laboratories...

Medicare Quality Reporting Program Reported to Have Errors Impacting Physicians On August 10, CMS made available the 2022 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance feedback, which determines whether physicians will receive a positive, neutral, or negative payment adjustment on Medicare services furnished in 2024. The AMA has heard alarming reports of physicians facing MIPS penalties...