| CATEGORY |
SUBCATEGORY |
POS |
LEGISLATIVE |
POS |
REGULATORY |
| LIABILITY REFORM |
Comprehensive Targeted |
F L L |
* Comprehensive medical liability reform (such as the HEALTH Act) * Alternative dispute resolution initiatives (medical courts, mediation, etc.) * Liability protection for EMTALA and post-stabilization services |
|
|
| OVERCROWDING/BOARDING |
|
L |
* CMS collection of hospital boarding data (IOM recommendation & ACEP Strategic Plan tactic) |
L |
* Continue to work w/EMTALA TAG to address crowding & boarding issues |
| MEDICARE |
Physician Payment Reform Outpatient Hospital Payments |
L L L |
* Seek repeal of SGR physician payment formula * Additional payments to physicians for emergency medical services provided to Medicare beneficiaries in the ED (per Access bill) * Extend geographic adjustment for physician payments |
L L L F |
* Suppport reasonable options for SGR alternatives from MedPAC * Support well-designed survey of practice expense w/AMA & CMS * Expand conditions/symptoms for observation payment (IOM recommendation) * Track CMS work on <24/7 ED billings |
| MEDICAID |
ED Access |
F |
* Monitor potential congressional action on Medicaid Commission recommendations for their effects on safety net |
F |
* Monitor DRA implementation, specifically co-pay for non-urgent ED care & FFS payment to emergency physicians who are non-network |
| APPROPRIATIONS |
Funding for Emergency Medical Care Services & Programs |
F/L L |
* Funding for Trauma Systems, EMSC, Disaster Preparedness, Pandemic Flu, EMS Training & Equipment, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Poison Control, CDC Injury Prevention * Emergency medicine workforce study (IOM recommendation) |
L |
* Monitor implementation of federally appropriated money & help promote/direct funds to emergency medicine programs |
| EMERGENCY PLANNING/ PREPAREDNESS |
Pandemic Flu /Bioterrorism/ Natural Disaster |
F/L L F/L |
* DHS reauthorization * Identify emergency preparedness grant opportunities * Establish sustainable funding mechanism for disaster preparedness (IOM recommendation) |
F/L |
* Monitor implementation of "Pandemic & All-Hazards Preparedness Act," including medical surge capacity, national syndromic surveillance system & efforts to improve command/control of disaster medical response |
| HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (HIT) |
HIT Standardizataion /Development/ Adoption |
F/L F/L F/L |
* Incentive funding for adoption of HIT (IOM recommendation) * Electronic Medical Records -- standards development, harmonization, certification of products * Codification of ONC |
L F/L L L L |
* Support ONC development of emergency responder EHR use case * Continue work w/AHIC on quality & HIT issues * Support HL7 work on emergency medicine standards * Support CCHIT certification of EHRs for EDs * Support HITSP work on harmonization of standards impacting EDs |
| INSURANCE/COVERAGE ISSUES |
Coverage for the Uninsured Uncompensated Care |
F/L F/L L |
* Proposals to reduce/eliminate the number of individuals without insurance * SCHIP reauthorization * EMTALA-related federal relief (IOM recommendation) |
|
|
| QUALITY |
Quality Measures Pay-for-Reporting/ Pay-for-Performance/ Value-Based Purchasing Linkage to HIT |
F/L F/L |
* Review any further proposals to expand or codify measure development process * Monitor proposals to authorize HIT |
L F/L L |
* Continue work with CMS on emergency medicine measurement * Monitor proposals to implement P4R/P4P, quality reporting requirements * Continue work with AHIC/ONC on quality & HIT issues as they impact EDs (IOM recommendation) |
| OTHER DOMESTIC ISSUES |
Trauma Systems EMSC Rural Health/GME |
L F/L |
* Reauthorize Trauma/EMS Program * Reauthorize EMSC Program |
F/L L |
* Work w/ACS to promote regionalized EMS (IOM recommendation) * Support change in regulations that preclude rotations to rural hospitals |
| RESEARCH |
Emergency & Trauma Care Research Base |
|
|
L |
* Promote & coordinate emergency medicine research efforts funded by federal agencies |
| DOCUMENTATION/ COMPLIANCE |
OIG Medicare |
|
|
L F F F L |
* OIG plan to assess payment for conterporaneous reads of x-rays * Switch to national providers #s by May 20 * Finalize documentation for ED facility visits in HOPPS * Assess effets of audit contractors (RAC) on ED claims * Provider enrollment final regulations * Provider enrollment final regulations |
| L (Lead) -- ACEP takes lead to promote/implement iniative |
|
|
|
| F (Follow) -- ACEP monitors initiative & provides supplemental support when necessary |
|
|
| F/L (Follow/Lead on ED Issues) -- ACEP monitors initiative & takes action when necessary to promote/implement ED initiatives |
