AAMC Testifies Before PPAC
on Medicare Teaching Physician Documentation Requirements
At the Dec. 10 meeting of the Practicing Physicians Advisory
Council (PPAC), Dr.
Albert Bothe, Jr., executive director, University of Chicago
Faculty Practice Plan, compliance officer and professor of
Clinical Surgery, University of Chicago Medical School, and
medical director, University of Chicago Health Plan and a
member of AAMC's Group on Faculty Practice Steering Committee
and chair of its Subcommittee on Legislative and Regulatory
Issues, testified on behalf of the AAMC on documentation requirements
for teaching physicians.
PPAC is a mandated advisory body to HHS that provides input
on regulatory and carrier manual issues relevant to physicians.
The meeting discussion covered a variety of topics, including
documentation requirements for teaching physicians. Working
with the CMS Physicians Regulatory Issues Team (PRIT) under
the leadership of Dr. Barbara Paul, additional CMS staff examined
section 15016 of the Medicare Carrier Manual Instructions,
which speaks to Teaching Physician Documentation Requirements.
Modifications to the Instructions are being proposed that
are intended to reduce the regulatory burden of the documentation
requirements.
The proposed changes are
a significant first step in addressing regulatory burden related
to teaching physician documentation requirements. The draft
revisions more accurately reflect academic practice environments
and reduce the need for teaching physicians to document unnecessary,
duplicative information.
PPAC also discussed the potential expansion of the Primary
Care Exception (PCE). Modifications to the PCE would require
changes in the relevant rule. PPAC directed CMS staff to examine
the issue of potential expansion of the PCE.
AAMC staff will continue to monitor the proposed changes
to the Carrier Manual and the review of the Primary Care Exception
and work with CMS staff to articulate the needs of the academic
community. Members will be notified of final changes as soon
as they are adopted.
Contact
Denise Dodero, Sr. Director, Health Care Affairs
AAMC Health Care Affairs
ddodero@aamc.org
(202) 828-0493
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