November 1, 2018

APMA celebrated another major advocacy win today as CMS released the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule. The final rule did not include the originally proposed podiatry-specific E/M codes, which would have reimbursed at a significantly lower rate than codes for the same care provided by other physicians.

APMA extends its sincere gratitude to the thousands of members, colleagues, patients, family, and friends who joined APMA’s grassroots campaign and submitted comments to CMS about this punitive proposal. We also thank our allies at other medical societies and in the halls of Congress, who strongly opposed the proposed rule.

“Today we saw proof that when APMA members work together toward a common goal, we can do great things,” said APMA President Dennis R. Frisch, DPM.

APMA in July launched a multifaceted campaign to defeat the proposal including:

• grassroots advocacy;
• outreach and strategic alliances with other health-care organizations concerned about the implication of this precedent;
• discussions with a broad swath of congressional offices;
• a meeting with the White House Office of Management and Budget;
• a meeting with senior advisors to the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
• media relations efforts;
• direct contact with CMS leadership through an in-person meeting; and
• formal comments to CMS.

To learn more about this campaign, read the September-October issue of APMA News. Watch your Weekly Focus for a more detailed analysis of the final rule.