Medicare Reform Legislation
Representatives Marianette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-IA), and Herb Conaway, MD (D-NJ), introduced the Medicare Physician Data-driven Performance Payment System Act, which would reform the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in Medicare. The legislation would replace MIPS with the Data-Driven Performance Payment System (DPPS), which would lower physician payment penalties and reinvest penalty funds to assist under-resourced practices.
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WISeR Guidance for Skin Substitute Reviews
CMS updated the WISeR Provider and Supplier Operational Guide to remove ICD-10 codes L97.111-L97.826 from Appendix B as indications that would automatically trigger prior authorization or pre-payment review for skin substitute applications. These diagnosis codes are commonly used to describe non-pressure chronic ulcers of the lower limb and are not exclusive to DFUs or VLUs.
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Preventive Care for Diabetic Patients
APMA submitted a letter responding to the House Committee on Ways and Means Health Subcommittee for a field hearing on modernizing healthcare practices for chronic condition treatment.
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APMA Corporate Council
APMA is proud to acknowledge the founding members of the APMA Corporate Council: Amgen, Clutch Medical, NextGen Healthcare, PICA, Sagis Diagnostics, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. This initiative will increase collaboration between APMA leadership, members, and key leaders across the podiatric profession.
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MA Chart Review Advocacy Win
In the Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment Data Validation Final Rule released earlier this month, Medicare Advantage plans are now disallowed from counting diagnoses that are derived only from chart review and are not linked to any service provided to the patient toward the Medicare Advantage risk scores and payments.
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MedPAC Physician Classification
APMA submitted a follow up letter to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), calling for doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs) to be consistently classified as physicians in all MedPAC reports and analyses.
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APMA’s Medicaid Toolkit Updated
APMA has updated its Medicaid Toolkit with a new resource on the Medicaid-related provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The toolkit equips members with practical advocacy resources, including a 50-state coverage survey, legislator talking points, fact sheets, Medicaid maps, eAdvocacy tools, and more.
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Congressional Briefing on Diabetes Foot Bill
APMA hosted a congressional briefing to highlight the importance of passing the Diabetes Foot Health Access and Modernization Act. Congressional staffers heard from panelists on the current barriers prescribing and furnishing therapeutic shoes in Medicare, highlighting how the provisions of the legislation would improve patient outcomes, reduce health-care costs, and improve timely access to diabetic care.
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Iowa Advances IPMLC
APMA congratulates the Iowa Podiatric Medical Society on the passage of HF 2498, legislation to adopt the Interstate Podiatric Medical Licensure Compact (IPMLC) in Iowa.
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Improving MIPS Feedback Reports
APMA urged CMS to update and improve the feedback reports clinicians receive after each MIPS performance year. Specifically, APMA recommended that the annual reports deliver performance feedback in a clear, interpretable, and actionable format.
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Diabetic Shoes Update
Following sustained advocacy CMS confirmed that co-signed notes are not required for coverage of diabetic shoes/inserts when other specific documentation standards are met. APMA also requested that CMS publicize this confirmation, which it did with a newly published article.
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Big Advocacy Wins for Kentucky and Maryland!
APMA is pleased to share two recent state advocacy victories that reflect the impact of both direct APMA financial assistance and broader advocacy and grassroots engagement. Kentucky became the 13th state and US territory to adopt DPM authority to supervise physician assistants. Maryland became the first state to adopt the Interstate Podiatric Medical Licensure Compact!
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