APMAPAC 2025 Report
APMAPAC has released its 2025 Annual Report, offering a comprehensive look into the activities, outcomes, and ongoing goals of the APMAPAC. As the only bipartisan arm that supports federal candidates aligned with the profession’s legislative priorities, APMAPAC plays a key role in strengthening podiatric medicine’s voice in Washington, DC.
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New Health-Care Legislation
Congressional leaders have unveiled a new bipartisan package of health-care reforms, which includes issues APMA has advocated for. The package is tied to a larger $1.2 trillion government spending package that funds the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor, and other agencies through fiscal year 2026.
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Congress Questions Health Insurance CEOs
The House Ways & Means Committee and Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee hosted a concurrent congressional hearing focused on health insurance practices and affordability last week. Before the hearing, APMA collaborated with both committees to submit questions for lawmakers to ask. Additionally, APMA submitted joint statements to the committees.
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APMA Statements on MA and Prior Authorization
The APMA Board of Trustees has approved two new position statements addressing persistent challenges podiatric physicians face in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and with prior authorization (PA) processes. Together, these statements reinforce APMA’s commitment to protecting patient access to medically necessary foot and ankle care while reducing administrative burdens that delay treatment and undermine physician decision-making.
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APMA's Bipartisan Work on MIPS
Last week, APMA responded to direct bipartisan outreach from the GOP and Democratic Doctors Caucus for recommendations to modernize the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and improve future Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models. APMA focused its comments on supporting the American Medical Association’s Data-Driven Performance Payment System (DPPS) proposal, which would replace key elements of MIPS.
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2025 MIPS Performance Year Reporting Is Open
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened data submission for the 2025 performance year of the Quality Payment Program (QPP). Data can be submitted and updated until March 31 at 8 p.m. ET. APMA encourages members to submit their 2025 MIPS performance period data early during the submission period.
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USPS Postmark Changes
Podiatrists submitting time-sensitive materials by mail may be affected by changes to how the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmarks mail. Effective December 24, 2025, USPS postmarks now reflect the date mail is processed instead of the date it is dropped off. With mail processing becoming more centralized, delays between drop-off and postmarking may become more common.
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Prepare for 2026 Field Testing for NPUECM
APMA would like to notify members about another round of field testing for the Non-Pressure Ulcer Episode-Based Cost Measure (NPUECM) that will open on January 29 and run through February 27. Some members may receive a Field Test Report through their QPP Portal account; APMA requests that any members who receive a report to share it with APMA, so we can better advocate for you.
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CPME College Document Revisions
The deadline to provide comments on CPME college document revisions is February 1. The revised documents and a summary of changes are available for review on the CPME webpage. A survey to obtain feedback on the Draft 1 documents is also available online.
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Non-BLA Skin Substitute Wastage Payment Change
CMS has clarified that providers may no longer bill Medicare for wastage associated with the use of non-BLA skin substitute products as of January 1. The JZ and JW Modifiers should no longer be used for skin substitute application for Medicare beneficiaries.
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CMS Removes CPT® 11042 from WISeR Model
Following APMA's formal request in October 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an updated version (Version 3.0) of the WISeR Model Provider and Supplier Operational Guide which removes CPT® 11042 (debridement of subcutaneous tissue) from Appendix B.
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UnitedHealthcare Radiology Billing Update
Starting April 1, when the same provider bills an E/M service and a global radiology code for the same patient on the same date, UnitedHealthcare will require a full written interpretation and report to separately reimburse the professional component of the radiology service. If no written report is submitted, the professional component of the global radiology code will not be reimbursed separately and time spent reviewing the radiology images will be bundled into the payment for the E/M service.
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