American College of Cardiology

August Presents Opportunities to Educate Congress on Payment Cut Impacts
The ACC continues to meet with CMS staff, members of Congress and administration officials about the impact of the proposed CMS cuts on patients and practices. In addition, the College continues to work with oncology and partner cardiovascular societies to educate Congress about the flaws in the practice expense data used to determine the drastic cuts. ACC members are encouraged to support these efforts through calls, emails and face-to-face visits with lawmakers. The August congressional recess presents great opportunities for face-to-face meetings with members while they are home, and ACC Advocacy staff is available to help schedule appointments. For help with scheduling visits contact Molly Nichelson at mnichels@acc.org. Talking points and patient materials are also available at www.acc.org/can.

Right Way, Wrong Way to Reform Health System
It appears that Congress will not pass overarching health reform legislation before heading home in August. President Obama last week was at several high-profile events, including a prime time press conference, encouraging the passage of reform legislation by the end of the year. In a recent blog post, ACC CEO Jack Lewin writes: "The Medicare 2010 Physician Payment Rule is clear evidence of what is coming if we don’t get real reform, and soon."

Meanwhile, ACC Chapter Gov. George Crossley, M.D., F.A.C.C., was featured in an opinion piece on health care reform in the Tennessean on July 28. Crossley writes, “There is a right way and a wrong way to reform our health-care system. And while opinions clearly differ on right and wrong in the halls of government and at our nation's kitchen tables, one aspect of reform cannot be overlooked: doctors.” Crossley also addresses the payment cuts that would result from the proposed 2010 Physician Fee Schedule when he writes that the “large-scale arbitrary cuts” will inhibit cardiovascular professionals’ ability “to make great strides in how patients with heart disease and other illnesses are treated.” A link to the op-ed is posted at qualityfirst.acc.org.

ACC Fighting Proposals to Eliminate In-Office Imaging Services
The ACC is working hard to fight efforts to attach self referral provisions to health reform. In fact, a joint letter with 23 other medical professional societies was sent last week to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, opposing an amendment by Reps. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) and Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) to eliminate the ability of physicians to provide advanced diagnostic imaging services in their offices beginning in 2013. ACC staff and leaders continue to meet regularly with members of Congress about the benefits of appropriate use criteria and clinical guidelines to ensure that the right tests are delivered at the right time to the right patients. The ACC also supports mandatory imaging laboratory accreditation to improve the quality of imaging.

Bill Introduced for U.S. Production of Mo-99
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment Chair Edward Markey (D-Mass.) on July 21 introduced the American Medical Isotopes Production Act. This bill would authorize $163 million over five years to start domestic production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) as soon as possible. Under the bill, the funds would be used to support private sector or research sector projects to establish domestic Mo-99 production.

In May, the Canadian reactor that usually supplies 60 percent of U.S. demand broke down and major reactor in the Netherlands will shut down for necessary maintenance later this month. This will leave the total global production capacity at approximately 10 percent of normal levels for one month. The ACC and other cardiovascular specialty societies endorse the legislation. More information about the shortages is available on the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology’s Web site.

FDA Approvals
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several new drugs and devices over the last week. The agency has approved Boston Scientific’s Taxus Liberte 38-mm Long paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent, which will launch in August. In addition, FDA has approved Cook Medical’s balloon dilatation catheter, the Advance 35LP, intended for use in femoral, iliac and renal artery lesions.

FDA also has approved as an initial therapy a single-pill combination Tekturna HCT (aliskiren and hydrochlorothiazide) for use in patients with hypertension, who are likely to need multiple drugs to lower their blood pressure. The pill will be available in four strengths: 150 mg/12.5 mg, 150 mg/25 mg, 300 mg/12.5 mg and 300 mg/25 mg tablets.

The FDA has approved St. Jude Medical, Inc.’s Accent™ RF pacemaker, Anthem™ RF cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker, and version 4.0 of the Merlin.net® Patient Care Network (PCN), which supports the Accent RF and Anthem RF devices. Merlin.net supports the wireless transfer of patient information from the implanted device to an electronic health record.

Don’t Miss Out! Register for ACC’s 2009 Legislative Conference
The registration deadline for ACC’s 2009 Legislative Conference is approaching! The event will be held Sept. 13 – 15 at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C. Given the drastic payment cuts proposed by CMS, as well as efforts to pass overarching health reform legislation, don’t miss this opportunity to help educate Congress about the important work the ACC is doing in the areas of quality improvement and medical imaging. Even more importantly, you can help advocate for fair reimbursement and sound, unobtrusive policies that will ensure that cardiovascular professionals can continue to practice medicine in a manner that provides the greatest benefit for their patients. Click here to register now!

ACC Talks with 70 State Lawmakers on CV Issues
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) held their annual meeting last week in Philadelphia. ACC President Alfred Bove, M.D., F.A.C.C., attended the event, along with the chapter executive of the Florida, Virginia and Maryland Chapters, Jennifer Ray Beckman, and several ACC staff. During the event, the ACC spoke with 70 state legislators on the topics of health care reform and Quality First, the “Year of the Patient” and some state-specific legislation. The ACC discussed the Proposed 2010 Physician Fee Schedule and attempts to limit self-referral, and the effects of these policies on access to cardiovascular services. The ACC attendees also met with other medical organizations to discuss continuing or new areas of collaboration. In addition, the ACC was a part of a panel called “Legislators in the Lab Showcase,” which provided an overview of the state of cardiovascular health in the U.S. and was presented in part by James Galloway, M.D., F.A.C.C. For more information on advocacy issues, visit: www.acc.org/advocacy/advocacy.htm.