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Ana Fullmer, American College of Cardiology,
202.375.6229 afullmer@acc.org
July
14, 2009
Tri-Committee Legislation Statement
Statement attributable to Jack Lewin, M.D., CEO of the American
College of Cardiology on today’s introduction of “America’s
Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009”
“This bill provides positive first steps toward physician
payment reform and repealing the flawed Sustainable Growth
Rate (SGR) formula. Until we completely change the way the
payment system is structured in this country we will never
bend the cost curve of healthcare spending.
“The ACC applauds the House committees’ efforts
to improve the Medicaid program—these important changes
are long overdue. The ACC also supports the committees’
efforts to provide funding for PQRI through 2012 and for including
an appeals process and providing faster feedback. These are
significant positive steps toward quality.
“This legislation appropriately promotes testing out
Accountable Care Organizations which have proven to be models
for high quality, low cost health care. We hope more emphasis
will be placed on quality improvement through the use of registries
in order for us all to measure our way to success. In addition,
the ACC would encourage the application of physician-developed
Appropriate Use Criteria, rather than making arbitrary imaging
changes.
“First and most importantly, of course, we absolutely
must provide every American with access to health care. As
the details emerge, we look forward to more specifics on how
payment reforms will ensure that the access reforms are sustainable.
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The American College of Cardiology is leading the way to optimal
cardiovascular care and disease prevention. The College is
a 36,000-member nonprofit medical society and bestows the
credential Fellow of the American College of Cardiology upon
physicians who meet its stringent qualifications. The College
is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards
and guidelines, and is a staunch supporter of cardiovascular
research. The ACC provides professional education and operates
national registries for the measurement and improvement of
quality care. More information about the association is available
online at www.acc.org .
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides these news
reports of clinical studies published in the Journal of
the American College of Cardiology as a service to physicians,
the media, the public and other interested parties. However,
statements or opinions expressed in these reports reflect
the view of the author(s) and do not represent official policy
of the ACC unless stated so.
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