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Fwd: ACS NewsScopeFrom: DoctorJoe@aol.comThu Nov 30 20:18:30 2000
FYI Joe P. << ACS NewsScope A Weekly News Update from the American College of Surgeons **************************************************************************** December 1, 2000 **************************************************************************** Highlights for the week: * HCFA Pursues "Centers of Excellence" Demonstration Project * GAO Releases Report Critical of National Practitioner Data Bank * New Coding Workshops Scheduled for 2001 **************************************************************************** HCFA PURSUES "CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE" DEMONSTRATION PROJECT The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is inviting interested hospitals in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio to participate in a Medicare "Centers of Excellence" demonstration project for certain cardiovascular and major joint replacement procedures. Through the project, bundled Part A (facility) and Part B (physician) payments will be provided to participating hospitals to determine if cost savings and quality improvements will occur for selected high-volume, costly procedures--coronary artery bypass graft surgery, cardiac valve operations, angioplasty, and total knee and hip replacements. Hospitals are asked to submit their application requests to HCFA by December 15. Additional information is available at http://www.hcfa.gov/ord/projdfs.htm. **************************************************************************** GAO RELEASES REPORT CRITICAL OF NATIONAL PRACTITIONER DATA BANK On Thursday of this week, the General Accounting Office (GAO) released the report "Major Improvements are Needed to Enhance Data Bank Reliability." Generated by a request from Rep. David McIntosh (R-IN), the report takes a critical look at the operations of the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). The report addresses issues related to the financing of the data bank and the accuracy of the data in the bank. The GAO's conclusions: There has not been an examination of whether or not the level of user fees is appropriate, and the data in the data bank are often incomplete and inaccurate. The data problems exist in each of the three major data sets--medical malpractice payment reports; state licensure actions; and, clinical privilege restriction reports. In numerous letters to Capitol Hill, the American College of Surgeons has urged Congress to ask the GAO to study all of these problems. For more information, contact Christian_Shalgian@facs.org. **************************************************************************** NEW CODING WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR 2001 A new, one-day coding workshop geared toward surgeons in all specialties has been developed by the College's Health Policy and Advocacy Department in conjunction with a new workshop consultant. "Coding and Documentation: The Keys to Reimbursement" will present basic and intermediate information on both CPT and ICD-9-CM coding for surgeons and their office staff. Ten workshops will be held during the first half of 2001, and each will provide 8 Category 1 CME credit hours. The dates and locations for the workshops are: January 13, Caribe Hilton San Juan, Puerto Rico (program presented in English); February 22, Wyndham Anatole, Dallas (in conjunction with the February 23-24 North Dallas Chapter Meeting); February 24, Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Airport; March 30, Doubletree Crystal City, Washington, DC; March 31, Crown Plaza Seacaucus, NJ; April 28, Pointe Hilton at Squaw Peak, Phoenix; May 10, Dayton (in conjunction with the May 10-12 Ohio Chapter meeting); May 27, Hilton San Francisco; June 22, ACS Headquarters in Chicago; and June 23, Lake Lawn Lodge, Delavan, WI. For registration information, contact dmazmanian@facs.org. ********************************************************************** ***** TO SUBSCRIBE TO ACS NewsScope ACS NewsScope is e-mailed automatically each Friday morning to individuals for whom the American College of Surgeons has an e-mail address. If you wish to continue to receive the newsletter on a weekly basis, you need do nothing. You can discontinue your subscription by writing to acsnewsscope@facs.org and requesting that your name be deleted from the database. Individuals not currently receiving the newsletter may subscribe to the publication by sending an e-mail message to acsnewsscope@facs.org and asking to be added to our electronic distribution database. You may also subscribe through the College's Web site at http://www.facs.org. *************************************************************************** The American College of Surgeons is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the study, training, and practice of surgery. ACS NewsScope is a weekly news service for Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and other interested individuals provided by the ACS Communications Department.
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