ULTRASOUND Messages for June, 2009: Action Needed

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Return-path: Received: from wellstar.org ([162.41.40.21]) by swsctrm2 with ESMTP; Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:25:36 -0400 Received: from ([63.251.90.36]) by ws1-whs-smgw1.wellstar.org with ESMTP id GKPQNH1.15794205; Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:25:33 -0400 Received: from mail.mailmanager.net (mail.mailmanager.net [63.251.90.37]) by outbound.mailmanager.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id D68F62F0672 for ; Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:25:24 -0400 (EDT) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-=-XCbound-1246039780" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: /capad/tools/lm-runner 0.21 X-CWDir: acog X-CWMsg: 127777569 X-CWRecip: 46297787 X-CWQueue: 3561502206 Subject: Dr. Smeltzer, Action Needed - Ultrasound Threatened! To: "James Smeltzer" From: "ACOG Government Relations" Reply-To: "ACOG Government Relations" Message-Id: <20090626182524.D68F62F0672@outbound.mailmanager.net> Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:25:24 -0400 (EDT) X-esp: ESP<-124> SHA:<6> SHA_FLAGS:<10> UHA:<10> ISC:<0> BAYES:<0> SenderID:<9> DKIM:<0> TS:<-150> SIG: DSC:<0> TRU_lotto_spam: <0> TRU_scam_spam: <0> TRU_ru_spamsubj: <0> TRU_spam2: <0> URL Real-Time Signatures: <0> TRU_marketing_spam: <1> TRU_profanity_spam: <0> TRU_adult_spam: <0> TRU_stock_spam: <0> TRU_money_spam: <0> TRU_legal_spam: <0> TRU_html_image_spam: <0> TRU_phish_spam: <0> TRU_urllinks: <0> TRU_watch_spam: <0> TRU_medical_spam: <0> TRU_freehosting: <0> TRU_embedded_image_spam: <0> TRU_misc_spam: <0> TRU_spam1: <0> TRU_playsites: <0> Stop Reimbursement Cuts to Ultrasound! ====================================== Take Action! Visit this page: http://capwiz.com/acog/utr/1/MVXGKTQABX/CEPGKTQGWH/3561502206] Last Friday, three House Committees with jurisdiction over health care released a joint draft health reform bill.� While the bill contained many worthwhile reforms, including guaranteed maternity coverage, the bill calls for reimbursement cuts to ultrasound.� It would change the equipment utilization rate for all imaging modalities from 50% to 75%, resulting in a 10-15% reimbursement cut for most ultrasound services.� � The purpose of this rate increase is to control the rapid growth in imaging.� This policy recommendation, made by �the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), however was only intended for advanced imaging.� By including ultrasound, this draft bill goes against these recommendations.� � Please contact your Members of Congress today and urge them to exempt ultrasound from this provision.� Ultrasound is a low-cost modality and is not a contributing factor to the rapid growth in imaging. �A 2007 ACOG survey found that ultrasound is used an average of 23.79 hours per 50 hour work week, validating the current rate of 50% is accurate and should not be changed. � Health care reform is moving quickly, so please contact your Member of Congress today! --- If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please visit http://capwiz.com/acog/lmx/u/?jobid=127777569&queueid=3561502206. --=__Part507B5FDD.0__ Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Stop Reimbursement Cuts to Ultrasound! ======================= -- ================ Take Action! Visit this page: http://capwiz.com/acog/utr/1/MVXGKTQABX/CEPGKTQGWH/3561502206] Last Friday, three House Committees with jurisdiction over health care released a joint draft health reform bill. While the bill contained many worthwhile reforms, including guaranteed maternity coverage, the bill calls for reimbursement cuts to ultrasound. It would change the equipment utilization rate for all imaging modalities from 50% to 75%, resulting in a 10-15% reimbursement cut for most ultrasound services. The purpose of this rate increase is to control the rapid growth in imaging. This policy recommendation, made by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), however was only intended for advanced imaging. By including ultrasound, this draft bill goes against these recommendations. Please contact your Members of Congress today and urge them to exempt ultrasound from this provision. Ultrasound is a low-cost modality and is not a contributing factor to the rapid growth in imaging. A 2007 ACOG survey found that ultrasound is used an average of 23.79 hours per 50 hour work week, validating the current rate of 50% is accurate and should not be changed. Health care reform is moving quickly, so please contact your Member of Congress today! --- If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please visit http://capwiz.com/acog/lmx/u/?jobid=127777569&queueid=3561502206. --=__Part507B5FDD.0__ Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: HTML Dr. Smeltzer, Action Needed - Ultrasound Threatened!

Dr. Smeltzer, Action Needed - Ultrasound Threatened!

Stop Reimbursement Cuts to Ultrasound!	Take Action!


Last Friday, three House Committees with jurisdiction over health care released a joint draft health reform bill. While the bill contained many worthwhile reforms, including guaranteed maternity coverage, the bill calls for reimbursement cuts to ultrasound. It would change the equipment utilization rate for all imaging modalities from 50% to 75%, resulting in a 10-15% reimbursement cut for most ultrasound services. The purpose of this rate increase is to control the rapid growth in imaging. This policy recommendation, made by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), however was only intended for advanced imaging. By including ultrasound, this draft bill goes against these recommendations. Please contact your Members of Congress today and urge them to exempt ultrasound from this provision. Ultrasound is a low-cost modality and is not a contributing factor to the rapid growth in imaging. A 2007 ACOG survey found that ultrasound is used an average of 23.79 hours per 50 hour work week, validating the current rate of 50% is accurate and should not be changed. Health care reform is moving quickly, so please contact your Member of Congress today!

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