Issue and Policy Briefs

Federal Advocacy

• CBO Should Revisit Cost Estimate of The Helping Ensure Life- and Limb-Saving Access to Podiatric Physicians (HELLPP) Act
  An analysis of Congressional Budget Office cost estimates of the HELLPP Act as included in SGR repeal and replace legislation.
• Clarifying and Strengthening Coordination of Care in the Medicare Therapeutic Shoe Program
  The current process and Medicare contractor requirements for determining eligibility for Medicare’s Therapeutic Shoe Program for Patients with Diabetes, and for furnishing this medically necessary benefit, are unnecessarily burdensome and frequently bogged down, leading to frustration on the part of the certifying physician, prescribing doctor, and supplier. The HELLPP Act would alleviate this problem.
• Fact Sheet: Studies Prove Podiatrists Prevent Complications, Provide Savings
  According to the CDC, more than 29 million Americans live with diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower-limb amputation; however, amputations can be prevented. Two peer-reviewed published studies evaluated care by podiatrists for patients with diabetes and demonstrated that compared to other health-care professionals, podiatrists are best equipped to treat lower extremity complications from diabetes, prevent amputations, reduce hospitalizations and provide savings to our health-care delivery systems.

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State Advocacy

• Affordable Care Act Implementation: Health Insurance Exchanges (Marketplaces) and Essential Health Benefits
  As state regulators and/or legislatures implement the Affordable Care Act, and in particular exchanges and essential health benefits, APMA encourages its members and state component societies to participate in their state’s policymaking initiatives. Your involvement will have the greatest influence on how your state implements these programs and whether essential foot and ankle services are covered.
• Electronic Prescribing and Prior Authorization Policies
  Podiatric physicians and surgeons have long recognized the value health information technologies provide in creating efficiencies in the delivery of health care, improving patient care, and lowering costs. APMA believes that effective legislation and policies are needed to streamline and improve electronic prescribing and prior authorization procedures.
• Financial and Administrative Alignment State Demonstrations for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries
  This policy brief describes CMS and state efforts to coordinate care for dual eligible beneficiaries through State Demonstrations to Integrate Care for Dual Eligible Individuals.

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Health Policy

• ACO Final Rule Policy Brief
  An overview of CMS's ACO Final Rule
• EHR Meaningful Use Stage 2
  On March 7, 2012 CMS published in the Federal Register a proposed rule for Stage 2 requirements for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. The proposed rule sets out meaningful use objectives and measures for Stage 2, proposes changes to certain Stage 1 objectives and measures, and proposes provisions relating to downward Medicare payment adjustments beginning 2015 for eligible professionals (EPs) that are not meaningful users of certified EHR technology for certain associated reporting periods.
• Policy Brief: Physician Payment Sunshine Act
  An overview of the final rule implementing the Physician Payment Sunshine Act.