Indiana-ACC News
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August 2013 
In This Issue
President's Message
ACCPAC Update
Are You Ready for Sunshine?
ABIM Announces MOC Changes
President's Message
Edward T.A. Fry, MD, FACC
Dr. Edward T.A. Fry

Colleagues,

 

A Special Invitation

Please join me at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Indiana-ACC on Saturday, October 19, at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. We have put together a program that is very timely for your practice. Here is the brochure. Topics include valvular heart disease, value based purchasing and core measures, quality and public reporting, implications of the ACA, and the atrial fibrillation epidemic. Register today, and spread the word to your partners and your team. 

 

ACCPAC Update

The ACC Legislative Conference is next month in Washington, DC. As many of us plan to visit our legislators, it is important to understand the support that our membership has given to the ACCPAC (ACC Political Action Committee). Please take a moment to read the ACCPAC Update below. 

 

Congratulations to the Chapter! As reported below, the Indiana-ACC ranked in the top ten of three categories of support to the ACCPAC:  total amount raised, percent participation, and amount per donation -- the new "Triple Aim!" Nevertheless, we should not rest on our laurels. With only 3.64% of our state members participating, there is plenty of room for growth. In fact, it is clear that Indiana has relied on the significant generosity of a relative few. As a Chapter, we need to encourage any level of donation by all our members so that our voice will be heard by policy makers in Washington and Indianapolis. Hoosiers are competitive.  We can do this!

 

Kind regards, 

 

Edward T.A. Fry, MD, FACC

President

ACCPAC Update
Please contact Elizabeth Ellis ([email protected]) or Lucas Sanders ([email protected]) with any questions.

 

BOG and Chapter PAC Contributions

Numbers are in for the first half of the year! From January through June, 823 PAC members contributed an average of $367 for a grand total of $302,179. That puts the PAC $22,000 behind the same time period last year, but there are still five months to make up the difference.

 

ACC leaders continue to set an example for the rest of the College. For the first half of the year, 72 percent of Governors and 70 percent of Trustees contributed to the PAC. The goal is to have 100 percent BOG and BOT participation by the end of the cycle.

 

What's going on in the states?

California continues to hold the top spot for total contributions for the first half of the year, with $31,435. Indiana ($15,351) and Alabama ($15,100) are head to head in the second and third spots. Alabama also has the highest participation, with nearly 13 percent of members contributing to the PAC. Indiana is a triple threat. In addition to coming in second for total contributions, the state ranks fifth for participation (3.64 percent) and seventh for average contribution per person ($569). Idaho has the highest average contribution per person ($1,033).

 

Will your state make it into the top 10 by the end of the year?

 

State

Amount

Percentage Participation

Average Contributed

California

$31,435.14

2.45%

$397.91

Indiana

$15,351.34

3.64%

$568.56

Alabama

$15,100.50

12.76%

$247.56

Pennsylvania

$14,920.00

2.74%

$248.67

Florida

$13,770.02

1.77%

$320.23

Texas

$13,258.32

1.43%

$427.68

New York

$12,298.36

1.51%

$267.35

Georgia

$10,480.00

2.97%

$361.38

Illinois

$10,448.40

1.66%

$417.92

Michigan

$10,345.04

2.25%

$356.72

North Carolina

$10,305.00

2.64%

$355.34

Tennessee

$8,773.33

2.36%

$487.39

Ohio

$8,693.36

2.64%

$299.76

Colorado

$7,591.68

3.17%

$542.26

Maryland

$6,317.99

2.63%

$300.81

New Jersey

$5,874.96

2.01%

$217.56

Virginia

$5,820.00

1.98%

$342.35

Mississippi

$5,765.04

5.78%

$443.46

Missouri

$5,216.68

2.40%

$306.82

Kentucky

$4,512.52

3.45%

$282.00

Massachusetts

$4,435.98

1.31%

$260.88

Wisconsin

$4,350.04

1.39%

$543.75

South Carolina

$4,244.00

2.80%

$326.46

Louisiana

$4,215.00

2.74%

$301.07

Oklahoma

$4,065.00

3.02%

$451.67

Connecticut

$3,916.70

2.97%

$217.59

Oregon

$3,833.32

3.00%

$383.30

Kansas

$3,750.08

2.76%

$468.75

Idaho

$3,100.00

3.61%

$1,033.34

West Virginia

$3,000.00

2.60%

$600.00

Washington

$2,920.00

1.55%

$324.44

District of Columbia

$2,700.06

1.40%

$385.71

Arizona

$2,525.02

1.49%

$252.50

Puerto Rico

$2,265.04

3.78%

$283.13

Minnesota

$2,258.38

1.16%

$282.25

Iowa

$2,210.00

1.64%

$442.00

Arkansas

$2,170.00

2.06%

$434.00

Nevada

$2,040.04

2.45%

$408.00

Delaware

$2,000.04

2.22%

$666.68

Rhode Island

$1,900.00

2.55%

$475.00

New Mexico

$1,850.00

1.86%

$616.67

New Hampshire

$1,750.00

1.18%

$875.00

Montana

$1,585.04

2.30%

$792.50

Utah

$1,166.65

1.32%

$386.67

Nebraska

$1,100.00

2.46%

$220.00

Wyoming

$610.00

6.06%

$305.00

South Dakota

$600.00

2.56%

$300.00

Maine

$500.00

0.64%

$500.00

Alaska

$250.00

1.35%

$250.00

Vermont

$166.68

1.33%

$166.68

Hawaii

$100.00

1.06%

$100.00

 

To make an online contribution, or sign up for monthly deductions, go to www.accpacweb.org. All ACCPAC contributors will receive a special PAC pin. Check out the 2013 PAC Pin Collection.

 

Grassroots Efforts

In June, ACC leaders took part in a two-day "Fly-In" with several other cardiovascular societies and their leadership aimed at underscoring the need for Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) repeal and a value-driven system that better aligns payment with performance of evidence-based medicine. Protecting the in-office ancillary services exception to the "Stark" law was also a top priority. Together, the societies met with nearly 20 congressional offices, including that of Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Get a glimpse of ACC's day on the Hill in an ACC in Touch Blog post by Advocacy Steering Committee and Political Action Committee Chair Eugene Sherman, MD, FACC.

 

These meetings helped strengthen relationships with lawmakers as several House and Senate committees are working on SGR repeal and reform frameworks. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has made significant progress in advancing payment reform legislation. On July 31, the Committee voted 51-0 to approve a bipartisan bill that repeals the SGR, provides a period of stable payment updates, and moves toward a payment system that rewards physicians for providing high quality care. After more than a decade of "kicking the can down the road" by enacting temporary fixes, this is a major step towards establishing a Medicare payment system that values high quality, patient-centered care. Read more about how ACC is working with the Committee on this legislation.

 

Recent Grassroots Events

5/5: Dr. David Kenigsberg attended an event for Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) in Davie.

5/13: Dr. John Foley hosted a practice visit with Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) at Cardiology Associates in Norwich.

5/13: Dr. Sandy Lewis attended a fundraiser for Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) in Portland.

5/15: Dr. Carl Gessler hosted a fundraiser for Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) in Haleyville.

5/15: Dr. Ken Kutscher met with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) at Hunterdon Cardiovascular Associates in Flemington.

5/31: Dr. David Richards hosted a practice visit with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) at Mid-Ohio Cardiology in Columbus.

6/13: Members from the Florida Chapter, including Drs. Allen Seals, Anita Arnold, Octavio Cosme, Michael Mick, David Kenigsberg and Roberto Arce, met with their elected officials in Washington, DC. Meetings were held with staff for Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Reps. Ted Yoho (R-FL), Bill Young (R-FL) and Joe Garcia (D-FL). In addition, the Florida Chapter members met directly with Reps. Ron Desantis (R-FL), Dennis Ross (R-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL).

6/15: Dr. Carl Gessler hosted a fundraiser for Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) in Huntsville.

7/1: Drs. Christopher Cooper and William Colyer, and Beth Smotherman hosted a practice visit with Rep.  Robert Latta (R-OH) at University of Toledo Physicians in Toledo.

7/15: Dr. Vishal Gupta met with Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) in Kalamazoo.

7/29: Dr. Carl Gessler hosted a fundraiser for Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA).

 

Upcoming Grassroots Events

8/13: Dr. Stefanie Fry will host a practice visit with Sen. James Risch's Health Policy Legislative Assistant Rachel Burkett at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center in Boise.

8/23: Dr. David Dobies will host a practice visit with Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI) at Regional Cardiology Associates, PLC in Grand Blanc.

8/29: Dr. David Cragg will host a practice visit with Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R-MI) at Michigan Heart Group, PC in Troy.

 

For more information on how to participate in legislator practice visits, click here. Members are encouraged to contact Elizabeth Ellis to set up visits throughout the year and we look forward to featuring these meetings in future communications. Make sure to check out the "Your PAC in Action" section on www.ACCPACweb.org for pictures from recent events.

 

On Deck

Legislative Conference is just around the corner! Members from across the country will gather in Washington, DC, Sept. 22-24 to tackle issues facing health care, get an insider's view from Capitol Hill, and meet directly with lawmakers. Register before it's too late! The conference will kick-off on Sunday night with the annual ACCPAC-sponsored reception and dinner. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Bob Woodward will deliver this year's keynote remarks on "Presidential Leadership and the Price of Politics." Get the details and reserve your dinner tickets by contacting Lucas Sanders at [email protected].

Are You Ready for Sunshine?

Industry was required to begin data collection for the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, also called the Open Payments program, on Aug. 1. Review a recent webinar to find out how the law will impact you. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has also released an app to help physicians keep track of payments from industry. Download it here.

ABIM Announces Maintenance of Certification Changes

Make sure to visit the ABIM website to get a complete understanding of what you will need to do to meet the new ABIM Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements. 

The ACC is helping you keep track of your MOC when you log in here.
  

Quick Hits

Save the date!
Indiana-ACC Annual Mtg

Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 


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