Ensure The Long-Term Viability of Physician Practices
Reform Medicare Payments: Urge policymakers to enact significant reforms that promote predictable and sustainable reimbursement.
Secure Coverage and Reimbursement: Work with payors and stakeholders to ensure that cardiothoracic procedures are covered and reimbursed appropriately.
Make Telehealth Permanent: Collaborate with stakeholders to retain flexibilities beyond 2025.
Reduce Administrative Burdens: Reform prior authorization requirements that impede access to care.
Advocate for Effective Medicare Payment Models: Maximize cardiothoracic surgeon participation in value-based payment models and ensure appropriate measurement.
Enhance Patient Access to Lung Cancer Screenings and Treatment
Advance the STS Mobile Lung Cancer Screening Initiative: Advocate for funding and resources to support mobile lung cancer screening programs, to increase access to early detection and ensure appropriate treatment of lung cancer in rural and underserved communities.
Maintain Preventative Coverage: Ensure coverage of lung cancer screening based on the best evidence available without administrative hurdles like prior authorization or no cost-sharing for patients.
Protect the Surgeons Role on the Heart Team
Foster Collaboration: Ensure that Medicare coverage requires a cardiothoracic surgeon’s involvement on the heart team for patient selection and procedures.
Advance Access to Innovative Treatments: Highlight the critical role of CT surgeons in ensuring patient access to cutting-edge therapies while upholding the highest standards of safety.
Reduce Barriers to Congenital and Pediatric Care
Streamline Access to Out-of-State Specialized Care: Promote expedited patient access to highly specialized care across state lines for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Promote Research Impacting Congenital Patients: Fund targeted research into pre-term births that contribute to neonatal cardiac diseases, pulmonary hypertension, and more.
Address the Growing Workforce Shortage
Invest in Training Cardiothoracic Surgeons: Support raising the cap on Medicare-supported residency positions and providing support for surgeons in training.
End Physician Non-Compete Agreements: Protect policies that end non-compete agreements and prohibit artificial barriers for employed physicians.
Improve Physician Wellness: Promote programs that foster resiliency and reduce burnout.
Maximize Effectiveness of the STS National Database
Secure Access to Claims Data: Enable clinician-led registries to utilize federal claims data for assessing care quality, efficacy, and accelerating patient access to innovative treatments.
Illustrate the Benefits of Real-World Evidence: Use the ACC/STS TVT Registry™ to demonstrate the positive impact of real-world data on policy decisions and Coverage with Evidence Development.