Reimbursement Call to Action
NOW is the time to contact your state senators and your state representative to ask for their support for Senate Bill 329 and House Resolution 552. These pieces of legislation are vitally important for Medicare reimbursement of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. The attached letters may be customized with the date and your representative’s name. You can then copy to your letterhead, and fax to the Washington, D.C. office. See the attached list of contact phone numbers. AACVPR is now asking us to enlist the help of our patients. They can also use the sample letters. For more information, please visit the link www.aacvpr.org.
Posted May 16, 2007
AACVPR Executive Director's Corner:
Create Hope, Inspire Change, Celebrate Success
Marie Bass, MS, CAE
I recently saw an advertisement for the American Heart Association Heart Walk. The ad talked about getting started in a walking program, for those who have not committed to a consistent exercise program. The slogan "Create Hope, Inspire Change and Celebrate Success" was used to motivate walkers to begin a new lifestyle. I was inspired by that slogan, not necessarily for the AHA Heart Walk, but for how that slogan relates to AACVPR's mission. The members and leaders of AACVPR have created hope, inspired change, and continue to celebrate success in their active involvement in the organization.
Create Hope: On March 1, Affiliate leaders and AACVPR members will gather in Washington, D.C. for the 3rd annual Day on the Hill (DOTH). As you are aware, the leaders and members have been working on national coverage for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation in the Medicare statute for years. In 2006, we came close to having S. 1440 and HR. 4824 signed into law. While we were disappointed that the bills were not included in the health care vehicle in the final hours of the 2006 Congress, we are ready to begin again. With a new 110th Congress, we will begin again with renewed energy with high hopes of successfully passing the Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act of 2007, S. 329 and HR. 552. Please consider joining your colleagues in Washington for the DOTH. For more information, see the home page of the AACVPR Web site.
Inspire Change: AACVPR leaders continue to work with large, powerful organizations including the American Heart Association, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, and many others to write and publish statements about the efficacy of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation and the impact on patient care. Writing groups are currently developing statements to recommend referral to CR and PR as a quality indicator for patient care. Change can be slow, but the leaders of AACVPR work diligently to promote CR and PR, and our progress is significant.
Celebrate Success: On March 22, 2006, after much prompting from the AACVPR Leadership, the Reimbursement Committee and Phil Porte, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) provided a National Coverage Decision (NCD) for cardiac rehabilitation (CR). This NCD provides standard language about Medicare coverage for CR and eliminates the power of the individual states to reduce Medicare payments for CR. After working on this initiative for years, we are excited about this huge win. The National Coverage Decision provides for expanded diagnoses for cardiac rehabilitation. THAT is cause to celebrate! For further details, check the AACVPR Web site.
AACVPR hosted the first Affiliate Leadership Forum in Chicago on November 16-17, 2006. Some 40 affiliate leaders met to learn new leadership skills, share best practices, and network. The meeting began with a fun networking dinner and was followed by a full-day interactive workshop. I was honored to participate in that energizing meeting and celebrate the successes of both the Affiliate organizations and AACVPR.
I encourage you to stay active in the AACVPR. We have a lot to learn from each other and a lot to celebrate!
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