Proposed Rules Include Substantial Cuts to Vascular Labs

After reviewing proposals from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Society for Vascular Surgery has drafted comments to mitigate potentially substantial negative effects on SVS members.

A coalition of more than 150 medical associations and societies, representing subspecialties and states and including the Society for Vascular Surgery, has urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to adopt changes to CMS’ proposed rule on Evaluation & Management services alterations for 2019. Details are outlined in a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma. The final rule is expected to be issued in early November.

[[{"fid":"1907","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"height":884,"width":1325,"style":"height: 133px; width: 200px; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]]Vascular Nurses Week begins this Sunday

Low-income vascular patients need understanding from medical professionals

Dr. Michel S. Makaroun, President, has been active in the SVS in a variety of roles since 1997 and served as secretary from 2013-2016. He is a distinguished fellow of the SVS and is professor and chair of vascular surgery and of clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh and co-director of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. (See his accompanying remarks.)

An interview with Michel S. Makaroun

Q. You’ve been leading the way on the issue of a future workforce shortage. Will this be a major initiative of your presidency? What other issue(s) and challenges stand out for your attention?

There’s no question that medical billing coding is vitally important. Get it wrong and the bottom line suffers. It’s that simple.

Learn all about billing and coding for maximum reimbursement at the upcoming SVS Coding and Reimbursement Workshop. It, plus an optional workshop, will be held Oct. 19 and 20 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Chicago. This is a new location for 2018.

The SVS Foundation has created a new grant designed to help sustain surgeon-scientists’ critical research amidst any funding gaps. Applications are due Oct. 1.

The SVS Foundation Bridge Grant is intended for mid-career vascular surgeon investigators. Applicants must have had a National Institutes of Health R01 grant or a K08 Mentored Clinical Research Grant or equivalents, and applied for an NIH RO1 or equivalent but were denied funding due to a priority score below the payline.

Smoking: Surgeons debate performing lower-extremity bypass in patients who are active smokers. A study published in September’s Journal of Vascular Surgery concludes that such patients have decreased longterm patency and overall survival, and that surgeons “should consider smoking an important risk factor.” See the article at vsweb.org/LEBSmoking; it is open-source through Oct. 31.

Changes Sought in 2019 Fee Schedule, Year 3 QPP Rules