2021-2022 Advocacy Agenda
Support Medicare Payment Adequacy: Ensure Medicare beneficiary access to GI care by advocating for Medicare physician payment adequacy, including for the delivery of telehealth services, and reimbursement that reflects appropriate valuation of specialty and gastrointestinal endoscopic care.
Promote the Value of GI Care Provided in Ambulatory Surgery Centers: Align payment and regulatory policies that encourage and facilitate the cost-effective delivery of endoscopic services in ambulatory surgery centers.
Advance Public Health and GI Health Equity: Promote policies, including patient cost-sharing policies, that improve access to and age-appropriate coverage of preventive colorectal cancer screening colonoscopy, especially in historically under-screened populations. Advocate for policies to increase awareness of the value of preventive health care services and improve equality in health care access, quality and outcomes, including through cultural competency training and by addressing racism and social determinants of health.
Alleviate Administration Burden: Improve patient access to timely care by easing regulatory burdens and administrative requirements imposed by Medicare and other payers that interfere with physician decision-making and the practice of gastrointestinal endoscopy, including utilization control mechanisms such as prior authorization and step-therapy.
Promote Value-based Care: Support the delivery of high-quality care through policies that foster meaningful physician participation in value-based care models, including through the use of meaningful measures and availability of physician-led alternative payment models. Advocate for rules and regulations that support value-based GI care and care coordination, including through changes to physician self-referral and Stark Law restrictions.
Support Pandemic Relief: Support for as long as necessary the continuation of regulatory and payment policy flexibilities afforded to physicians during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and for financial support to offset the costs of the pandemic, including the cost of personal protective equipment and reduced patient capacity.
Avoid Practice Restrictions: Support policies, including reimbursement rates, that support the delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic services, including office-based imaging, pathology, and anesthesia services regardless of physician ownership or site of service.
Support Medical Research Funding: Increase funding for digestive disease, health equity, and cost-effectiveness research including through the National Institutes of Health.