The Latest
AAO-HNS Submits Comment Letter to EviCore on Unfair Imaging Facility Network Standards Policy
Advocacy, Private Payer AdvocacyOn December 3, 2024, the Academy submitted a letter to EviCore regarding the unfair imaging facility network standards policy. The Academy’s letter details tha…
Calendar Year 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program Final Rule Report
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn November 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year 2025 (CY2025) Final Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedu…
CY MPFS 2025 Final Rule High Level Overview
AdvocacyMPFS Final Rule – https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-25382.pdf MPFS Final Rule CMS Fact Sheet - Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Medicare Physician F…
Otolaryngologists Call on Battery Manufacturers to Bring a Safe Button Battery to the Marketplace
AdvocacyButton batteries cause life-threatening injuries when lodged in the body putting children at risk. ALEXANDRIA, Virginia —The American Academy of Otolaryngolog…
AAO-HNS Submits Letter to Point 32 Regarding Non-Payment of 31237 in the Setting of a FESS/Septoplasty
Advocacy, Private Payer AdvocacyOn October 22, 2024, the Academy submitted a letter to Point 32 regarding non-payment of CPT code 31237 following Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) wh…
Information Blocking – What Physicians Need to Know
AdvocacyAs of July 31, 2024, healthcare providers are now subject to civil monetary penalties should they engage in a practice known as “information blocking.” The Aca…
AAO-HNS Summary of CY 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule/Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn July 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2025 Proposed Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which als…
AAO-HNS Responds to Senate Finance Committee White Paper on Bolstering Chronic Care through Physician Payment
AdvocacyIn June, the Academy submitted its formal response to a white paper released by the Senate Finance Committee. The committee’s white paper outlined the current …
AAO-HNS Leads Coalition Efforts to Submit Letter to CGS Administrators Proposed Local Coverage Determination (LCD) – Botulinum Toxin Injections
Advocacy, Physician Payment Reform, Private Payer Advocacy, Regulatory Relief, ReimbursementFollowing coalition advocacy by the Academy, the American Laryngological Association (ALA) and the American Broncho-Esophagological Association (ABEA) a joint …
AAO-HNS Summary of HHS Rule Establishing Disincentives for Healthcare Providers that Engage in “Information Blocking”
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn June 24, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released …
AAO-HNS Advocacy Efforts Lead to Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Modifier 25 Policy Retraction
Advocacy, Private Payer AdvocacyFollowing coordinated advocacy by the Academy, the North Carolina Medical Society and physician advocates in the state, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolin…
AAO-HNS Submits Comments to Blue Shield of California Regarding Global Surgical Period Evaluation and Management (E/M) Reimbursement Policy
Advocacy, Private Payer AdvocacyOn May 17, 2024 the Academy submitted a detailed letter to Blue Shield of California regarding its update to the Global Surgical period Evaluation and Manageme…
Congress Passes Legislation to Partially Mitigate the 3.4% Medicare Physician Payment Cut
Advocacy, Physician Payment Reform, ReimbursementLast week, in a federal budget deal struck to avoid a government shutdown, Congress passed legislation to reduce the 3.4% Medicare physician payment cut by 1.6…
AAO-HNS Summary of CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn January 17, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule. The rule includes impor…
2024 Medicare Claims – What We Know Now
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefThe CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule implemented a 3.4% cut to physician reimbursement. This cut went into effect on January 1, 2024. While there is sti…
CMS Releases 2024 HOPPS/ASC Final Rule
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn November 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS)/Am…
AAO-HNS Summary of CY 2024 MPFS Final Rule
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefFollowing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) release of the CY 2024 Final Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which also …
Federal Departments Release New Proposed Rule on No Surprises Act IDR Process
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn October 27, 2023, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury (the Departments) and the Office of Personnel Management releas…
AAO-HNS Responds to House Budget Committee Request for Information on Lowering Health Care Costs
AdvocacyIn September, Republican members of the House Budget Committee established a Health Care Task Force and issued a request for information (RFI) to solicit feedb…
CMS Reopens IDR Portal For New Single and Bundled Claims
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on October 6, that it reopened the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) portal for new single an…
AAO-HNS Comments on CY 2024 HOPPS/ASC Proposed Rule
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn September 8, the AAO-HNS submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the CY 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective…
AAO-HNS Joins Amicus Brief in Support of Rule to Protect Children from Small, High-Powered Magnets
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn August 18, the AAO-HNS joined an amicus brief in support of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) rule intended to protect children from the dange…
AAO-HNS Comments on CY 2024 MPFS/QPP Proposed Rule
Advocacy, Physician Payment Reform, Private Payer Advocacy, Regulatory Relief, ReimbursementSeptember 12, 2023On September 11, the AAO-HNS submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the calendar year (CY) 202…
AAO-HNS Summary of CY 2024 MPFS Proposed Rule
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn July 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2024 Proposed Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which als…
AAO-HNS, ALA and ABEA Advocate on Medicare SLP Telehealth Services
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn May 5, the AAO-HNS partnered with the American Broncho-Esophagological Association and the American Laryngological Association in sending a joint letter to …
Academy, Stakeholders Urge Congress to Increase Funding for Federal Tobacco Cessation Program
AdvocacyOn March 16, the Academy and a diverse group of stakeholders sent a coalition letter to leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate calling for inc…
AAO-HNS comments on CMS Proposed Rule for Improving Prior Authorization and Interoperability
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn December 13, 2022, CMS issued a proposed rule that aimed to reduce provider burden by improving prior authorization processes and interoperability. The Acad…
AAO-HNS Summary of CY 2023 MPFS Final Rule
Advocacy, Physician Payment Reform, Private Payer Advocacy, Regulatory Relief, ReimbursementFollowing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) release of the CY 2023 Final Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which also …
AAO-HNS Advocates for Immediate Change to Horizon’s Modifier 25 Policy
Advocacy, Private Payer AdvocacyEffective August 1, 2022, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield will reimburse E/M services appended with Modifier 25 at 50% if a procedural code is reported on the s…
AAO-HNS Summary of CY 2023 MPFS Proposed Rule
Advocacy, Physician Payment Reform, Private Payer Advocacy, Regulatory Relief, ReimbursementOn July 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2023 Proposed Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which also…
Academy Urges CMS to Work with Physicians to Review Appropriate Use Criteria Program
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefThe Academy joined the American Medical Association and 42 other medical societies and associations to urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (C…
HRSA Details New Requirements for Late PRF Reporting
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefLast week, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced that it would reopen the reporting portal for recipients of Period 1 Provider Reli…
CMS Releases 2022 Physician Fee Schedule/Quality Payment Program Final Rule
Advocacy, Regulatory ReliefOn November 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule implementing changes to the Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Paym…
AAO-HNS Comments on Second No Surprises Act Interim Final Rule
AdvocacyOn December 6, the Academy joined 20 other surgical specialties in submitting coalition comments on the most recent No Surprises Act regulations. The joint com…
AAO-HNS Celebrates House of Representatives Passage of Anti-Tobacco Legislation
AdvocacyOver the course of the past year, the American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) has collaborated with a number of physician and publi…
CARES Act Provisions Impacting Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
AdvocacyOn March 27, President Trump signed into law H.R. 748, the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” or the “CARES” Act. A summary of the provisions…
