Health Plans & Insurance Regulations
ACP believes that cost-control measures employed by health insurers must not interfere with the physician-patient relationship, nor create an undue burden on providers or patients adhering to accepted standards of care. Quality of care must be the guiding principle in determining patients' access to providers, inclusion of prescription drugs on formularies, and other coverage decisions.
Private Insurers
- ACP and others urge payer coverage of smoking cessation counseling
(3-August-09) - ACP Applauds Payers for Increased Recognition of Primary Care Services Letters To: James E. Purcell, President and CEO of BCBS of Rhode Island and Stephen J. Farrell, Chief Executive Officer of United Healthcare of New England (11-July-07)
- ACP protests health plans charging physicians for quality management program; Letter To: Sign-On Letter to Paul Sabin, Vice President, Provider Relations, HealthEOS (25-June-07)
- ACP Expresses Concern Regarding United Healthcare Imaging Test Order Notification Program; Letter To: Reed V. Tuckson, MD, FACP, United Health Group (08-Jan-07)
- ACP Signs Coalition Letter Urging CMS To Improve Its Process For Establishing The Practice Expense Portion Of Payments For Services Paid Under The Medicare Fee Schedule; Letter To: Terry Kay, CMS Deputy Director, Hospital and Ambulatory Policy Group (03-24-06)
- ACP Joins Other National Medical Specialty Societies to Address and Comment Regarding the Policy of Blending payments for Evaluation and Management Services; Letter To: Sign-On Letter to Daniel J. Nicoll, MD, FACP, CIGNA HealthCare Northeast (24-Feb-06)
Government Payment Regulations
- Statement of the American College of Physicians on Price Transparency to the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee for the Record of the July 18, 2006 Subcommittee Hearing (18-Jul-06)
- ACP Recommendations to the White House on Guiding Consumers' Choice of Physician Through Price Transparency; Letter To: Allan Hubbard, Director, National Economic Council (24-May-06)
Additional Issues with Insurers
- ACP Supports the Comparative Effectiveness Research Act of 2008, S. 3408; Letter to the bill sponsors, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (26-Aug-08)
- ACP Urges NAIC Provide A Model Physician-Complaint Process. Letter to: Ernst Csiszar, President, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) (14-Apr-04)
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