The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association is adding its voice at the federal level.
Responding to member requests to expand advocacy efforts and influence national policies that affect dermatologic surgery, ASDSA recently added a new position: Director of Federal Advocacy and Practice Support.
“Adding our voice at the national level is very important, with a direct impact on our members and our patients,” said ASDS President-Elect George J. Hruza, MD.
Though ASDSA has long worked hard and been successful on the many crucial issues at state levels, members sought to increase and expand advocacy and outreach in a vastly changed national legislative arena, Hruza said.
“A great deal of health care is directed from Washington, D.C.,” he said. “The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased that trend even more. Many issues cannot be addressed at the state level, and members knew we needed to expand our reach.”
National issues with far-reaching consequences for members include the various provisions of the ACA, regulations, changes in Medicare and Medicaid, the narrowing of provider networks, working with the United States Food and Drug Administration, national legislative proposals and the Sustainable Growth Rate.
ASDSA wants to be able to provide guidance and information to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said Hruza. “CMS issues a great number of rules and regulations, many of which have a direct impact on what we as dermatologic surgeons do.”
CMS coding and procedures are two examples of issues in which ASDSA members have a stake. “How members code and for what procedures impact what we'll be reimbursed for and, to some extent, even how much we'll be reimbursed,” said Hruza.
Other physicians have pointed out that because private insurers look to CMS regulations for guidance, CMS changes could set off a chain reaction of potentially significant effects.