Don’t Give with One Hand and Take with the Other

Seema Verma, the head of the Medicare program has placed a priority on chipping away at the red tape and administrative burdens that saddle providers with paperwork and sidetrack them from patient care. Dr. Patrice A. Harris. M.D. President of the American Medical Association calls Administrator Verma’s actions “… a significant step in reducing administrative burdens that get in the way of patient care.” Although it is welcome news that Medicare is looking at ways to streamline billing and coding requirements, still looming over physicians is a proposed regulation that injects unprecedented levels of administrative burden into caring for patients with complex chronic diseases.

Medicare’s International Pricing Index (IPI) proposal would force physicians to order their patients’ treatment from an outside vendor, which would impede their ability to make medication adjustments at the point of care and cause treatment delays. Inserting a 3rd party vendor and an untested, new payment model for Medicare Part B therapies – drugs administered to patients in physician offices – will destabilize and jeopardize care for America’s most vulnerable seniors. Join P+P United as it amplifies the voices of patients, providers and caregivers to tell policymakers Don’t Complicate My Care; Don’t Try IPI!