Rep. Speier’s PIMA legislation would expedite delivery and payment system reform in a manner consistent with the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act (MACRA), passed in 2015. While MACRA and other policy changes will increase the numbers of physicians participating in APMs, many may still participate in a traditional fee-for-service model that incentivizes overutilization of health care services through self-referral. PIMA would ensure that only physicians participating in approved APMs and other truly integrated medical groups focusing on quality could self-refer under the IOAS exception, thereby rooting out abuse in the traditional fee-for-service system while accelerating participation in APMs.

“Self-referral abuse undermines ASTRO-supported efforts to move Medicare toward quality- and value-based payment. Closing the self-referral loophole will accelerate participation in alternative payment models and fulfill the vision of a high-value payment system,” said Dr. Beyer. “We applaud Rep. Speier for her leadership introducing legislation that drives needed payment reforms, protects patients and reduces waste.”


ASTRO is a partner in the Alliance for Integrity in Medicare (AIM), a coalition of medical societies committed to ending the practice of inappropriate physician self-referral and improving patient care by preserving valuable Medicare resources. In addition to ASTRO, AIM partners include the American Clinical Laboratory Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the Association for Quality Imaging, the College of American Pathologists and the Radiology Business Management Association.

For more information, contact Liz Gardner, Media Relations Manager, or Leah Kerkman Fogarty, Communications Manager.


ABOUT ASTRO
ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes three medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology•Biology•Physics (www.redjournal.org), Practical Radiation Oncology ( www.practicalradonc.org), and Advances in Radiation Oncology(www.advancesradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, RT Answers (www.rtanswers.org); and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a nonprofit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.

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