Kaiser Health News reports that more doctors are experimenting with new business models and practice techniques as they face falling reimbursement rates and rising demands from the federal government and insurers to boost quality and lower costs.

The creation of the new state exchanges presents a number of potential opportunities and challenges for the AASM. In the last few months, the AASM has contacted various stakeholders to ensure sleep services are covered in each state exchange.

In a recent letter to health letter to health care providers, Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) sought input on how to permanently replace the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. Congress routinely has passed legislation to delay cuts called for by the SGR, but physicians face substantial reductions in their Medicare reimbursements each time the "doc fix" expires. The most recent doc fix delayed the cuts until January 1, 2014, at which time physicians face about a 25% reduction to Medicare reimbursement rates.

According to a new Gallup poll, forty-eight percent of small businesses believe that the Affordable Care Act will negatively affect their business. The poll found that just 9% of employers said the law would be good for their businesses.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced a $150 million initiative aimed at helping community health centers enroll uninsured patients in the Affordable Care Act's health insurance exchanges, which open for enrollment on October 1, 2013.

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini stated that the company has reduced its first-year estimates for how many individuals it expects to enroll in health insurance exchanges. Mr. Bertolini said, "The process required to sign up, to get the subsidies, is going to take some time." He added, "I think this is a two-year ramp to get the individual exchanges up to a level where customers are going to feel appropriate signing up."

Health experts say the amount of money that states spend on consumer assistance during the first year of the ACA's insurance exchanges could have a "major impact" on the number of residents who obtain health coverage.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) unveiled draft rules outlining the subsidies that will help residents purchase health coverage through the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act. Individuals could receive tax credits if they are not eligible for "affordable coverage" through an employer-sponsored plan that covers less than 60% of the costs.

This informative and educational meeting is a great opportunity to learn about how the AASM PAC is an essential part of our advocacy efforts. As our members know, health care is at a critical juncture as medicine is shifting towards outcomes based medicine and 32 million people will enter the system because of the Affordable Care Act.

A report from the Brookings Institution found that the federal government could save $300 billion over a decade and as much as $1 trillion over two decades by further using integrated care models and shifting away from fee-for-service payment systems.