The Federation of State Medical Boards (FMSB) recently announced that the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC) has officially launched the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which is a voluntary, expedited pathway to licensure for qualified physicians who wish to practice in multiple states through the use of telemedicine technologies.

A new study published in Health Affairs estimates that the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) could reduce Medicare spending by up to $106 billion for physician services and up to $250 billion for hospital services through 2030.

The 2017 Medscape Physician Compensation Report shows that physician incomes have steadily increased over the past 7 years.

In a recent Health Affairs blog post, leaders from 10 prominent health systems and the American Medical Association (AMA) described the findings from a September 2016 summit to discuss the problem of burnout among physicians and other health professionals.

A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is projecting that the United States will face a shortage of between 40,800 and 104,900 physicians by 2030.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) members and sleep centers in Medicare Jurisdiction 15, which comprises Parts A/B for Kentucky and Ohio, should be aware of a new local coverage determination issued by CGS Administrators, LLC regarding coverage for Polysomnography and Other Sleep Studies (L36902).

The AMA/Specialty Society RVS Update Committee (RUC) is a unique, multi-specialty committee dedicated to describing the resources required to provide physician services. In the coming weeks, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine will be conducting a RUC survey of the CPT codes for home sleep apnea testing (95800, 95801, 95806). 

AASM members and sleep centers in Medicare Jurisdiction 5 and Jurisdiction 8 should be aware of a new local coverage determination (LCD) policy issued by Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS) Government Health Administrators regarding coverage for Polysomnography and Other Sleep Studies (L36839).