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‘Vascular surgery is leading the way’: Neurodivergence in care
“We are the first major U.S.-based surgical society to present this topic to our membership. Once again, vascular surgery is leading the way,” said Carlos Pineda, MD, a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Cultural Competency Committee (CCC),…
A story foretold: The AMA, Ed Annis, Medicare and the loss of physician autonomy
In 1979, after three years of group practice, I opened an office as a solo vascular surgeon. With a wife, three children and a mortgage to support, the move was gutsy. To survive, no referral was too small, no operation…
Budget neutrality and code valuation basics
So, what is budget neutrality and how does it affect physician payment? The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) is a resource-based relative value scale (RVS) payment system, where relative value units (RVUs) are based on resource costs associated with physician…
SVS meets AMA membership requirement, retains House of Delegates seat
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has exceeded the necessary compliance threshold required to retain its seat in the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates, the Society has announced. Members were informed that the SVS had received an official…
SVS looks to maintain AMA House of Delegates representation
To maintain its seat in the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates—and, importantly, be able to provide information that impacts physician reimbursement—a 20% share of Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) members must also maintain active membership at the AMA.…
SVS’ AMA membership push aimed at safeguarding vascular surgery voice on coding issues
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is urging members to join the American Medical Association (AMA) in a bid to maintain a critical voice in the decision-making process for the specialty. The reason is simple: Unless the percentage of dual…
‘Latinx’: How to understand and use the term
Three members of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, chaired by Vincent M. Rowe, MD, explain use and understanding of the term Latinx. Have you ever heard or read the term Latinx? This piece…
Former SVS president named to AMA RUC
The American Medical Association’s Board of Trustees has named SVS’ longtime coding expert and member Robert M. Zwolak, MD, as the AMA alternative representative to the organization’s RVS Update Committee (RUC), and alternative vice chair. The RUC is a unique…
Action plan: How to help halt sharp cuts to Medicare
They are the sort of cuts the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) says will have a massive impact on vascular surgery practices for years to come. The recently released Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule (PFS)…
Advocate or adversary? Perils baked into the relationship between physicians and patients
Patients with complex illnesses may not be eligible for hospital admission unless their diagnoses meet InterQual Criteria or Milliman Care Guidelines—hurdles patients must first pass through in order to be admitted. Forget how bad the patient feels; an admission may…