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‘Disproportionate decrease’: Vascular surgeons see buying power fall, study finds
Inflation-adjusted Medicare reimbursement rates for the 20 most common vascular surgical procedures decreased by more than 20% in the last decade, a new analysis found. The study, which looked the buying power of vascular surgeons, uncovered data showing an unadjusted…
ACC.21: SAFE-PAD finds no increased risk of death with drug-coated devices
Researchers have found no statistically significant difference in mortality between patients treated with drug-coated devices and non-drug-coated devices in the SAFE-PAD study. Eric Secemsky, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, reported this conclusion…
Intermittent claudication and exercise therapy: A poor SET-up
Many of you may have already heard about the controversial Comparative Billing Reports (CBRs) that have been received by some of our vascular surgery colleagues. In case you haven’t, this is your chance to catch up and to prepare for…
Key MACRA changes highlighted
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) is in its fifth calendar year, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to publish rule changes annually. CMS has limited the changes for 2021 Merit-based Incentive Payment System…
Channeling SVS messaging across diffuse mediums
In order to recognize the diverse ways members interact and consume information, a new Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Communications Committee, replete with three subcommittees, has been formed. The move is designed to allow the SVS to coordinate and expand…
OBL: In praise of the office-based interventional lab
Vascular surgery has undergone dramatic changes over the last 30 years. What was once a traditional open surgical discipline has now become a hybrid specialty that involves open surgery and endovascular techniques. As vascular surgeons became more adept at endovascular…
Democrats take control with Biden presidency, majorities in both chambers
Democratic victories for Georgia’s two Senate seats in the runoff election Jan. 5 have solidified the Democrats’ control of the federal government for the next two years. The victories by Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock over incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler and…
Congress delays steep Medicare payment cuts
Both the House of Representatives and Senate have approved legislation to delay steep cuts to Medicare that were set to take effect Jan. 1, 2021. It is anticipated President Donald Trump will eventually sign the bill; however, if it is…
CMS creates new codes for IVL performed below the knee
Shockwave Medical has announced that as part of the calendar year 2021 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created four new codes for intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) procedures performed…
SVS details opposition, support to CMS proposed rules
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has submitted comment letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on two proposed rules that directly affect SVS members: the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and…