Impact Report Emphasizes How ACEP Defends You and Demands Better

ACEP released its annual Impact Report in late June, detailing recent initiatives, achievements and ongoing advocacy work for emergency physicians and their patients. This comprehensive report highlights ACEP’s commitment to addressing critical issues and reinforces a commitment to helping emergency physicians deliver the best possible care.

• EMTALA Obligations and Reproductive Health Care One of the key highlights of the IMPACT Report is ACEP’s dedication to supporting the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). ACEP has crafted a policy statement, “Access to Reproductive Health Care in the ED,” which safeguards decision-making authority, allowing emergency physicians to provide care without fearing criminal repercussions. This policy underscores ACEP’s commitment to protecting physicians’ clinical autonomy and ensuring patients receive necessary reproductive health care in emergency settings.
• Advocacy for Federal Grants and Legal Protections ACEP’s relentless advocacy efforts have secured $25.8 million in federal grants to support Alternatives to Opioids and Medication Assisted Treatment programs. These funds are vital for enhancing patient care and addressing the opioid crisis. Additionally, in response to the American Physician Partners bankruptcy, ACEP actively fought for legal protections for affected physicians, urged fair treatment from 130 administrators, and provided access to legal resources, demonstrating its unwavering support for emergency medical professionals.
• Defending Clinical Authority and Opposing Scope of Practice Expansion ACEP remains vigilant in defending the clinical authority of emergency physicians, aggressively opposing state bills that expand the scope of practice for nonphysicians. ACEP stood against the Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act, which threatened to allow non-physicians to take over physicians’ roles. ACEP developed model legislation and a playbook to assist Chapters in combating such threats, ensuring emergency physicians maintain their clinical authority.
• Ensuring Fair Payment and Reimbursement ACEP is the only emergency medicine organization with representation on the Relative Value Scale Update Committee, a crucial body that influences physician payment recommendations to the federal government. ACEP’s efforts have prevented an estimated $30 million in reductions to the relative value units for ED Evaluation and Management codes. ACEP also provided extensive resources, including articles, FAQs, webinars, and podcasts, to help physicians navigate significant changes to CPT Documentation Guidelines.
• Opposing Profit-Driven Motives and Promoting Transparency ACEP has taken a strong stand against corporatization in medicine. A recent policy statement condemned dangerous corporate practices and facilitated a conversation with FTC Chair Lina M. Khan at ACEP23, addressing concerns about increasing health care acquisitions. ACEP has also defended physicians’ rights to practice freely by opposing predatory non-compete clauses.
• Addressing the ED Boarding Crisis ACEP has proactively addressed the boarding crisis by hosting a National ED Boarding Summit with key stakeholders to discuss solutions. ACEP mobilized members to bring boarding concerns to Capitol Hill and urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to address systemic health system dysfunctions. ACEP’s advocacy efforts have led to the formation of a multi-stakeholder initiative on boarding by the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Advocating for the No Surprises Act and Combating Misinformation ACEP has been at the forefront of advocating for fair implementation of the No Surprises Act, filing amicus briefs, providing testimony, and engaging with agencies to ensure appropriate reimbursement for emergency care. ACEP also has countered misinformation about emergency care, challenging an irresponsible report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

ACEP’s Impact Report highlights tireless efforts to support the specialty, advocate for fair policies and enhance patient care. Through advocacy, strategic initiatives, and a commitment to transparency and fairness, ACEP continues to empower emergency physicians to focus on delivering quality patient care.

ACEP Among Nine Medical Organizations to Issue a Statement After Firearm Violence Advisory

United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence in America a public health crisis, revealing that over half of U.S. adults or their family members have experienced a firearm-related incident. The number of deaths from firearm-related injuries, including suicides, homicides, and accidents, has been rising, making firearm violence the leading cause of death among children and adolescents.

This Advisory, the first from the Office of the Surgeon General on firearm violence, outlines the broad impacts of gun violence beyond death and injury. It highlights the pervasive trauma and anxiety affecting American society, with nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults frequently worrying about firearm violence. Dr. Murthy emphasized the urgency, stating, “Firearm violence is an urgent public health crisis that has led to loss of life, unimaginable pain, and profound grief for far too many Americans.”

The rate of firearm-related deaths has steadily increased due to rising homicides and suicides. In 2022, 56.1 percent of these deaths were from suicide and 40.8 percent from homicide. Nonfatal firearm injuries are estimated to be at least twice as common as fatal injuries.

“By raising awareness of this public health crisis, The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Firearm Violence speaks to the gun violence that emergency physicians observe all too often, as well as the repercussions on the communities they serve,” said ACEP President Aisha T. Terry, MD, MPH, FACEP.

Joint Statement Looks at Pediatric Imaging in the ED

ACEP, alongside the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Radiology released a joint policy statement to provide guidelines for the use of advanced imaging tools in pediatric emergency care. This initiative underscores ACEP’s commitment to enhancing the quality of care for children in emergency settings by ensuring the appropriate use of advanced imaging techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

The statement, “Optimizing Advanced Imaging of the Pediatric Patient in the Emergency Department,” aims to help institutions and medical professionals balance the benefits and risks of advanced imaging in children. This collaboration was published online in Pediatrics, the Journal of the American College of Radiology and Annals of Emergency Medicine.

“These guidelines remind clinicians to weigh the risks and benefits of pediatric imaging routinely,” said ACEP President Aisha Terry, MD, MPH, FACEP. “This ensures timely and appropriate decisions that optimize benefits for our youngest patients. Standardized evaluation and diagnosis approaches using evidence-based guidelines can enhance care coordination and shared decision-making between clinicians and families.”

ACEP Responds to Idaho Supreme Court Decision

Idaho’s Supreme Court temporarily removed barriers to emergency abortion care for pregnant patients, but ACEP issued a response in June encouraging future courts to clearly and emphatically reaffirm the broad patient protections that already exist in federal law under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

ACEP’s policy, Access to Reproductive Health Care in the Emergency Department, outlines the College’s commitment to equitable access to reproductive health care, procedures, medications and other interventions. Amicus briefs filed in 2022 in Texas and Idaho by ACEP in partnership with 22 other leading medical societies defend physician autonomy and reinforce emergency physicians’ obligations to offer stabilizing care, including abortions, when medically necessary.

ACEP urges courts in Idaho and throughout the country to avoid restricting or undermining access to vital emergency care. Emergency physicians and care teams must be able to care for pregnant patients without fear of legal overreach into evidence-based medical decision-making.

In Case You Missed It

• The webinar Maximize Scoring in the 2024 MIPS Program is set for Noon (CT) on Aug. 28 and will help you make the biggest gains in MIPS performance for the least amount of effort in refinement and management of quality measure performance.
• A recent CDC report found that, although medications for opioid use disorder substantially reduce mortality, they are underused. In 2022, only 25 percent of the patients needing OUD treatment received it, according to the report. ACEP’s pain and addiction care accreditation program can help. Pain and Addiction Care in the Emergency Department (PACED) establishes standards for high-quality care for pain and addiction management.
• ACEP and Pfizer Global Medical Grants have partnered to release an RFP focusing on improving outpatient management of emergency department patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). All EDs are eligible, with a preference for projects serving rural or underserved communities. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 8, 2024.

CalACEP Advocacy Leads to Historic Medicaid Reimbursement Increase

The recently approved state of California budget includes an advocacy victory for CalACEP and a historic increase in Medi-Cal reimbursement for emergency physicians.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, Medi-Cal reimbursement for E&M codes will increase to 90 percent of Medicare and reimbursement for procedures will increase to 80 percent of Medicare. Reimbursement for emergency physicians treating Medi-Cal patients is currently at approximately 54 percent of Medicare.

The CalACEP advocacy campaign included more than 9,800 messages to state legislators to make sure emergency physicians were heard directly about the impact of these decisions on practices and patients.