Nation's Leading Professional Society for Plastic, Cosmetic, and Reconstructive Surgeons Visits Capitol Hill in Large Numbers

CHICAGO, IL, USA, June 23, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) will be visiting Capitol Hill on Thursday, June 23, 2016, to inform congressional leaders about issues concerning surgery and healthcare delivery, the Society announced today. The Fly-in is associated with the ASPS Leadership Forum and its Aesthetica conference, also in Washington, through June 25.

"ASPS is committed to helping legislative and policy makers understand how healthcare delivery is working, and how it can be improved," said David H. Song, MD, MBA, President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "The opportunity for dozens of our members to meet with their congressional representatives and senators is key to advancing this goal." The organization plans to meet with 56 congressional offices throughout the day.

During their congressional meetings, the ASPS representatives will discuss a wide range of issues, including the impact of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and particularly the role currently played by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They will urge Congress to take a more active role in exercising oversight of the implementation of MACRA, in order to assure that the legislation is interpreted in accordance with Congress's original intent. As the only physicians' professional society to oppose this legislation, which repealed the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), ASPS has a well-established basis for the focus it suggests is required.

Other topics to be discussed are
• Raising awareness about the diminishing viability of private practice
• Encouraging Congress to engage with CMS in improving Meaningful Use requirements for physicians
• Updating Ambulatory Surgery Center payments away from the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIU) and towards a more accurate pricing model
• Increasing the cap on Medicare funded graduate medical education (GME) positions and increasing funding for those additional residency slots
• Advancing policies that make it easier for Medicare beneficiaries to enter into private self-pay contracts with physicians
• Repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board and/or any other mechanisms that erode transparency and fairness in Medicare payment policy development
• Supporting medical innovation

The Congressional visits precede the Aesthetica Super Symposium of ASPS, June 23-25, which will be attended by approximately 200 plastic surgeons from around the country. At the conference, members will share dueling perspectives and groundbreaking innovations regarding a variety of procedures, including for example, the use of facelifts to alleviate migraine headaches.

Concluded Song, "ASPS is very dedicated about its role in promoting our delivery of the best service possible to our patients, and to improving healthcare delivery around the country. Members attending the Fly-in and the Aesthetic Super Symposium are part of that mission, and we applaud their involvement."

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons, representing more than 7,000 member surgeons. ASPS is the recognized authority and information source for aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS members comprise more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, ASPS advances quality and safety in patient care by demanding rigorous standards in the training, ethics, and practice of its member surgeons, as well as funding both basic science and clinical research to advance the frontiers of plastic surgery.

Fritz Schneider
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
2402521340
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