Who is the President of ACG?
ACG President Ken DeVault recently articulated a “ credo ” which has guided the College in its advocacy to preserve appropriate reimbursement for colonoscopy under Medicare: “ ACG believes U.S. gastroenterologists seek to be paid fairly and accurately for a highly skilled intervention which prevents cancer, reduces suffering, saves lives and saves money .”
Does CMS make its own determination?
As the federal health agency charged with determining the Medicare fee schedule, CMS has the authority to make its own determination. Throughout 2014 and 2015 ACG leaders and staff went to CMS to fight on behalf of clinical GI physicians and the Medicare patients they treat to share the GI societies’ survey data with CMS policy specialists. Rather than serving as an expediter and arbiter of fact, CMS failed in their responsibilities and caved to the RUC’s goal of self-preservation instead of objectively evaluating the physician work value for colonoscopy.