May 14, 2013 — The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) testified at a U.S. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing that examined options for repealing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and reforming the Medicare physician payment system to reward quality and value in patient care. Kim Allan Williams, M.D., ASNC past-president and a current member of the society’s health policy steering committee, testified as a witness in the hearing on May 7, 2013. Williams currently serves as the Dorothy Susan Timmis endowed professor and chairman of the division of cardiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
ASNC is the voice of more than 4,600 physicians, technologists and scientists worldwide who are dedicated to the science and practice of nuclear cardiology. Since 1993, ASNC has been establishing the standard for excellence in cardiovascular imaging through the development of clinical guidelines, professional education and research development.
The U.S. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing focused on physician and other stakeholder input on how to best reform the Medicare physician payment system. Determining the details of such a system requires close collaboration with physicians and other stakeholders. The subcommittee heard from ASNC and other professional organizations representing those at the forefront of patient care to inform the development of a viable, enduring reform policy that will result in high-quality beneficiary care.
House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) has indicated that the committee intends to introduce new legislation during the summer.
The subcommittee held three hearings on improving the Medicare physician payment system in the 112th Congress. These hearings provided important information on private payer efforts to reward high quality, efficient care and physician organization programs to drive quality improvement and facilitate participation in new payment models. This information provided a framework for which a Medicare physician payment reform can be constructed. A dialogue with physician and other stakeholder organizations has continued in the 113th Congress, with the subcommittee receiving constructive input.
For more information: www.asnc.org
July 30, 2024 
