Robert Wergin

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9/12/2016

Physicians will have four Quality Payment Program options next year under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt wrote in a blog post. AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., said the Academy so far is pleased with the CMS' "pick your pace" system, which gives physicians flexibility and options for when and how they enter the program.

AAFP to lawmakers: Telehealth bill language conflicts with state law

9/7/2016

AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., wrote a letter to federal lawmakers supporting the addition of a telehealth benefit in TRICARE to pending legislation, but noted language in the bill conflicts with state laws. The bill says for licensure, billing and other purposes, telehealth services would be considered as being provided at the physician's location, but state laws say the patient's location is the designated location of care when services are provided to a patient in a different state, Wergin wrote.

AAFP presses CMS to improve plan for patient relationship codes

8/24/2016

The AAFP is urging the CMS to make improvements in its proposal to create three patient relationship codes to help determine incentive payments under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act. A letter to the agency from AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., asks for more clarity on how the categories and their related codes will be used, and notes the categories lack distinction and may not allow physicians to make an appropriate selection.

AAFP outlines position on patient surveys in letter to CMS

8/17/2016

The AAFP supports reasonable and achievable programs to improve quality and measure patient experience, but patient satisfaction survey results only should be used to incentivize physicians and not to penalize them, AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., wrote in a letter to the CMS. Wergin said the AAFP also supports removing pain management questions from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey -- a policy that ultimately should extend to all patient experience measures -- to reduce the perception there is financial pressure to overprescribe opioid medications.

AAFP: Reporting requirements for MAT rule may be burdensome

8/9/2016

The AAFP said a proposed rule requiring physicians to track patients getting medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder may be overly burdensome. In a letter to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., said the reporting requirements could increase administrative tasks for physicians, and he urged the agency to consider whether claims data could be used to meet some of the requirements.

Flossing not included in dietary guidelines

8/8/2016

The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans do not contain a recommendation that people floss their teeth, and a report found a lack of scientific evidence to support flossing for good oral health. AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., said although there is a lack of evidence to support flossing, there also is "not much of a downside" and cleaning between the teeth is an important part of oral health, which affects overall health.

AAFP pushes for better recommendations on performance measurement

5/25/2016

AAFP feedback on a draft white paper concerning population-based payment models and performance measurement included support for the authors' effort to harmonize performance measures across payer groups. However, Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., said although the AAFP supports reasonable measures to promote continuous quality improvement, it opposes methods that require physicians to report complex measures that do not influence care quality.

AAFP provides feedback on bills to reduce opioid drug abuse

5/5/2016

The AAFP told the House Energy and Commerce Committee it supports four bills lawmakers are considering to reduce opioid drug abuse but said it has concerns about a fifth piece of legislation. A letter to the committee from AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., said the Academy does not support legislation to establish a federal task force that would review and modify "best practices" for pain medication prescriptions.

Wergin testifies on Capitol Hill: Make MACRA more physician-friendly

4/21/2016

AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., told a House subcommittee that the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act will implement changes to Medicare that "are consistent with the key principles of practice transformation that the AAFP has supported for over a decade." Wergin noted that elimination of administrative burdens and simplification of rules are needed to help physicians succeed in the new payment models. He said the AAFP has begun a member education and communications initiative to help them with the transition.

AAFP presents MACRA recommendations to CMS

4/20/2016

AAFP Board Chair Robert Wergin, M.D., laid out the Academy's vision of how the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act can fundamentally change and improve health care in a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt. The AAFP's recommendations include fixing payment rate flaws in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, answering questions about the definition of a patient-centered medical home and being flexible in creating performance and payment years within MACRA.