Get Involved

Overview of the ACCP Practice Management Committee

Overview of the Practice Management Committee

Government Relations and Practice Management Committees Working Together

2009 PMC Leadership Report

2008 PMC Leadership Report

Join the Practice Management Committee

Criteria for ACCP Practice Management Committee Membership

Practice Management Committee’s Mission Statement: To provide resources, advocacy, and education for efficient practice management for optimal patient care.

The Practice Management Committee (PMC) is charged with the following:

Monitor the regulatory environment.
Lead education initiatives for physicians, practice administrators, and office staff.
Facilitate physician leadership development.
Collaborate with outside professional organizations, Medicare contractors, and regulatory agencies.
Participate proactively in AMA, CPT and RUC processes.
Develop relationships with Medicare Administrative Contractors through the ACCP Contractor Advisory Committee (CAC).

In addition to the above charges, the PMC works closely with two ACCP NetWorks. The Practice Administration NetWork provides expertise in health information technology, coding, and reimbursement and business of medical offices. The Private Practice NetWork helps identify physician experts in practice management and identify and mentor future leaders in the Practice Management arena. The collaboration between the Practice Management Committee and the two NetWorks greatly increases the overall practice management efforts of the ACCP and strengthens the development of the Practice Management Department.

Furthermore, the PMC works in conjunction with the ACCP Government Relations Committee (GRC) on advocacy issues relevant to pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine (ie, Pulmonary rehab legislation, critical care workforce issues, SGR).

Eligibility Criteria:

Candidates for appointment must be ACCP members in good standing.
It is recommended that candidates not serve on another major ACCP committee.
Though not required for consideration, it is preferred that candidates have actively participated in ACCP committees or NetWorks.
Knowledge of coding and reimbursement and practice management is helpful.
Participation in state CAC also is helpful.

Responsibilities of PMC Members:

Actively participate in at least 10 of the 12, 1-hour, monthly PMC conference calls. (If you are unable to attend, please notify Marla Brichta, Assistant VP of Health Affairs, at mbrichta@chestnet.org.)
Actively participate in the 3-hour PMC business meeting at the annual CHEST meeting. Respond to and provide expertise when requests for comments on various chest medicine issues are solicited.
Participate in discussion and comments regarding the application for a new and/or revised CPT code.
Participate in discussion and comments regarding the work values and practice expenses for new and revised codes.
Consider participation in roundtable discussions at the annual CHEST meeting.
Consider faculty participation in Webinars.

All applicants should submit the materials listed below to Marla Brichta, Assistant VP of Health Affairs at mbrichta@chestnet.org or fax: (847) 498-5460.

Completed biographical sketch of your background, including your name, e-mail address, telephone numbers, specialty, practice concentration, and current practice mailing address
Statement of commitment and purpose.
- History of work in aspects of chest medicine either in local institutions or regional or national organizations
- Commitment to the mission of the PMC and interest in participating and supporting all ACCP practice management issues
- Statement of willingness to participate in two meetings per year: CHEST and an additional face-to-face meeting. Be willing to participate in one conference call each month and spend up to 3-5 hours/month on committee work, exclusive of the calls
Completed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

Join the Contract Advisory Committee

CAC Background Information: Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) must establish one Contractor Advisory Committee (CAC) per state, comprising physicians representing various medical specialty societies. The CAC assists the MACs in development of Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) and discusses other relevant medical issues presented in their state.

The purpose of the ACCP CAC is the following: To provide a formal mechanism for ACCP pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physicians in each state to be informed of and participate in the development of an LCD in an advisory capacity. To provide a mechanism to discuss and improve administrative policies that are within contractor discretion. To provide ACCP members a forum for information exchange between contractors and physicians.

The ACCP CAC Representative is charged with the following: To improve the relations and communication between Medicare Contractor Medical Directors and the ACCP members. To disseminate proposed LCDs to colleagues in their respective state and specialty societies to solicit comments. To disseminate information about the Medicare program obtained at CAC meetings to their respective state and specialty societies. To provide a consensus recommendation approved by the ACCP Practice Management Committee (and the Board, when appropriate) for proposed LCD revisions. To discuss inconsistent or conflicting medical review policies.

Eligibility Criteria: Candidates for appointment must be ACCP members in good standing. Knowledge of coding and reimbursement, practice management, and/or coverage issues is helpful. Must be willing to participate in the process outlined below.

Responsibilities of the CAC Representative:

To participate in the three, 1-hour, ACCP CAC conference calls and one face-to-face meeting at CHEST, as well as actively participate in his or her state’s MAC CAC meetings with his or her contractor and attend a minimum of two meetings annually.

To participate in subcommittees or ad hoc workgroups and similar projects, if asked by the Chair of the pulmonary CAC that would either meet at the three meetings or via scheduled conference calls.

To provide advice and educate pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physicians in his or her state on CAC issues of interest.

To work together on the development of comment letters (often coordinated by both ACCP, ATS, and other pulmonary groups) to contractors/CMS on issues of interest to pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine health professionals.

To be a trusted resource for contractors in each state on pulmonary, critical care, and sleep-related payment issues.

To actively participate in the AMA Relative Value System Committee (RUC) survey process for new and revised pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine codes, when requested. The ACCP Practice Management Committee is responsible for generating relative value recommendations using the AMA survey method and identifying relevant practice expense inputs. Survey methods, details, and materials are developed by the AMA staff, in cooperation with specialty staff, and approved by the RUC.

Applicants should submit the materials listed below to Marla Brichta, Assistant VP of Health Affairs (e-mail: mbrichta@chestnet.org or fax: (847) 498-5460).

Completed biographical sketch of your background, to include: name, e-mail address, telephone numbers, specialty, practice concentration, and current practice mailing address.
Statement of commitment and purpose.
History of work in aspects of chest medicine, either in local institutions or regional or national organizations.
Commitment to the mission of the CAC and an interest in participating and supporting all ACCP practice management activities.
Statement of willingness to participate in minimum of three meetings per year with the MAC CAC contractor, three ACCP conference calls each year, and attendance at the 1 1/2-hour business meeting at CHEST.
Completed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form.

Become a RUC Advisor

AMA CPT and RUC Processes - October 4, 2008 (2.4MB, PDF)
AMA’s Calendar of CPT and RUC Meetings and Deadlines (PDF)

ACCP RUC Advisor Duties and Responsibilities

Mission Statement of the Practice Management Committee To provide resources, advocacy, and education for efficient practice management for optimal patient care.

RUC: The RUC is a unique multispecialty American Medical Association (AMA) committee dedicated to making relative value recommendations for new and revised codes, as well as annual RVU updates to reflect changes in medical service. One physician representative is appointed from each of the 114 specialty societies seated in the AMA House of Delegates to serve on the advisory committee to the RUC. Advisors are nominated by the specialty society they represent.

The ACCP RUC Advisor is charged with the following:

To provide technical assistance to the RUC on update issues pertinent to pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, and serve as a liaison to the ACCP, whom the RUC advisor represents in the RUC process.
To be a liaison between the ACCP Practice Management Committee and the RUC.

Eligibility Criteria:

Candidates for consideration must be ACCP and AMA members in good standing.
Knowledge of coding and reimbursement and practice management is helpful.
Must be able to participate in the three face-to-face RUC meetings per year, scheduled in February, April, and October.

Responsibilities of the RUC Advisor:

To actively participate in the ACCP Practice Management Committee, which is responsible for generating relative value recommendations using a survey method and identifying relevant practice expense inputs. Survey methods, details, and materials are developed by AMA staff, in cooperation with ACCP staff, and approved by the RUC.
To serve as a liaison to other national medical specialty societies on Medicare reimbursement issues. The ACCP and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) conduct the survey jointly, with any other specialty societies that wish to participate, through the AMA level of interest process. The ACCP usually takes the lead on the survey process, because we have successfully conducted online surveys using SurveyMonkey.
To attend the three RUC meetings and present the relative value recommendations of the ACCP, which the RUC evaluates, as well as recommend physician work on RVUs and practice expense inputs to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The ACCP and the ATS work together on the development of RVU recommendations.
To develop new or revised practice expense inputs—clinical labor, medical supplies, and equipment directly related to the CPT procedure, service, or diagnostic test under consideration. Again, the ACCP and the ATS work together on the development of practice expense inputs.
To advise the RUC concerning the agenda for development of relative values for new or revised codes and actively participate in the mandated Five-Year Review process.
To assist the AMA with identifying specialties affected by proposed relative value revisions to encourage their participation in the review.
To participate in subcommittees or ad hoc workgroups and similar projects, if requested by the chair of the AMA RUC, that would either meet at the three meetings or via scheduled conference calls.
To work with ACCP coding and reimbursement staff, who are shared with the ATS, so, nationally, the ACCP and the ATS present a united front for pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.
To work together on the development of comment letters to CMS on issues of interest to various groups involved with pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine codes.
To present relevant changes to the CPT and RUC Symposium held on Thursday and Friday of the third week in November.
To promote and educate ACCP members on the RUC process.

Applicants should submit the materials listed below to Marla Brichta, Assistant VP of Health Affairs (e-mail: mbrichta@chestnet.org or fax: (847) 498-5460).

A completed biographical sketch of your background including your name, e-mail address, telephone numbers, specialty, practice concentration, and current practice mailing address.
Statement of Commitment and Purpose
1. A history of your work in aspects of chest medicine, either in local, regional, or national organizations, as well as any expertise you have that relates to coding and reimbursement issues.
2. An explanation of your commitment to the mission of the ACCP Practice Management Committee and RUC and an interest in participating and supporting all ACCP practice management coding and reimbursement activities.
3. Statement of willingness to participate in three meetings per year and one ACCP Practice Management conference call each month, and spend up to 1 to 2 hours/month on committee work exclusive of the calls.
Completed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (click here to download the COI Form).

Become a CPT Advisor

AMA CPT and RUC Processes - October 4, 2008 (2.4MB, PDF)
AMA’s Calendar of CPT and RUC Meetings and Deadlines (PDF)

CPT Advisor Duties and Responsibilities

Practice Management Committee’s Mission Statement: To provide resources, advocacy, and education for efficient practice management for optimal patient care.

CPT: Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is a listing of descriptive terms and identifying codes for reporting medical services and procedures.

The purpose of the American Medical Association (AMA) CPT is the following: To provide a uniform language that accurately describes medical, surgical, and diagnostic services and, thereby, serve as an effective means for reliable nationwide communication among physicians and other health-care providers, patients, and third party insurance companies.

The ACCP CPT Advisor is charged with the following:

To serve as a resource to the AMA CPT Editorial Panel by giving expert advice on procedure coding and appropriate nomenclature as relevant to the pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine specialties. The CPT Editorial Panel is authorized to revise, update, or modify CPT.
To offer suggestions for change to new and revised CPT Category I, II, and III codes and/or respond to suggested changes.
To respond to pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine coding questions received from AMA staff.

Eligibility Criteria:

Candidates for consideration must be American College of Chest Physicians(ACCP) and AMA members in good standing.
Knowledge of coding and reimbursement and practice management is helpful.
Must be able to participate in the three face-to-face CPT meetings per year, scheduled in February, June, and October, which includes the annual advisors’ meeting.
Must be proficient using a computer and e-mailing, as advisor comments are entered on a proprietary CPT Web-based site on proposals reviewed.

Responsibilities of the CPT Advisor:

To actively participate in the CPT process by reviewing and providing written comment on specialty-relevant Category I, Category II Performance Measures, and Category III Tracking CPT code proposals for new or revised codes of interest to pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.
To provide accurate and up-to-date information to the CPT Editorial Panel members.
To participate, when asked by the chair of the AMA CPT Editorial Panel, in ad hoc workgroups and similar projects that would either meet at the three meetings, or via scheduled conference calls.
To adhere to the published CPT process.
To meet established deadlines for written comments and proposals.
To represent the coding perspectives of one’s nominating specialty society, which means to actively participate in and represent the decisions of the ACCP Practice Management Committee.
To work with the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and other pulmonary groups to present a consensus view on pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine coding issues. The ACCP and ATS actively work with other specialty societies in coding and reimbursement issues of mutual interest.
To work with the ACCP coding and reimbursement staff who are shared with the ATS, so, nationally, the ACCP and ATS present a united front for pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Advisors review CPT Assistant articles, questions and answers, and inquiries relevant to the specialty society. There are pulmonary sections to other AMA products (CPT Changes, CPT Principles) that advisors are asked to review.
To work closely with the ACCP staff and physician leadership, including the AMA House of Delegates delegation, who are part of the monthly Practice Management Committee meetings.
To present relevant pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine CPT changes, if asked, to the CPT and RUC symposium, held on the Thursday and Friday, the third week in November.
To promote and educate ACCP members on the use and benefits of CPT.

Applicants should submit the materials listed below to Marla Brichta, Assistant VP of Health Affairs (e-mail: mbrichta@chestnet.org or fax: (847) 498-5460).

Completed biographical sketch of your background to include: name, e-mail address, telephone number(s), specialty, practice concentration, and current practice mailing address.
Statement of Commitment and Purpose
1. History of work in aspects of chest medicine either in local, regional, or national organizations and any expertise that you have related to coding and reimbursement issues.
2. Commitment to the mission of the Practice Management Committee and CPT and an interest in participating and supporting all ACCP coding and reimbursement activities.
3. Statement of willingness to participate in a minimum of three meetings per year and participate in monthly Practice Management Committee conference calls. Also should be prepared to spend up to 1-2 hours/month on committee work, inclusive of the calls.
Completed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form.

CHEST Specialty Assistance Program to Industry on CPT Application Review

The American College of Chest Physician (ACCP) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) work together at the national level on coding and reimbursement issues through the ACCP Practice Management Committee and the ATS Clinical Practice Committee. Major decisions are reviewed and approved by the ACCP and ATS Board leadership. The ACCP and ATS are actively involved in developing American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) proposals for new or revised procedure or service codes relevant to pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

The ability to obtain new codes has evolved through early communication with industry and provision of frequent guidance on issues pertinent to reimbursement. Often, these aspects are not inherent in processes involved in FDA approval. Additionally, data necessary for optimizing reimbursement for practitioners may not be considered when developing efficacy and safety studies to support widespread clinical use of new technology. These components of the process are aspects for which the pulmonary societies are able to confer expertise. We actively work with sister societies, such as SCCM, AARC, and NAMDRC, on relevant issues.

To facilitate communication with industry, we have outlined required information the ACCP and ATS need to assist in the reimbursement process. We recognize that the phase of development of technology will vary and not accommodate the ability to provide all of this information initially. For these projects, we are able to provide guidance as the development matures. However, all should recognize that, ultimately, this information is needed when attempting to obtain a CPT code and the reimbursement associated with its use. The ACCP and ATS are prepared to assist companies desirous of proceeding along these lines at any step of their development. To prepare our CPT advisors with the necessary defense to support new procedures, the ACCP and ATS work through their committees, networks, and institutes to solicit input from individuals who are disconnected from the development process, however, are considered experts in the area under consideration. Although this critical review of the new technology may appear onerous, the CPT and RUC process will engender this debate, and our organization recognizes this exercise facilitates preparing the best proposal. The following reflects our guidelines for assisting with this process. Industry should not contact the ACCP or ATS CPT and/or RUC advisors or members of the ACCP Practice Management Committee or the ATS Clinical Practice Committee directly to lobby for CPT proposals. Initial contact requesting this help should be directed to Diane Krier- Morrow at dkriermorr@aol.com

To view the AMA's calendar of CPT and RUC meetings and deadlines go to: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/362/calendar2007-09.pdf

Information Requested From Industry To Facilitate Pulmonary Review of CPT Code(s) and Reimbursement

A brief executive summary or grid of results of five US peer-reviewed literature pieces supporting the clinical utility of the device/procedure. Peer-reviewed literature that has passed certain validation is in Index Medicus, indexed as MEDLINE at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html. Copies or links to reprints of articles and abstracts should accompany the submission. For less mature technologies, a descriptive narrative explaining the technology and bulleted brief descriptions of physician work and preliminary investigation is adequate.

A statement regarding which authors in the quoted literature have financial ties (stock ownership, consulting fees, research support, honorariums, hedge fund advisory position) with the company. The presence of a financial relationship does not preclude utilization of the data for which the investigator is responsible.

A review of safety data regarding the device/procedure.

A CPT application should be completed by the requestor as completely as possible (available at www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/12889.html), including all literature in support of the application.

The requestor should provide data regarding physician work for the procedure (preservice, intraservice, and postservice) and practice expenses (clinical labor by staff type, disposable supplies, and equipment) for both the facility (hospital, ASC) and nonfacility (office) settings.

The requestor must provide the listed catalogue price for any devices and supplies involved in performing the procedure, both in the facility and nonfacility settings.

The requestor must provide the names and contact information of three physicians the company feels can comfortably analyze the procedure/device and who have no financial ties or involvement with research or hedge fund advisory relationship surrounding the company.

Industry may forward a request to make presentations to representatives of the ACCP and ATS at regularly scheduled quarterly committee meetings. Meetings are held in April, August, and December each year. The number of presentations will be limited by the volume of material on the committee agenda. Presentations are limited to a maximum of 30 minutes. For technology/devices that are in the early stages of development, items 4 and 6 may not be applicable.

For questions, contact:
Diane Krier-Morrow, MBA, MPH, CCS-P
American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and
the American Thoracic Society (ATS)
(847) 677-9464
dkriermorr@aol.com

Get Involved

Overview of the ACCP Practice Management Committee

Criteria for ACCP Practice Management Committee Membership

ACCP RUC Advisor Duties and Responsibilities

CPT Advisor Duties and Responsibilities

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