Winner of a 2008 National Chapter Award The Iowa Chapter was recognized by the ACC in 2008 “for its accomplishments in advancing the College mission through its enhancement of member value, education, advocacy and quality of patient care.” View 2011 ACC Annual Meeting Chapter Reception Photos (New Orleans, LA) Important News Iowa Chapter Plays Critical Role in D2B Times in the U.S. CALL FOR SCIENCE Submissions selected for presentation at ACC.12 have GLOBAL IMPACT with more than 300 media members from around the world expected in Chicago, with more than 1.5 billion media impressions anticipated! Submit your abstracts, late-breaking clinical trials and challenging cases by 4 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 21 to be considered for presentation at ACC.12. ACC National Website Nidal Harb, M.D., FACC Chapter Governor & President Cardiovascular Medicine 1236 E. Rusholme St. #300 Davenport, IA 52803 Phone: 563-324-2992 Email: cardioharb@aol.com Bio Breaking news! The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved rivaroxaban (Xarelto), an oral anticoagulant that acts by selective direct inhibition of factor Xa (FXa). The FDA found the drug to be a reasonable alternative to patients who could not tolerate warfarin or dabigatran in the treatment for the prevention of stroke in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Read more on CardioSource.org. Do you agree with the FDA's decision? Join the discussion on the Atrial Fibrillation CardioSource Community. 2012 Dues Statements are in the mail! Your 2012 dues are due on December 9, 2011. Renew today! Pay early to qualify for early dues payment rewards! CMS FACT SHEET FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: CMS Media Relations Group November 15, 2011 (202) 690-6145 CMS Announces New Demonstrations to Help Curb Improper Medicare, Medicaid Payments Efforts will Build on 2011 Decreases in Medicare, Medicaid Improper Payments. In 2010, the President announced three goals for cutting improper payments by 2012: reducing overall payment errors by $50 billion, cutting the Medicare fee-for-service error rate in half, and recovering $2 billion in improper payments. To help achieve these goals, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced it will launch demonstration programs beginning in January 2012 targeting some of the most common factors that lead to improper payments. Cost Saving Projects will Help Protect Medicare and Medicaid Beginning on January 1, 2012, CMS will conduct demonstration projects that will strengthen Medicare by aiming at eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse. Reductions in improper payments will help ensure the sound future of the Medicare Trust Fund and protect Medicare beneficiaries who depend upon it such as: • Recovery Audit Prepayment Review • Prior Authorization for Certain Medical Equipment • Part A to Part B Rebilling This past May, HHS announced a pilot project under the Partnership Fund for Program Integrity Innovation to test an automated tool to screen providers for the risk of fraud. Currently, HHS and States lack standardized Medicaid provider data, which hampers detection of potential fraud. If successful, this tool will not only help prevent improper payments by weeding out fraudulent providers, but it will help States focus their resources where fraud is most likely to occur. New Projects Build on 2011 Savings The 2012 projects announced today will build on accomplishments in 2011 to reduce Medicare and Medicaid improper payment rates. CMS is also reporting for the first time a composite improper payment rate for the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. The improper payment rate for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will not be published until 2012. While improper payment rates are not necessarily an indicator of fraud in Medicare, Medicaid or CHIP, they do provide HHS, CMS and States with a more complete assessment of factors leading to error rates and new ways to help prevent them. CMS is continuing to invest time and resources to work with providers across the country and eliminate errors through increased and improved training, education, and outreach. To read the full CMS fact Sheet is issued click here Additional Fact sheets issued 11/15/11: CMS Prior Auth Fact Sheet- https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4168 CMS Rebilling Fact Sheet - https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4169 CMS Recovery Audit (RAC) Demo Fact Sheet- https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4170 CMS Medicaid Fact Sheet- https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4171 CMS Medicare D fact sheet https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4172 CMS Medicare C fact sheet and https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4175 CNS Medicare FFS Improper payments Fact Sheet: https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=4174 Also, please see the White House Press Release- We Can’t Wait: Agencies Cut Nearly $18 Billion in Improper Payments, Announce New Steps for Stopping Government Waste- http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/15/we-can-t-wait-agencies-cut-nearly-18-billion-improper-payments-announce- • Agency improper payment data is being updated Tuesday afternoon at www.paymentaccuracy.govA IAACC Contact: Nancy Grubb Chapter Executive Director Email: executivedirector@iaacc.org Daytime Phone: 319-335-9784 Email Webmaster at nancy-grubb@uiowa.edu.