Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act The RI Chapter of the ACC has signed on as a supporter of H.R. 1108/S.625, “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act”. This legislation, which the ACC has long supported through our work with the Partners for Effective Tobacco Policy (PARTNERS), would give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, sale, labeling, advertising and promotion of tobacco products to protect the public health. The legislation has moved further in this Congress than in the past and the goal is to achieve enactment this year. It has 55 Senate cosponsors and was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee last summer. It has 218 House cosponsors and is expected to be marked up by the House Energy and Commerce Committee this spring. It is sponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and John Cornyn (R-TX), and Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Tom Davis (R-VA). The legislation has a broad base of support from the patient and health professions community working to promote it. With the legislation moving closer to passage, the involvement of more supporters- including ACC chapters- can make a big difference. A fact sheet on the legislation is attached for your information. Click Here for FDA Coalition Sign on Letter Click Here for the H R 1108 Fact sheet Steven Fera, M.D. F.A.C.C. Governor, R.I. Chapter of the ACC ACTION NEEDED: Congress Looking at More Imaging Cuts The House and Senate this month are expected to consider legislation that could stop the expected 10 percent cut in the Medicare physician payment from taking place on Jan. 1, 2008. Unfortunately, this same legislation is likely to also include significant cuts to Medicare payments for office-based medical imaging as a means of offsetting the overall physician payment fix. The ACC is urging all members to call their senators and representatives throughout the month of July and ask them to stop the 10 percent Medicare physician payment cut without cutting Medicare payments for other physician services like imaging. Let them know that cuts in Medicare reimbursement threaten physicians' abilities to provide the highest quality care, particularly in light of increasing expenses for health IT, medical liability insurance and other practice costs. Act now! It's critical that Congressional leaders here from the cardiovascular community before it's too late. You can reach your members of Congress by calling the ACC's toll-free grassroots hotline at 800-210-7193. You can also visit www.acc.org/can to send emails or faxes. Sample letters and talking points are provided. Rhode Island Imaging Accreditation Bill Approved by House Panel, Awaits Floor Action The Rhode Island House Corporations Committee has approved HB 6033 which would add the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC)as an entity that can accredit magnetic resonance (MR) imaging laboratories. Under current Rhode Island law only MR diagnostic procedures done in laboratories accredited by bodies recognized by the state are eligible for reimbursement from private payers. HB 6033 has been placed on the House floor calendar and is expected to pass easily. The bill is strongly supported by the Rhode Island chapter of the ACC and the Rhode Island Medical Society. The Rhode Island Radiology Society does not object to HB 6033's passage. Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) In December 2006, President Bush signed the "Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006", mandating establishment of a physician quality reporting system under Medicare and authorizing a payment incentive for voluntary participation in 2007. Medicare is calling this program, the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). This site is intended to assist ACC members in learning about and participating in the PQRI program. Click here for the latest ACC PQRI updates.