EDPMA advocates for emergency department physician groups and partners to enhance quality patient care through operational excellence and financial stability.
EDPMA is the voice of Emergency Department practices before Congress, CMS, state-level decision makers, and private payers on Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement, Quality Reporting, Documentation Requirements, Provider Enrollment, and more. We keep our members up to date with newsletters, interactive committee meetings, regular email alerts, and social media posts—helping your business succeed in this every-changing landscape.
We urge you to become an advocate for the Emergency Department business. Here is an advocacy primer to get you started: EDPMA Advocacy Primer.
In 2021, EDPMA sent over 125 letters, held over 25 meetings with key decision makers, sent 7 action alerts, all of which addressed Down Coding, the implementation of the No Surprises Act, impending Medicare cuts, and more. EDPMA also filed an amicus brief supporting lawsuit challenging the problematic Surprise Billing Rule. These are just a few examples of EDPMA’s 2021 advocacy successes. To learn more about all of EDPMA’s 2021 advocacy successes and previous successes click here.
Need to get in touch with your local elected officials? You can find their contact information here.
For questions regarding our advocacy efforts, contact Cathey Wise, Executive Director, at cathey.wise@edpma.org.
Snapshots of Success
- EDPMA was formed when Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) would not allow physicians to reassign their payment to physician groups because the physicians were not “employees” of the group. EDPMA led the charge to change this policy — lobbying CMS, the Office of Inspector General, and Congress, and asking ACEP, AMA and others to join the fight. Legislation was passed in 2003 which reversed this practice. EDPMA continued to work closely with CMS to ensure that the implementing regulations and guidance work for physician groups, billing and coding companies, and our partners.
- EDPMA was a leader in promoting physician participation in testing quality measures reporting mechanisms. Emergency medicine had more early adopters of the Patient Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) than any other specialty. CMS now recognizes EDPMA as an important and credible partner as it continues to develop new ways to tie reimbursement to quality.
- For over a decade, EDPMA has successfully urged CMS to address delays in 855 application processing times and to improve enrollment procedures. EDPMA regularly meets with CMS officials on these matters.
- EDPMA helped stop state efforts to deny coverage to Medicaid patients receiving care in the emergency room who were protected by the prudent layperson standard.
- EDPMA led the fight to protect the physicians’ right to continue to use the 1995 Medicare Documentation Guidelines for evaluation and management visits as an alternative to the 1997 Documentation Guidelines. This important success makes it significantly easier to document care.
- EDPMA joined with its coalition partners, such as ACEP and others, to prevent Washington State from limiting the number of emergency room visits covered by Medicaid.
EDPMA advocates on many topics impacting emergency department practices. Click here to view our advocacy letters. You must be a member to view these materials.