Blog
ASNC-led Coalition Asks Congress to Recognize Demands of COVID-19 Response by Suspending the AUC Mandate
On March 22, ASNC led a group of 18 other medical societies in asking Congress, in light of the COVID-2019 pandemic, to intervene to reassure physicians that there will be no need to move beyond the Testing and Operations Phase of the AUC Mandate in 2021 by suspending the program through legislative action.
In a letter delivered to Congress last week, the groups pointed out that physicians are striving to provide care that is as close to business as usual but the strains of the COVID-19 response are causing staffing shortages as well as workflow changes as patients are triaged and procedures and services are delayed or canceled. The AUC Program is currently in a Testing and Operations period, during which there are no payment consequences. In the letter, ASNC, American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, Medical Group Management Association, and 14 other groups urged Congress to intervene to alleviate concerns about the AUC Mandate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
While ASNC is seeking immediate suspension of the AUC Program, the underlying objective of ASNC's past and ongoing advocacy efforts is to repeal the program entirely and instead provide Medicare flexibility for encouraging the consultation of AUC through existing quality programs.
READ THE LETTER TO CONGRESS