ACEP President Defends Emergency Medicine in Op-Ed

In an opinion piece published June 25 in MedPage Today, ACEP President L. Anthony Cirillo, MD, FACEP, strongly reinforced the value of emergency medicine.

Dr. Cirillo clarified that patients seek emergency care because they reasonably fear they may have a serious medical condition, and that diagnostic testing is crucial to accurately identifying life-threatening conditions.

“We will stay open 24/7/365 and we will always be there to make sure everyone has somewhere to go when they’re hit with an emergency. That’s why the emergency department exists. And we’re not going anywhere,” said Dr. Cirillo.

ACEP-backed Senate Bill Would Help Fund Rural EDs

On June 24, ACEP Past President Aisha Terry, MD, MPH, FACEP, joined Missouri Senator Josh Hawley for a news conference on Capitol Hill to roll out the Rural Hospital Emergency Department Guarantee Act, new bipartisan legislation with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH).

The proposed legislation would allocate $1 million per year to support rural emergency department operating expenses as well as additional funding based on qualifying criteria.

“Right now is an optimal time to continue to shine a light on this problem around hospital closures,” said Dr. Terry. “We know that over the next decade or so it’s estimated that there will be about 100 rural hospitals that will have to close their doors, and that would leave about three million patients without access to care.”

“To see one emergency room after another close, in my state and around the country, is absolutely unacceptable,” said Sen. Hawley.

“I want to say thank you to the doctors over the years who, in all of our rural counties and towns across the state of Missouri and across the country, have dedicated their lives.”

“You are needed, you are vital, and it is time that we made a commitment as a nation to protect these doctors in these emergency rooms so that we can serve the people of the United States,” he said.

ACEP strongly supports state and federal efforts to support rural emergency care and proudly champions legislation that improves the workplace, protects care teams, and prioritizes emergency physician-led care in rural communities.

Learn more about the bill and ACEP efforts to support rural emergency care from the latest ACEP News Alert.

ACGME Will Seek More Input on Proposed Changes to EM Residency Programs

On the heels of a letter from ACEP and EMRA, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) announced that more information is needed before it makes any changes to the length of current emergency medicine (EM) residency programs. 

“This was the essence of our request,” said ACEP President L. Anthony Cirillo, MD, FACEP. “It is heartening to see that ACGME recognizes the importance of feedback from the EM community,” he added. 

ACGME paused further action on a proposal to change from the current three-or four-year program format to a standard four-year format, opting instead to announce a pilot program to gather perspectives across emergency medicine. Details are forthcoming, the ACGME announcement said. 

“ACEP looks forward to being part of the robust dialogue that must accompany any major changes to residency program requirements,” Dr. Cirillo said.

IDR Operations Rule Improves Process but Still Needs Enforcement Mechanism

ACEP applauds the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) Operations final rule that will greatly strengthen the federal process that financially protects patients who receive care out of network and ensure a more effective pathway to physicians being fairly reimbursed when insurers won’t include them as part of their in-network panel. However, strong enforcement will be necessary to hold insurance companies accountable for noncompliance.

“Finalizing these long-awaited reforms largely as proposed is an important step toward a more transparent, efficient, and effective IDR process, but it is only the first step,” said ACEP President L. Anthony Cirillo, MD, FACEP. “The rule’s overall success will now depend on strong, consistent enforcement, and meaningful consequences for noncompliance.”

This final rule will reduce unnecessary disputes and speed up determinations by requiring insurers to provide all information needed for claims to be processed correctly. It also encourages meaningful negotiation so that IDR is used only as a last resort, while a modernized open negotiation workflow will significantly reduce administrative burden — creating efficiencies for physicians, insurers, and the government alike, and ultimately lowering health care costs for all.

ACEP looks forward to continuing to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure the No Surprises Act fulfills its promise to protect patients while facilitating fair and timely resolution of payment disputes.