AANEM News Express

AANEM News Express

2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

11/18/2015
On October 30, 2016, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Final Rule for the 2016 Medicare Physician Payment Schedule. Following is a summary of some of the changes that could affect AANEM members for the calendar year (CY) 2016.

Lumbar Intradiscal Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: A Prospective, Double-blind, Randomized Controlled Study

This double-blind, randomized controlled study in PM&R shows promising early results for platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections for chronic lower back pain.

Washington Update for November

11/18/2015
In an effort to better support federal medical research activities and emerging clinical/translational research programs at NIH, AANEM is joining the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Coalition. Stakeholder organizations and congressional offices also continue to engage with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to promote collaboration that advances policies to reduce fraud and abuse in EDX medicine while promoting access to quality care.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of ESIs for Radiculopathy and Spinal Stenosis

11/4/2015
This review in the Annals of Internal Medicine of 30 placebo-controlled trials on epidural corticosteroid injections (ESIs) for radiculopathy and 8 trials for spinal stenosis calls into question the increasing use of ESIs for common diagnoses of radiculopathy and spinal stenosis.

Dr. Sanford Receives Golseth Young Investigator Award

10/28/2015
The AANEM presented the 2015 Golseth Young Investigator Award to Timothy S. Sanford, MD, formerly of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for his abstract, “Correlation Between Ultrasound Measures of The Median Nerve and Electrodiagnostic Severity of Median Mononeuropathy Separated by Gender.”

Dr. Sanders Presented with Best Abstract Award

10/28/2015
The AANEM presented the 2015 Best Abstract Award to Donald B. Sanders, MD, of Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, for his work entitled, “Results From the Dapper Study: Inpatient Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Withdrawal Study of 3,4-Diaminopyridine Base (3,4-Dap) in Subjects With Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS).”

Give Your Input About Medicare’s Quality Reimbursement Programs

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a “Request for Information” (RFI) regarding the implementation of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and alternative payment models (APMs) under the “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act” (MACRA), which was passed back in April to replace the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula used to calculate Medicare payments to physicians. AANEM will be submitting its comments by the November 17, 2015 deadline, but individuals are also allowed to submit comments.

Safety and Efficacy of Diaphragm Pacing in ALS Patients

10/19/2015
Effective treatments for ALS are aggressively sought, and diaphragmatic pacing received expedited approval by the US FDA based on a single multi-center study. This study in Lancet Neurology, however, demonstrated that diaphragmatic pacing reduced survival in ALS patients.

CIDP diagnostic pitfalls and perception of treatment benefit

10/6/2015
This important study from Neurology demonstrates the troubling frequency with which patients are misdiagnosed with CIDP and even treated with immunotherapy. Neuromuscular subspecialty referral and closer adherence to published guidelines would reduce this problem considerably, though likely not eliminate it.

APPLY NOW: Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee

10/5/2015
The Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee (MDCC), a federal advisory committee, is seeking nominations for an individual to serve as a non-federal member interested in providing the public and/or patient perspective. The MDCC coordinates activities amongst the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other Federal health programs and activities relevant to all forms of muscular dystrophy.

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