The following is from an email that Cindy Steinberg, Director of Policy & Advocacy at US Pain Foundation, sent this morning (7-18-22).
Dear Pain Warriors,
CMS announced their intention to improve pain care for Americans over 65 or disabled by paying separately for physicians to spend more time with chronic pain patients creating and modifying treatment plans and coordinating team-based comprehensive chronic pain care.
CMS explained their proposal in the recently released draft Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for 2023 and are seeking comments on this proposal by September 6, 2022. The PFS is a 2000-page document that we are reviewing but we wanted to make you aware of this important development. We intend to issue a call to action in the coming weeks with more detailed information on what is being proposed, how to comment and points you may consider making in your comment.
Here are some questions and answers you may have now:
Why should pain patients care about this?
Many people with chronic pain report that they are unable to find doctors who will treat them. One reason this is the case is that chronic pain is complex and finding the right treatments that will help patients can be a lengthy trial and error process. Doctors often do not have enough time with each patient to make this economically viable for them. We hope that payment for additional time spent with patients will incentivize doctors to spend more time helping people with pain.
Is this definitely going to happen?
It is highly likely this will go forward but in order to ensure that it does, people with pain need to comment and express support for this proposal.
What is the number one finding and recommendation from the PMTF Report that CMS is taking action on?
Finding: Current best practice in pain management is an individualized, multidisciplinary treatment approach combining a number of different treatment modalities.
Recommendation 1: Encourage coordinated and collaborative care that allows for best practices and improved patient outcomes.
How do I find the document that CMS released?
Click here. (Chronic Pain Management is discussed in Section 33.)