Advocacy Materials

The Iowa Medical Society (IMS) has prepared several documents that may provide assistance in advocating for elimination of the geographic inequities in Medicare Part B reimbursement. Certain documents provide national data while others are specific to Iowa. If you have questions on these materials, please contact Sandy Nelson.

Medicare background - 2008

• GPCIs/GAF for period January 1-June 30, 2008
• GPCIs/GAF for period July 1-December 31, 2008 without congressional intervention
• Payment for CPT code 99213 for period January 1-June 30, 2008
• Payment for CPT code 99213 for period July 1-December 31, 2008 without congressional intervention

Medicare background - 2007

• Proposed GPCIs GAF 2007
• Final GPCIs GAF 2007
• GEM Statement 2007

Medicare background - 2006

• June 29, 2006 GEM letter to Senator Grassley
• Iowa - California GAF comparison '03-'06
• Health Affairs - Geography and the Debate over Medicare Reform

Medicare background updated fall 2004

• GEM statement plus ongoing GEM legislative goals
• Facts regarding Medicare Physician Reimbursement
• Comparison of 2003 GAFs to 2004 GAFs for all 89 Medicare payment localities
• Comparison of 2004 GAFs to proposed 2005 GAFs for all 89 Medicare payment localities
• Comparison of 2004 GAFs to proposed 2006 GAFs for all 89 Medicare payment localities
• Comparison of 2003 payments for CPT Code 99213 (mid-level office visit) for all 89 Medicare payment localities
• Comparison of 2004 payments for CPT Code 99213 (mid-level office visit) for all 89 Medicare payment localities
• Comparison of proposed 2005 payments for CPT code 99213 (mid-level office visit) for all 89 Medicare payment localities
• Comparison of 2003 and 2004 reimbursement for 29 selected CPT codes; includes comparison of Iowa reimbursement to the highest and the average for each code and the percentage change
• Comparison of 2004 and proposed 2005 reimbursement for the same 29 selected CPT codes; includes comparison of Iowa reimbursement to the highest and the average for each code and the percentage change
• Iowa’s rank in number of physicians per population for selected specialties, including Iowa’s overall ranking (based on 2001 data)
• Nonfederal physician/population ratios and rank by state, 2001 (GEM states are bolded and underscored)

Policy Briefs by Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) for the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis

• Rural Policy Brief PB2003-2 PDF – Medicare Physician Payment, January 2003
  
• Rural Policy Brief PB2003-9 PDF – Medicare Physician Payment: Practice Expense, October 2003
  
• Rural Policy Brief PB2004-5 PDF – Rural Physicians’ Acceptance of new Medicare Patients, August 2004