ACCP Contractor Advisory Committee Representative Duties and Responsibilities

Practice Management Committee’s Mission Statement: To provide resources, advocacy, and education for efficient practice management for optimal patient care.

CAC Background Information: Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) must establish one Contractor Advisory Committee (CAC) per state, comprising physicians representing various medical specialty societies. The CAC assists the MACs in development of Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) and discusses other relevant medical issues presented in their state.

The purpose of the ACCP CAC is the following: To provide a formal mechanism for ACCP pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physicians in each state to be informed of and participate in the development of an LCD in an advisory capacity. To provide a mechanism to discuss and improve administrative policies that are within contractor discretion. To provide ACCP members a forum for information exchange between contractors and physicians.

The ACCP CAC Representative is charged with the following: To improve the relations and communication between Medicare Contractor Medical Directors and the ACCP members. To disseminate proposed LCDs to colleagues in their respective state and specialty societies to solicit comments. To disseminate information about the Medicare program obtained at CAC meetings to their respective state and specialty societies. To provide a consensus recommendation approved by the ACCP Practice Management Committee (and the Board, when appropriate) for proposed LCD revisions. To discuss inconsistent or conflicting medical review policies.

Eligibility Criteria: Candidates for appointment must be ACCP members in good standing. Knowledge of coding and reimbursement, practice management, and/or coverage issues is helpful. Must be willing to participate in the process outlined below.

Responsibilities of the CAC Representative:

To participate in the three, 1-hour, ACCP CAC conference calls and one face-to-face meeting at CHEST, as well as actively participate in his or her state’s MAC CAC meetings with his or her contractor and attend a minimum of two meetings annually.

To participate in subcommittees or ad hoc workgroups and similar projects, if asked by the Chair of the pulmonary CAC that would either meet at the three meetings or via scheduled conference calls.

To provide advice and educate pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physicians in his or her state on CAC issues of interest.

To work together on the development of comment letters (often coordinated by both ACCP, ATS, and other pulmonary groups) to contractors/CMS on issues of interest to pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine health professionals.

To be a trusted resource for contractors in each state on pulmonary, critical care, and sleep-related payment issues.

To actively participate in the AMA Relative Value System Committee (RUC) survey process for new and revised pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine codes, when requested. The ACCP Practice Management Committee is responsible for generating relative value recommendations using the AMA survey method and identifying relevant practice expense inputs. Survey methods, details, and materials are developed by the AMA staff, in cooperation with specialty staff, and approved by the RUC.

Applicants should submit the materials listed below to Marla Brichta, Assistant VP of Health Affairs (e-mail: mbrichta@chestnet.org or fax: (847) 498-5460).

1. Completed biographical sketch of your background, to include: name, e-mail address, telephone numbers, specialty, practice concentration, and current practice mailing address.
2. Statement of commitment and purpose.
3. History of work in aspects of chest medicine, either in local institutions or regional or national organizations.
4. Commitment to the mission of the CAC and an interest in participating and supporting all ACCP practice management activities.
5. Statement of willingness to participate in minimum of three meetings per year with the MAC CAC contractor, three ACCP conference calls each year, and attendance at the 1 1/2-hour business meeting at CHEST.
6. Completed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form.

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