ADVAMED RESPONDS TO DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT

Congress deserves kudos for the research and development tax credit extension it just authorized, said AdvaMed President Stephen Ubl.

Ubl added that Congress' elimination of the "drastic cuts" that physicians had faced under the 2006 update to the Physician Fee Schedule is critical and the proposed reductions would have had a devastating impact on patients.

AdvaMed approved of Congress' decision not to impose efficiency standards until a firmer foundation is established to assure that the measures accurately reflect value and do not create a "cheapest is best" approach to healthcare.

Ubl said the group was disappointed, however, that Congress failed to eliminate the reductions for imaging procedures mandated by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. AdvaMed encouraged the 110th Congress to revisit the issue early next year.