October 3
IN THIS ISSUE / October 3, 2018
- Budget bill includes wins for dermatology
- AAD updates “Find a Dermatologist” tool — have you updated your profile?
- Are you smarter than DataDerm™?
- Did CMS miscalculate your MIPS?
Budget bill victories for dermatology include skin cancer prevention funding and melanoma research
The CDC will have $3 million to spend on skin cancer prevention programs in 2019, up from $2.15 million in 2018. The American Academy of Dermatology Association advocated for this increase in funding.
The funding was included in legislation to keep the government funded beyond Election Day. The bill also included increases for the NIH — including the National Cancer Institute and National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The legislation funded these agencies for all of fiscal year 2019. The AADA advocated for the increases.
Specifically, NIAMS will see an $18 million increase in funding in 2019; its $605 million allocation is less than the $620 million the AADA sought but significantly more than the $545 million included in President Trump’s budget proposal. Similarly, the NCI will receive $6.15 billion in funding, rising from $5.9 billion in 2018 and $5.6 billion in the president’s 2019 proposal. The NIH as a whole received a $2 billion funding increase from 2018 to 2019.
Finally, the Department of Defense portion of the legislation includes $10 million in funding for melanoma research. The AADA signed on to a letter from the National Council for Skin Cancer Prevention seeking this funding. As a result, rather than competing for funding with other types of cancer, melanoma has its own line item, along with breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
Funding for dermatologic research is a longstanding Academy priority, as Henry Lim, MD, outlined during his presidency.
Related Links:
- Benched: Young investigators must clear funding hurdles to keep dermatology moving forward – Dermatology World (March 2016)
- Video: Trending in Research: Trends in NIH funding of principal investigators in dermatology research – Dermatology World (February 2017)
- From bench to bedside – Dermatology World (March 2015)
AAD updates “Find a Dermatologist” tool — have you updated your profile?
The American Academy of Dermatology recently upgraded its popular Find a Dermatologist tool, which more than 1 million visitors use each year. The enhanced tool gives dermatologists new ways to help potential patients find them — including indicating if they are seeing new patients and offering free appointment scheduling through Doctor.com — and offers those patients an improved search experience.
Make sure potential patients see your best face — update your profile today. Don't forget to indicate which conditions you treat so patients searching for treatment can find you.
Are you smarter than DataDerm™?
Related Links:
- MIPS reporting in 2018 – Dermatology World (February 2018)
- Dr. Henry Lim: The value of data – Dermatology World (January 2018)
- AAD product: 2018 MIPS Reporting Module
Did CMS miscalculate your MIPS?
Targeted reviews of some MIPS submissions led to CMS discovering errors in the scoring logic that will determine the level of Medicare payment adjustment physicians see in 2019. CMS encourages MIPS participants to review their performance feedback on the Quality Payment Program website and has extended the deadline for requesting targeted review until Oct. 15 at 8 p.m.
- MIPS reporting in 2018 – Dermatology World (February 2018)
- AAD product: 2018 MIPS Reporting Module
- AADA web: MACRA Resource Center
