The AAFP Gets Tough

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It’s almost too pathetic to write about but I will fight through it. The article on the AAFP website is called AAFP Demands Straight Answers on Flawed Audit Process and it has a subheading that states Meaningful Use Under Fire Again.  You can explore the comical story for yourself but basically the AAFP is writing a second letter to get the CMS attention for not coming through on the audit process and subsequent payments. “In short, member accounts have convinced the AAFP that auditors are saddling physicians with an enormous administrative burden.”   In other words, docs who bought into this crap aren’t getting paid:

“The AAFP is concerned that auditors are causing undue hardship for family physicians,” wrote Blackwelder on July 9. Auditors are pelting physicians with unreasonable and burdensome documentation requests that, when tallied, add significantly to the cost of physicians trying their best to comply with program rules, he added.

“Family physicians who have implemented and fully use electronic health records (EHRs) in the spirit of the meaningful use program should have a reasonable expectation that the accompanying financial subsidy would help offset the implementation costs and associated initial decrease in practice productivity,” said Blackwelder.

  • Undue hardship?  Check.
  • Unreasonable documentation?  Check
  • Significant cost?  Check

This seems about right for making a deal with the government, wouldn’t you say?  How many times have I written about this happening?

And now the AAFP is getting tough?  Even in the the comment section below, members are making fun of the AAFP.  One says:

“The AAFP refuses to back down”

And if CMS doesn’t respond, the AAFP will . . . write another letter?

The answer is yes, but this time it will be different.  It will be sent certified.  CMS better watch out.