The AAFP Gets Tough
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.
You make a deal with the Mafia, you have a deal.
You make a deal with any part of the American Government (please review the history of American Indians) and you WILL be screwed at the earliest leisure of the American government.
We need to be clearer about our alphabet soup here… AAFP could mean Family Practitioners, Forensic Pathologists, Family Planners… please at least once in an article, preferably the first use, use the full name of the organization.
O.K. full name here:
Academic A-sho-l-s F—ing P–cks
“For instance, AAFP members have documented frustrating instances of when they’ve waited for correspondence from auditors that was long past due, experienced a complete lack of follow-up by auditors after an audit was instigated, seen no end date in sight to audits that drag on and on, and endured continuing and repetitive correspondence from auditors when that communication served only to prolong the audit process.”
Get the hint, honey, this ain’t Mr. Right.
Those CMS administrators better watch out, I can see the AAFP initiating some tough measures, such as Ringing and Running (aka Ding Dong Ditch) certain houses at night. Or there may even be some wedgies coming for the most senior CMS personal, and this could be followed by houses getting toilet-papered.
Just remember the AAFP’s motto: If You Don’t Treat Us Nice, We’re Telling Our Mom!
“…associated initial AND SUSTAINED decreaseS in practice productivity.” If we’re going to be accurate.