Washington Update: SVS PAC Contributions Are Vital for 2007

Many very important decisions regarding vascular surgery are being made this fall by Congress. Among these are two Medicare issues that have major impact on vascular surgeons: 2008 physician payment update and possible alleviation of imaging cuts contained in the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), in effect on January 1, 2007.

To ensure your interests are well represented, SVS must have access to Congress members on committees with health jurisdiction--House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees and the Senate Finance Committee. Attending PAC events for targeted members and having one-on-one meetings was a major factor in accomplishing the following:

• Enacting the Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently (SAAAVE) Act--the only new 2007 Medicare screening benefit.
• Averting Medicare pay cuts for physician services the last 5 years with small increases or freezes.
• Eighteen Congressional members sending letters to the CMS, requesting noninvasive vascular diagnostic studies be exempt from DRA cuts.
• Successfully removing five physiologic vascular lab codes from DRA imaging cuts.

Because the PAC is a high priority for the Society, the SVS president has appointed a PAC Committee, with members representing five regions of the country, to participate in PAC fundraising and to assess and ensure SVS PAC effectiveness. The committee is composed of Robert Zwolak, MD, Chair; George Andros, MD; Clifford Buckley, MD; Carlo Dall'Olmo, MD; and Richard Lynn, MD.

A PAC brochure and video are both in the process of being produced for use at meetings attended by vascular surgeons, and a telephone solicitation campaign will begin in October.

In addition to raising PACfunds, the committee is seeking members who are willing to serve as Key Contacts for Senators and Representatives who serve on committees of jurisdiction for health care. If you are willing to participate in this effort, please contact governmentrelations@vascularsociety.org.

An SVS PAC Donation Form is available on www.VascularWeb.org in the Health Policy and Government Relations section. Your donation can be made by personal check or by personal credit card (corporate checks and credit cards are not permitted for contributions). Please complete the donation form and make a contribution to SVS PAC today