A judge ruled in favor of Virginia’s Medicaid administrator in their request for dismissal of a VACEP lawsuit where emergency physicians are ultimately seeking to recoup nearly three years’ worth of unfairly downcoded Medicaid reimbursements. But the fight continues.

This month, CMS issued proposed updates to the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Under it, emergency physicians could face several challenges and opportunities related to reimbursement reductions, telehealth flexibilities, behavioral health services, and opioid treatment programs.

A couple bills impacting the practice of emergency medicine go into effect July 1 this year, including one that allows family members to be present for related patients under ECO/TDO.

Emergency Physicians who supervise advanced practice providers need to be aware of the 2024 CMS “Split/Shared Services” guideline in order to receive appropriate compensation for their services. This guideline dictates how physician led “team-based care” is reimbursed for a single E/M code.

Did Virginia’s Medicaid administrator properly follow a federal decision to end a harmful policy that cut payments to emergency physicians? That question is the basis of a lawsuit led by VACEP, and the answer will determine if the state must reprocess three years’ worth of claims.

Virginia has established a special surveillance system to better characterize the burden and impact of adverse events in children due to THC and CBD consumption. For emergency physicians and teams, you’re asked to immediately report these cases to your local health department: Get the links and full memo here.

Testing for COVID-19 is no longer required for individuals age 65 and under prior to admission to Virginia state-run behavioral health facilities. Many private hospitals have followed suit. We’ve got all the details on the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS)’s revised COVID-19 admissions guidance.

ACEP President Aisha T. Terry, MD, MPH, FACEP addressed several critical emergency medicine issues at VACEP ‘24. Her attendance marks the third straight year that VACEP has brought ACEP’s emergency physician leader directly to Virginia’s emergency medicine community.

Emergency physician leaders from Virginia and the American College of Emergency Physicians briefed attendees at VACEP ‘24 on key legislation considered in Richmond this year.

This week, the Virginia General Assembly reaches its halfway mark known as Crossover. Here’s the latest on the priority legislation that VACEP is tracking.

See photos and a recap of VACEP’s 2024 EM Advocacy Day in Richmond.

A look at the issues we are following, supporting, and opposing in the 2024 General Assembly.

Here’s a look at where VACEP improved the speciality for Virginia emergency physicians — and set precedents nationwide — in 2023.

This year, a legal case VACEP was heavily involved in set a precedent for all potential challenges and threats to the prudent layperson standard (PLP). That’s the verdict in an article on ACEP Now, where VACEP President Todd Parker, MD, FACEP co-authored a piece recapping the legal underpinnings of Virginia's recently repealed "Downcoding Provision.”

ACEP Councillors, including 10 from Virginia, gathered this month in Philadelphia to discuss a series of resolutions to improve the practice of emergency medicine. Here’s a look at them with VACEP Board member and Councillor Caroline Cox, MD.

Physicians from Eastern Virginia Medical School review the recent peer-reviewed clinical study, Diagnostic Accuracy of Unenhanced Computed Tomography for Evaluation of Acute Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department.

A new psychiatric and behavioral health ED in Lynchburg, plus a new one coming soon in Hampton Roads, are seen as an answer to reduce boarding in EDs and give mental health patients a safer, more personalized, compassionate space with care from specialists.

VACEP leaders met with a leadership forum comprised of state chief medical officers and physicians to educate them on Virginia’s screening process for psychiatric patient admissions from emergency departments to a psychiatric hospital, inpatient psychiatric facility, or crisis stabilization unit. Get the presentation and learn about the challenges we’re working to overcome.

Effective August 1, VACEP signed a full-service management agreement with Ruggles Service Corp. to handle day-to-day association leadership at VACEP. (The Board and physician leaders remain unchanged).