We are excited to begin highlighting resources for improving clinical care around blood pressure and cholesterol from around our networks each month. Continue to check back for more updates and the latest news.
Action Needed: Submit Comments by 11/7
We must show the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that the medical community supports ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for the diagnosis of hypertension by leaving a comment today. The AHA and AMA asked CMS to provide Medicare coverage ABPM for the purposes of hypertension diagnosis. Last week, CMS officially agreed to consider our request and has opened a National Coverage Analysis to determine whether Medicare coverage is appropriate.
Visit the CMS Comment Page by 12 midnight ET on November 7th.
- Read and acknowledge the CMS PHI posting policy
- Enter your contact information and type your comments into the text box.
Tips for leaving a comments – they can be brief!
- Express your support for Medicare coverage of ABPM for the diagnosis of hypertension
- Describe how the scientific evidence supports the use of ABPM for the diagnosis of hypertension. Please cite as appropriate. CMS has noted that it is particularly interested in comments that address the breadth of the request (diagnosis for any Medicare beneficiary).
- Share your experience treating patients and how the lack of Medicare coverage for ABPM has impacted your ability to effectively diagnose and treat them
Webinar: Last Chance to View
Recommendations from the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline
Recorded at the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine Grand Rounds, this important educational activity covers the 2017 Hypertension Guideline. Presented and jointly-provided by the American Medical Association, American Heart Association and the University of Missouri, this activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and is only available thru January 10, 2019.
Past Target: BP Webinars Still Available for Viewing
- Lifestyle Interventions for the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension (CME/CE)
- Importance of Measuring Blood Pressure Accurately (CME/CE)
- Importance of Treating Your Patients’ HBP (CME/CE)
- Using Self-Measured BP Monitoring to Diagnose and Manage HBP (CME/CE)
In the News
- Cardiovascular health may impact brain function as early as childhood – American Heart Association
- Poor oral health linked to higher blood pressure – American Heart Association
- Older vets often leave hospital on increased dose of blood pressure pills – Reuters
- 5 states with the highest rates of high blood pressure – The Cheat Sheet
- Church-based health programs may help black adults lower blood pressure – American Heart Association
- How many at-home checks does it take to diagnose high blood pressure? – American Heart Association