On behalf of the physician, PA, resident, and medical student members of the Medical Society of Virginia, I am reaching out to express the MSV’s support for the Notice of Intent to Amend Virginia’s State Plan for Medical Assistance, which eliminates down-coding of emergency room fees for what were previously considered “avoidable” claims.

The MSV, alongside our colleagues at the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians (VACEP) and the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA), have previously expressed concerns with the practice of down-coding. Physicians, as mandated by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), must treat any patient in the ER, regardless of their ability to pay. The practice of down-coding is at odds with this paramount responsibility, effectively denying these frontline physicians’ commensurate reimbursement for services they are mandated and duty-bound to provide.

Our members strongly support this state plan amendment, and the MSV remains committed to working alongside DMAS and other relevant stakeholders in ensuring the highest quality care for the citizens of Virginia as well as working to decrease emergency room utilization as a source of primary and preventative care for enrollees.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this matter further, please contact Clark Barrineau at the Medical Society of Virginia, at Cbarrineau@msv.org or 704-609-4948.