ACR ‘greatly pleased’ with the American Medical Association’s new payment policy leader
The American College of Radiology announced its support Tuesday for a new imaging leader who will be tasked with assessing and informing Medicare payment policy.
Ezequiel Silva III, MD, has been appointed chair of the 32-member American Medical Association Multispecialty Relative Value Scale Update Committee, the AMA Board of Trustees announced Feb. 23.
Throughout his two-year term beginning March 1, the San Antonio radiologist will assess how medical advances in science and technology have impacted patient care and lead expert physicians on the path toward advancing Medicare reimbursement rules.
“Dr. Silva’s outstanding collaborative work and contributions in the fields of medicine and healthcare economics have earned the respect and trust of physicians and allied professionals across the house of medicine,” William T. Thorwarth, MD, chief executive of the ACR, said in a statement. “I can’t think of a better choice to lead the AMA Multispecialty Relative Value Scale Update Committee into the future.”
Those contributions include serving as the immediate past chair of the ACR’s Commission on Economics and founding board member of the ACR’s Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute. Silva has been a member of the RUC since 2016, including his most recent position as chair of the RUC Research Subcommittee.
The longtime healthcare payment expert has also been a leading advocate for safe and effective care during the pandemic, presenting during the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and White House COVID-19 Task Force series “Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19.”
“The rise of the digital-native physician will have a profound impact on healthcare and patient outcomes, and the RUC will be increasingly called upon to assess the impact of digital health technologies on patient care,” AMA Board Chair Russ Kridel, MD, said Tuesday. “Dr. Silva’s respected insights into emerging digital technologies and his leadership qualities will help guide the RUC’s vital work as a source of physician input on policies that govern Medicare.”
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.