MSDC, the American Medical Association and several other medical societies have provided comments regarding the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) March 2010 "Assuring Quality of the Healthcare Practitioner Workforce: An Essential Ingredient of a High Quality Health System" draft.  The NBME has long played a vital role in providing examination services for medical students and other health care professionals.  This importance to the future of American medicine drew MSDC to share insight into the impact of these new policies
     To read a copy of the letter, please click here.

Have questions? Join this session to have an opportunity to ask a question and hear answers by our panel of experts on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs.

For more information, please click here.

     This tip sheet describes which types of individual practitioners can participate in the Medicare EHR incentive program. It provides user friendly information about incentive payment amounts and describes how they are calculated for fee for service and Medicare advantage providers. It also describes payment adjustments beginning in 2015 for EPs who are not meaningful users of certified EHR technology.

     Learn what opportunities are available to Medicare Eligible Professionals to receive incentive payments for participating in important Medicare initiatives. This fact sheet provides information on eligibility, timeframes, and maximum payments for each program.

Now available on the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website. Select the Medicare Eligible Professional tab on the left, and then scroll to "Downloads."

     For 9.6 million TRICARE beneficiaries worldwide, the Department of Defense (DoD) relies heavily on civilian physicians to supplement the health care provided by military treatment facilities.  TRICARE is the health plan for the uniformed services, retirees and their families.
       Whether it's mental health or family medicine, becoming a TRICARE physician can be a very rewarding experience. TRICARE patients can include members of the uniformed services, retirees and military families. When physicians accept TRICARE patients, they are accepting America's heroes, the people making sacrifices to keep America strong and safe - and they are making a strong commitment to the military and their families.
       More and more civilian doctors, hospitals and other health care providers are accepting new TRICARE patients, but access to physicians still remains a concern in some areas, including Washington, DC.  TRICARE offers a large number of potential patients. It is also an industry leader in claims payment timeliness. Ninety-nine percent of clean claims are processed within 30 days. Ninety percent of claims are processed within 15 days. 
       Interested in becoming a TRICARE provider? Go to www.tricare.mil/tma/providerinformationfor more about or becoming a network, participating or certified physician.

      In an effort to encourage patients to discuss any and all drug use with their healthcare providers, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is providing free, patient-tested posters and postcards to display in exam and waiting rooms.

     Because only a fraction of individuals who need treatment for drug or alcohol abuse actually receive it, NIDA is asking MSDC physicians to display the "Patient-Physician Conversation" poster. The goal of displaying the poster is to initiate dialogue between physicians and their patients.

     Please visit NIDA's Website to order these posters, free of charge or download them in a PDF format here.

      In the beginning, long term care insurance was widely regarded as a product that was of interest primarily to people already well into their senior years, when the possibility of needing long term care was looming very real.  More recently, however, many financial experts suggest that providing a funding mechanism for potential long term care expenses should be handled early on.  Just as individuals elect to carry life insurance and disability insurance during their earlier adult years, and hopefully begin saving for retirement early, they should begin to plan for the possibility of needing long term care as well.
     To continue reading, please click here.

     Registrations are being accepted.  Just contact Barbara Allen at (202) 355-9403 or allen@msdc.org to join the crew.  Registration is $60 for members, $105 for members and spouses, $50 for students/residents, and $80 for non-members.
     Hurry and register soon - if you don't make the Captain's Log before Sail Date, registration at the door will increase to $80 for members and $100 for non-members, with no member/spouse or student/resident ticket available.

Meeting Sponsorship
     Annual Meeting sponsors are currently being accepted.  If your company or practice would like to sponsor our Annual Meeting and receive your entry, please e-mail Barbara Allen at allen@msdc.org.
     Thank you, ProAssurance and Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School for registering early in support of the Medical Society and our Annual Meeting.  You continue to be wonderful partners of the Society and our members!