Designation of a third-party to register - At this time, there is no method available for a third-party to register multiple eligible professionals (EPs) for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.  Beginning in May, CMS plans to implement functionality that will allow an EP to designate a third-party to register and attest on his or her behalf.  CMS will release detailed information about that process when it is available.

     Please be aware that, currently, EPs are NOT permitted to allow a practice manager or any other person to register in their place.  Sharing your National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) user ID and password with third-parties can place your information at risk.  Until CMS implements new functionality in May, each EP should register himself or herself separately for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

     Registration for the Medicaid program - Eligible professionals must select between the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.  If you register for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, when you select "Medicaid" on the registration screen, you will be asked to select a state from the drop-down menu.  Only states with launched programs (ie. states that are prepared to confirm your eligibility and make payments) are listed in that drop-down menu.  Each month, CMS will add new states as they launch programs.  If you have questions about when your state will launch, visit Medicaid State Information.  You may also contact your State Medicaid Agency for more information about the program; visit State EHR Incentive Program Launch Dates and HIT Websites for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program links for each State Medicaid Agency.

     For more information about the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs and to register, visit http://www.CMS.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms.

 

National Provider Call on Registration for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program for Eligible Professionals

Friday, February 18, 1-2:30pm EST

     The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services invites you to join us for a national provider call addressing how Eligible Professionals can register for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.  Learn if you are eligible for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, how to register, and what other steps you must take to receive an incentive payment.  We will also discuss switching between the Medicare and Medicaid programs, reassigning incentive payments, and how to get help.  The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.

     In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for the call. (Note that if you are planning to sit in with a group, only one person needs to register to receive the call-in information.)  Registration will close at 1pm EST on Thu Feb 17, or when available space has been filled; no exceptions will be made, so please register prior to this time.  To register for the call:

• Visit http://www.eventsvc.com/palmettogba/021811
•  Fill in all required information and click "Register"
• You will be taken to the "Thank you for registering" page and will receive a confirmation email shortly thereafter.   Please save this page, in the event that your server blocks the confirmation emails.  (If you do not receive the confirmation email, please check your spam/junk mail filter as it may have been directed there.)
• If assistance for hearing impaired services is needed, the request must be sent to medicare.ttt@palmettogba.com no later than 3 business days before the event.

     From February 8-10, MSDC leadership participated in several policy activities at the National Advocacy Conference hosted by the American Medical Association.  Over the three-day conference, issues covered included the establishment of private contracting within Medicare, the passage of medical liability reform on a federal level and the protection of physicians as the leaders of our nation's health care.

     The District's Regional Extension Center, eHealthDC, is actively involved in getting physicians in all forms of practice up-to-date on their meaningful use requirements.  eHealthDC is a District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA)-initiated program, and one of 62 federally-subsidized Regional Extension Centers.  eHealthDC offers technical assistance, guidance and information on best practices to support and accelerate EHR adoption. eHealthDC acts as a neutral source and trusted advisor for credible EHR and health IT information, offering direct, individualized, and on-site technical assistance to help more than 1,000 physicians in DC achieve Meaningful Use and collect CMS Incentive Payments. eHealthDC is committed to working with any physician, regardless of specialty, affiliation, chosen EHR, or status of implementation. For more information and to register, visit eHealthDC's website at www.ehealthdc.org, or email:info@ehealthdc.org.  You can also call their offices at (202) 343-2584.

     District of Columbia Mayor, Vincent C. Gray, has appointed William P. White to be the new Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB).  The appointment is subject to Council approval.

   Mr. White has experience in DISB, previously overseeing the Captive Insurance Division from 2003-2004.  He has over 35 years of experience in a broad range of insurance services, and holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College, an MBA from New York University, and an Associate in Reinsurance designation from the Insurance Institute of America.

     The Medical Society of DC is looking forward to working with Mr. White and DISB staff under his leadership.

UnitedHealthcare Extends Deadline to Appeal Premium Designation Program Ratings to Feb. 26
     UnitedHealthcare recently mailed letters to contracted physicians, informing them of their designation in the health insurer's Premium Designation Program and how to access their supporting data. After learning that many physicians had experienced significant delays in receiving their letters, the AMA asked UnitedHealthcare to extend the deadline for physicians to appeal their initial ratings.
     UnitedHealthcare has moved the appeal deadline for all physicians back two weeks from Feb. 12 to Feb. 26. UnitedHealthcare has also decided not to publicly post this information until Mar. 30.
     Please note that you can still submit appeals after the Feb. 26 deadline, but there is no guarantee that the appeal process will be completed and the decision reflected in the Mar. 30 public posting of physician ratings.
     View UnitedHealthcare's official announcement here.

 

Physician Signature on Lab Requisitions Rule Revoked

 

Guide Regulatory Reform with AMA's Physician Survey

     The AMA sees President Obama's January 18 Executive Order, calling on all government agencies to improve the balance between projected costs and benefits of federal regulations, as an opportunity to provide the federal government with feedback on which regulations are creating the greatest administrative burdens for physicians. In order to assess which rules are most burdensome to physicians, the AMA has created a short survey that will help us develop a list of rules and regulations that increase physicians' administrative costs and paperwork burden, or interfere with patient care, without a significant benefit to patients and/or the government. The survey is based upon feedback received from the Federation , and on issues the AMA believes represent some of the most burdensome requirements physicians must meet today. The survey is also seeking feedback on additional areas that we may not have considered. Survey results will be used to advocate to the administration for the need to reduce these paperwork hassles and the associated administrative complexity that take time away from patient care and do nothing to advance quality. Please complete this online survey which can be found at http://survey.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_dgxK4u5fz0GZheQ. The survey closes on Monday, February 28th. For questions related to the survey, please contact mari.savickis@ama-assn.org.

 

Take advantage of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement Agreement before it expires May 31 with free webinar

     One way organized medicine has addressed unfair payer practices has been settlements with major commercial health insurers. A key settlement still in effect is the Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement. Make sure your practice is benefiting from the physician protections this settlement offers before the settlement expires on May 31, 2011.

     Visit the AMA's Web site at www.ama-assn.org/go/settlements to access numerous resources on the Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement, including an archived webinar explaining how the settlement agreement helps your practice and how to file a compliance dispute, a summary of the key business practices mandated in the settlement, and an interactive map that lets you determine which Blue Cross Blue Shield plans and subsidiaries in your state have settled. Because contracts provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield to physicians in its provider network must conform to the settlement agreement, be sure to review your contracts to ensure you are receiving all the protections the settlement provides.

     An additional resource for physicians with HIV/AIDS patients and patients at risk of contracting the disease is now available. The Infectious Disease Center, a collaborative effort between United Medical Center and Howard University Hospital, has recently opened. Lisa Alexander, MD, MPH, has been named the Center's Director. The Infectious Disease Center will focus on many diseases, including HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.
     Along with the Center, the Pennsylvania/Mid-Atlantic AIDS Education and Training Center at Howard University has been established as another resource for HIV/AIDS patients and their physicians. Both Centers will work closely with the Department of Health's HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STI and Tuberculosis Administration (HAHSTA) on the subject of infectious diseases. The Education and Training Center's most recent e-newsletter can be found here.