The DC Council's Committee on Health is currently reviewing a bill that will require 3 CME credits specific to particular topics addressing HIV/AIDS as a condition of approval for your medical license. MSDC will be giving this bill primary consideration as a legislative activity, and want your feedback on the topic.

     To access instructions on providing your feedback and a quick poll, click here.

     To view a copy of the bill, click here.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule on the 2012 Medicare ePrescribing Incentive Program in September.  The ePrescribing Incentive Program requires physicians to achieve a demonstrable level of electronic precribing over the 2011 year, or face reimbursement cuts as penalties.  However, CMS has provided for exemptions from this program through Hardship Waivers.  Hardship waivers include:

• Physician infrequently prescribes (e.g., prescribe fewer than 10 prescriptions between January 1, 2011 -June 30, 2011); 
• Physician is unable to electronically prescribe due to local, State, or Federal law or Regulation (e.g., prescribes controlled substances);
• Physician is registered to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and has adopted certified EHR technology; 
• There are insufficient opportunities to report the e-prescribing measure due to program limitations;
• Physician's practice is located in an area without sufficient available pharmacies for electronic prescribing;
• Physician's practice is located in a rural area without high speed internet access.

     To determine eligibility for the ePrescribing Incentive Program, learn more about the reporting requirements and exemption categories, please click here. The portal for applying for a hardship waiver is currently experiencing technical issues. An updated waiver portal link will be posted to MSDC's homepage by Wednesday, October 12.

     The DC Board of Medicine has released its findings from the Physician and Physician Assistant 2010 Workforce Survey.  The report addresses current trends and future needs of primary care providers in the District, and aligns with the on-going work MSDC has been doing to address some of the District's health care workforce needs.

     For a copy of the report, please click here.

    On October 3, MSDC sent a message to Congress: The time for effective medical liability reform is now. Last week, MSDC joined the AMA, and state and specialty medical societies across the country in sending a letter to the members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Deficit Reduction to ask them to include medical liability reform in any resolution supported by the Committee.

     In 2006, the AMA began the Physician Data Restriction Program (PDRP). The PDRP offers physicians the opportunity to restrict their prescribing data from pharmaceutical sales representatives.  Restricting access to prescribing data should be every physician's individual choice. The AMA Physician Data Restriction Program (PDRP) puts the choice in doctor's hands.
     For more information, please click here.

     To view a flyer on the program, please click here.

 

AMA Urges MedPAC to Reconsider their Proposed Medicare Payment Fix

     The AMA continues to push MedPAC for a permanent solution to Medicare reimbursement payments that do not rely on payment cuts to physicians and other medical providers.

     In September, MedPAC announced a proposal to remove the current Medicare payment formula and avoid any temporary emergency fixes.  However, this proposal currently includes payment cuts to reimbursements, as well as payment freezes which over time will act as cuts.

     To view the letter, click here.

• Medicare electronic claims must be submitted using Version 5010 before January 1, 2012. The required compliance date of January 1, 2012, is a Sunday; therefore, submitters must be prepared to submit Version 5010 prior to this date. 
• Any Version 4010.A1 claims must be submitted BEFORE 4:00PM Eastern Time (ET) on Friday, December 30, 2011.  Any claims submitted in Version 4010.A1 after 4:00PM ET on Friday, December 30, 2011, will be rejected. EDI files submitted after 4:00PM ET on any business day are not considered "received" until the next business day. EDI files submitted on a non-business day are not considered "received" until the next business day or as published.
• Software vendors, billing services and clearinghouses are required to test Version 5010 and must achieve an approved 5010 837 test status before submitting Version 5010 produc­tion claims. If issues are experienced with Version 5010 testing, it will delay your ability to sub­mit Version 5010 production claims.
• The inability to submit Version 5010 production claims as of 4:00PM on Friday, December 30, 2011, will impact timely claim submissions and cash flow at the start of January 2012.

     It is extremely important that you and your staff are aware of this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirement being implemented by Highmark Medicare Services and be alert to future directions for this implementation.  For more information on the transition to Version 5010, visit our Version 5010 section on our Web site.

https://www.highmarkmedicareservices.com/edi/5010/index.html

     The Montgomery County Medical Society will be hosting their "2011 Medical Practice Strategies Conference" on November 17 and 18 at the Rockville Hilton.

     The Conference has two different tracks that attendees may select - Management and Operations.  There will also be a physicians-only session on Thursday, the 17th, titled "Blueprint for Physicians: Successful Strategies to Consider Now."

     For more information, click here.

     For more information on a few sessions, click here.

     October 6-12 is officially recognized as "National Physician Assistant (PA) Week." 

     Celebrate PA Week by highlighting a PA's contribution to your practice.  Express your appreciation to a PA by thanking him or her for their work.  We would also like to recognize and thank all the physicians that have supported PAs and helped make the profession what it is today.