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 three (3) vacancies that need to be filled, and the DC Council's Committee on Health has requested nominations from MSDC.

     All qualified and interested individuals, who are DC residents, should submit their names and resumes for consideration for appointment to Board of Medicine.  To learn more about the Board of Medicine, please visit the  Department of Health website.  
     For those individuals wishing to submit their names for consideration, please see the application guide on  the website for the Office of Boards and Commissions for more information.  A completed application would include the required form and would include the following information:

• Boards or commissions in which you are interested
• Name, address, telephone number(s), ward and business information
• Education and qualifications
• Community activities/organizational affiliations
• Declarations

    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.

By Peter Lavine, MD

 

     It was my honor to lead a delegation of MSDC physicians and guests* on a Medical Exchange with Turkish physicians. Our physician group included: Reginald Robinson MD, Joseph Guiterrez MD, Donald O'Kieffe MD, Jeffrey Jacobson MD, David Wagner MD, Marcy Zwelling MD, and myself . The delegation toured private hospital systems in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir and met with physician leaders to discuss the health care and health care delivery systems of the United States and Turkey. Turkey's medical renaissance of high technology hospitals, well-trained physicians and top quality care is evident in a booming Turkish medical tourism industry. The health care services being offered were impressive: bone marrow transplantation, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, oncology, transplant surgery, reproductive medicine, orthopaedics, pediatric surgery and so on. We were even invited to watch a kidney and liver transplantation. Break out time allowed for one on one specialty specific discussions.  

     Our hosts were the American Turkish Council, the Turkish American Business Council, and the Turkish Medical Industry Business Group. The enthusiasm of this effort was based on the scientific, cultural and diverse interests of the global medical community, and the desire to advance opportunities for both Turkey and the United States. By bringing together leaders in the medical field of both countries, we hoped to advance the dialogue, understanding and knowledge of health care opportunities that are on the horizon as medicine evolves on an international level. Emerging health care markets, technological advances, quality measures, health care systems, disaster/emergency collaboration, and concepts of medical tourism are all areas that are rich in complexity and similarity. At the heart of the project was the advancement of the doctor patient relationship and access to quality health care. The unique blend of social, cultural, entertainment and academic personal exchange allowed the participants to gain an extremely valuable level of insight. We hope this will be the first of several medical exchanges allowing physicians to travel and network with colleagues from both countries.

     No matter the country, the delivery of health care is a major economic component of that nation's GDP. Therefore, as the world develops a global economy, it is only natural that health care delivery will become a global industry. For the product to be desirable it will become a question of who can provide the product, health care, at the lowest price but at equivalent quality. In this situation, the United States is at a distinct disadvantage. 

     To continue reading, please click here.

     November marks the AMA's "Heal That Claim"™ month. By streamlining their claims process during this time, physicians can worry less about administrative tasks and focus more on patient care. The AMA offers a library of resources to help physicians make the most of key electronic health care transactions-such as verifying patient eligibility and contacting a health insurer about the status of a claim. Using these transactions, physicians can save significant time and money while reducing administrative hassles. Visit www.ama-assn.org/go/htc to access these resources and pledge your participation in this campaign.

     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.