Push Your Congress to Act - Sign the Petition in Support of Greater Medicare Choice for Seniors!

   Physicians continue to face the challenge of potentially having to limit the number of Medicare patients they can accept. Seniors have paid into Medicare but can only use their benefits to see a physician who accepts Medicare insurance. This ultimately limits patients' choice of physician and access to care -- and goes against Medicare's promise to seniors.
     Congress can make Medicare choice a reality by passing H.R. 1700/S. 1042 - The Medicare Patient Empowerment Act. This legislation would give seniors the ability to see any physician they choose and privately contract to access their Medicare benefit without having to pay the full, out-of-pocket cost for their care. It would also allow physicians to enter into private contracts with some or all of their Medicare patients without having to formally "opt out" of the Medicare program for two years.
     Visit www.MyMedicare-MyChoice.org and sign the petition in support of private contracting and freedom of choice in Medicare. You can also send an urgent message to your U.S. representative and senators in support of this critical legislation.
     Your support will help build momentum on Capitol Hill for H.R. 1700/S. 1042 and send a powerful message that NOW is the time to strengthen patient choice and access to physicians. 
     Through www.MyMedicare-MyChoice.org you can also access talking points and a video on private contracting, Web stickers for your practice website and other advocacy features. 
     My Medicare. My Choice. Sign the petition today and spread the word to your colleagues and patients!

AMA challenges FTC antitrust actions against state licensing boards
     In a brief filed May 17 in a federal appeals court, the AMA is contesting the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) interference with the authority of state regulatory boards to oversee professional licensure, patient safety and the practice of medicine.
     Prepared by the Litigation Center of the AMA and State Medical Societies, the brief disputes an antitrust enforcement action the FTC brought against a North Carolina licensing board as it attempted to fulfill its statutory mandate to regulate public health and safety. The AMA argues that state licensing boards' decisions are exempt from federal antitrust challenges under the "state action doctrine" created by the U.S. Supreme Court.  
     In related news, the FTC has sent letters to legislators and licensing boards in multiple states during this legislative session, implying that there are antitrust issues with state laws and regulations that restrict certain health care services and procedures to practitioners with a particular health care license. The AMA has expressed strong objections to the FTC rendering clinical opinions on matters that are the purview of medical boards and states.  
     Click here to learn more about the AMA's engagement with the FTC and who to contact if you learn of FTC activity in your state.  

New resource helps physician practices understand the impact of accepting credit card payments

     The AMA has developed a new educational resource, "What do I need to know about payer and patient credit cards?" to help your practice understand how accepting and processing credit card payments from patients and payers may impact your bottom line. This resource provides your practice with information on payer and patient credit card processing, associated fees and acceptance conditions. Visit www.ama-assn.org/go/claimsrec to access this new resource. If your practice chooses not to accept corporate credit cards from payers, a "Sample letter to health insurer or other payer regarding use of an unapproved method of payment for services," is also available for you to customize and send to any payer that is sending a payment in the form of a payment method not agreed to in the underlying contract. This template letter is available at www.ama-assn.org/go/templateletters and is free to AMA members. Your practice is also encouraged to file a complaint at www.ama-assn.org/go/clickandcomplain against payers that are requiring a payment method that has not been mutually agreed upon.

     Atlantic Health Partners is pleased to announce a new program with TransactRx that enables physicians to provide vaccines to most Medicare Part D patients. As you may know, Atlantic offers our members the lowest prices on Sanofi and Merck vaccines, and now with TransactRx your practice can provide vaccines like Zostavax (available from Merck) and Adacel (Tdap) to Medicare patients.

    The TransactRx program endorsed by Atlantic provides you:

• Easy online access to patient specific Part D vaccine coverage
• Ability to get fairly reimbursed for vaccines covered under Part D
• Real-time out-of-pocket (copay) cost and reimbursement information
• Electronic claims submission for vaccines covered under Part D

There is no cost to join Atlantic Health Partners or to benefit from this new service.

      And don't forget these additional Atlantic benefits:

• Discounted medical, surgical and office supply programs
• Discounts on a patient recall program
• Immediate customer service to address any vaccine related issues

     Please contact Jeff or Cindy at info@atlantichealthpartners.com or 1-800-741-2044 to find out how your practice can benefit from Atlantic Health Partners Savings and TransactRx.  www.atlantichealthpartners.com