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April 5, 2013
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Vol. 20, No. 7
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SGR Repeal and New Framework Proposed in Draft on Capitol Hill
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Earlier this week, the chairmen and health subcommittee chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee and House Energy and Commerce  Committee issued a draft framework for repealing and replacing the SGR. This is a second, more detailed draft building on a first draft released earlier this year. The new framework offers a little more clarity on the three phases proposed in the original draft. For example:
- Under Phase 1, the SGR would be repealed and replaced with stable, predictable (statutorily set) updates for some period of time. During Phase 1, it is envisioned that physicians would work on developing quality measures that could be incorporated into Phase 2.
- During Phase 2, a portion of fee-for-service payments would be based on quality measures through an update incentive program.
- During Phase 3, provider rates under fee-for-service could also be enhanced through additional incentives on efficient use of health care resources
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These phases are most relevant to physicians who remain in Medicare fee-for-service. Those who choose to participate in an alternative payment model would be exempt from the new performance-based fee-for-service system.
Many important details are still missing in this draft according to the American Medical Association (AMA). Physicians are encouraged to provide feedback and comments.
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MSDC Events
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Board of Directors Meeting ... Join Us!Monday, April 22 6:30 pm 1250 23rd Street NW Washington, DC 20037
Current members requesting an invitation in advance are welcome to attend. For details, email Ed Shanbacker
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Partner Events
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FREE WEBINAR
How to Switch Your EHR with Confidence: Taking Control of Patient Data Conversion
Wednesday, April 10 12:15 pm ET There's an onslaught of change in health care today, making it hard for caregivers to stay focused on patient care. For more details or to register, click here.
USE YOUR 50% MEMBER DISCOUNT
2013 Loss Prevention Seminars ~ In Defense of Good Medicine
Thursday, April 11 Thursday, May 16
Wednesday, June 12
Thursday, July 25
Up to 2 CME credits available. More dates in September and October.
While previous seminars explored how risk management issues can damage a physician's credibility and a claim's defensibility, this seminar reinforces the positive. Read more here
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Educational Events
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Solution Focused Brief Therapy Trainings
May 13-15 June 24-26 Thurgood Marshall Bldg. 1816 12th St NW Washington, DC 18 CEUs are available. Hosted by the Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative. Learn more here. International Conference on Nutrition and the BrainJuly 19-20 Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington, DC Up to 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits are available. Register by April 15th to get $299 rate. E xperts will share the latest insights on the role of nutrients in Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders at this event. See flyer for more information.
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2012-13 Board of Directors
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Catherine S. May, MD
Chair of the Board; At-Large
Daniel I. Perlin, MD
President
Laura L. Tosi, MD
President-Elect, AMA Alternate Delegate
James C. Cobey, MD
Joseph E. Gutierrez, MD
Treasurer; AMA Delegation Chair
Reginald L. Robinson, MD
Secretary; At-Large
Peter E. Lavine, MD
AMA Delegate
J. Desiree Pineda, MD
AMA Alternate Delegate
Julian R. Craig, MD
John W. Larsen, MD
Barry Lewis, MD, MBA
At-Large
Joan B. Loveland, MD
Carla C. Sandy, MD
At-Large
Stuart F. Seides, MD
At-Large
K. Edward Shanbacker
Executive Vice President
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MSDC eNewsline
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Pia R. Duryea
202-355-9414 (direct)
duryea@msdc.org
MSDC Offices
1250 23rd Street, NW
Suite 270
Washington, DC 20037
202-466-1800 (phone)
202-452-1542 (fax)
www.msdc.org |
Forward Me!
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MSDC Update from the President
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 MSDC President Addresses Prior Authorization, SGR, Government Mandates & Physician Health
MSDC's President Daniel I. Perlin, M.D., has been active on your behalf supporting the interests of physicians in the District of Columbia. Read this recent update
to learn what he has been up to and what the Medical Society is doing to support the medical community in DC. If you missed the March 28th update, be sure that the "@msdc.org" domain is listed as a safe sender in your email settings.
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| DHCF Provides Resources for Increased Medicaid Reimbursement |
Available for practicing physicians who qualify
On November 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final regulation implementing Section 1202 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which increases Medicaid reimbursement for specified primary care services to 100% of Medicare levels in 2013 and 2014. A useful FAQ is available to explain how the DC Department of Health Care Finance is implementing these changes in the District's Medicaid program and the self-attestation process.
Who is eligible to receive the increased reimbursement?
The ACA provides for higher reimbursement in both the fee-for-service (FFS) and managed care settings for specific primary care services furnished by practicing physicians who: 1st: Self-attests to a specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine (using the self-attestation form);
2nd: Then attests to either:
- board-certification in family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatric medicine, or in a subspecialty of family medicine; general internal medicine or pediatric medicine as designated by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS); the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS); or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA); and/or
- at least sixty (60) percent of all Medicaid services the physician bills FFS or provides in a managed care environment are for the specified Evaluation & Management (E&M) and vaccine administration codes
What primary care services are eligible for higher reimbursement?
Evaluation &Management (E&M) codes 99201 through 99499 and vaccine administration codes 90460, 90461, 90471, 90472, 90473 and 90474 (or successor codes, where applicable)
Additional information can be found on the DHCF's website .
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Health Professional Loan Repayment Program Open
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DC's Department of Health is Accepting Applications
 The DC Department of Health is accepting new applications for the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP). The HPLRP opened on April 1, 2013. Applicants have until May 15, 2013 to submit their completed applications for the program. DC's Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) provides loan repayment (up to $61,229) to eligible providers practicing in underserved areas of the District for at least two years. The DOH expects that the majority of the applications will be issued to primary care providers, but a variety of providers are eligible. Eligible participants include licensed and certified physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, and licensed professional counselors practicing at HPLRP-certified Service Obligation Sites (SOS). A certified SOS must be either a nonprofit or a public entity that provides primary care, mental health and/or dental services to District residents regardless of their ability to pay and is located in a federally-designated Health Professional Shortage or Medically Underserved Area within the District that corresponds to the services the entity provides. Applicants must be already employed or have a signed employment contract with a certified SOS at the time of application.
Please click here to read a Press Release. Applicants can also visit this website for additional guidelines, and application packages.
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MSDC News: Nominations Sought for Leadership Elections and MSDC Special Awards
| Nominations for Leadership Elections Due May 1, 2013
MSDC's Leadership Development/ Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for the 2013-14 Leadership Elections for the following offices:
- President Elect (1-Year Term, followed by 1-Year-Term as President)
- 3 Members-at-Large (2-Year Term)
- AMA Delegate (2-Year Term)
- AMA Alternate Delegate (2-Year Term)
Would you like to contribute your leadership, vision and skill or nominate a fellow physician? The Committee will meet in early May to develop a slate of candidates for Society officers, so please submit your nominations. To be considered, please note that:
- Nominees must be active MSDC members in good standing
- To nominate yourself or someone else, email CV and a brief message to Ed Shanbacker, Executive Vice President, at shanbacker@msdc.org
- Nominations are due May 1, 2013
If you have any questions, please contact MSDC offices at (202) 466-1800.
Nominations Open for MSDC Special Awards
MSDC is accepting nominations for its annual awards recognizing contributions to the DC medical community. The four awards are detailed below and will be presented at the October 23, 2013 Annual Meeting. Please contact Pia Duryea with questions.
Certificate of Meritorious Service. Presented to a physician in recognition
of distinguished service to the medical profession.
Dr. Charles H. Epps, III Community Service Award. Presented to a physician for outstanding public service to the community.
Distinguished Service Award. Presented to a physician member for outstanding service to your Medical Society of the District of Columbia.
John Benjamin Nichols Award. Presented to a lay person, organization, or
both, in recognition of outstanding contributions toward improving the health of
the community.
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Young Physicians Interest Group
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For Young Physicians or Experienced Doctors Interested in Mentoring The Medical Society is renewing its Young Physicians program in 2013 for residents and early career physicians. In recent months, we have held a happy hour and attended Wizards and Capitals games. The next event will take place in early May. If you are an experienced physician interested in helping someone in your specialty, let us know. The group will be matching mentors to young physicians in the same specialty.
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| Members in the Press |
Congratulations MSDC Member Neal Barnard, M.D.
A new article by Neal Barnard, M.D. titled "The Physician's Role in Nutrition-Related Disorders: From Bystander to Leader" was recently published in AMA's online journal, Virtual Mentor. Click here to read Dr. Barnard's article about doctors' responsibilities in nutrition.
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CDC News: Rapid HIV Testing Course
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New Online Course Available 
The CDC's new on-line "Rapid HIV Testing Training Course" will offer an opportunity for HIV Prevention Providers working in non-clinical settings to gain knowledge and skills on administering rapid HIV testing. Rapid HIV Testing will allow providers greater reach into places where HIV testing has not been available. The on-line course has four modules:
- Overview and Introduction to Rapid HIV Testing
- Safe Work Practices and Specimen Collection for Rapid HIV Testing
- Quality Assurance & Quality Control in a Rapid HIV Testing Environment
- HIV Prevention Counseling & Providing Rapid HIV Test Results
The Rapid Testing Training course can be accessed at the HIP eLearning Center Website and selecting "Rapid HIV Testing - Online" in the interventions and courses dropdown menu.Once participants enter their login or create a new login, they will complete the PIF and enter the course.
The modules will take approximately 5 hours to complete, if completed in one setting. Participants may also start the online course, save their completed portion and return to complete the remaining portion of the course. The online course is available starting April 1, 2013.
For additional questions contact Dwayne Banks at Ebanks@cdc.gov or call 404 639-3873.
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| Welcome to MedSystem Solutions! |
 MSDC's Newest Corporate Partner
MedSystem Solutions is a family owned local business utilizing the latest technology in Electronic medical billing, integrated EHR/EMR, real time insurance eligibility and coding updates. For more information, contact Steina Walter at (855) 337-7700 or steina@medsystemsolutions.com. |
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Save Up to 75% Off Prescription Drugs Using DC RxCard
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 As a physician in Washington, DC, you and your patients have access to a FREE Prescription Drug Card program. The Medical Society is pleased to offer the DCRx CARD. Your patients can save up to 75% on prescriptions, selected eye-wear, vitamins and other products. The card is accepted in pharmacies in the District, Maryland and Virginia. The Medical Society of DC has new cards available and any Society member who requests it may receive a supply of 250 cards. Please email Pia Duryea at duryea@msdc.org and ask for cards for your patients.
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Lower Your Vaccine Costs
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With MSDC Corporate Partner Atlantic Health Partners 
The Medical Society of DC has a strong resource - Atlantic Health Partners - to help its members successfully address the financial and administrative challenges of providing immunization to your patients.
There is no cost to join and signing up is quick and easy. As a member of Atlantic you will receive the most favorable vaccine prices and terms for Sanofi and Merck vaccines along with unparalleled customer service and support with ordering, reimbursement issues, and inventory management.
As the nation's leading vaccine buying group, Atlantic's commitment is to ensure that providing vaccines to your patients has a positive impact on the operational, financial, and clinical performance of your practice - and they offer many additional benefits including:
- The best pricing, delivery, and return terms for Sanofi, Merck, and MedImmune flu products
- Lower prices for a wide range of medical and office supplies
- Medicare Part D Program so physicians can administer Shingles and Pertussis vaccines
- Discounts on Migali Scientific refrigerator/freezers
We encourage you to contact Cindy or Jeff at 800-741-2044 or info@atlantichealthpartners.com to see how Atlantic Health Partners can benefit your practice.
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