April 4, 2014 Vol. 21, No. 7
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Congress and President Obama Patch SGR (Again) and Delay ICD-10
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Bill Includes Positive Updates and Delays ICD-10
On April 1, 2014, President Obama signed into law the "Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014." This new law prevents a scheduled 24% payment reduction for physicians and other practitioners who treat Medicare patients from taking effect on April 1, 2014. This new law maintains the 0.5 percent update for such services that applied from January 1, 2014 through March 31, 2014 for the period April 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014. The act also delays by one year the ICD-10 implementation that was scheduled to occur on October 1, 2014. Over the past year, bipartisan, bicameral policy was developed to eliminate SGR and reform the Medicare physician payment system, which is strongly supported by the AMA, MSDC and over 600 medical organizations. Read the AMA's letter to the Senate for more information.
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Sign Up for a FREE HIV/AIDS CME Course
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Member Benefit to Help Meet New DC Requirement
The District of Columbia requires physicians practicing in the District to obtain 3 hours of HIV/AIDS CME credits beginning with the 2014 renewal cycle. MSDC members may now register for a free, self-study webinar being provided by MSDC, ELM Exchange and ProAssurance. The webinar covers HIV/AIDS educational material and the importance of patient confidentiality and coordination of care; t is designated for a maximum of 3 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.
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DC Health Link Enrollment Tops 40,000
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With the first open enrollment period now closed, over 40,000 District residents have enrolled in health insurance plans through DC Health Link, according to a press release. This includes District residents who enrolled in private health plans in Medicaid, as well as people with coverage through their employers.
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Avoid Claim Delays: Switch to New CMS-1500 Claim Form
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From Novitas Solutions
Beginning April 1, 2014, Medicare is no longer accepting paper claims on the old CMS 1500 claim form with a date of 08-05 in the lower right hand corner. All paper claims must be submitted using the new form, CMS-1500 (version 02/12). Claims submitted using the old form (version 08/05) will be returned to you. Qualifiers to identify an ordering, referring, or supervising role should be entered to the left of the dotted vertical line on item 17. Additional information regarding this initiative can be found in the CMS Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Matters and in a published article by the National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC). From CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Beginning April 1, 2014, all paper claims must be submitted using the new form, CMS-1500 (version 02/12). The new form:
- Gives providers the ability to indicate whether they use ICD-9 or ICD-10 diagnosis codes.
- Allows for additional diagnosis codes, expanding from four possible codes to 12.
To order a supply of forms, please use your normal process. For a sample of this new form, visit www.carefirst.com/providerforms and download the PDF forms. |
CMS and AMA Resources on Electronic Fund Transfer and Other Payment Options
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 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed a new educational Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) resource to help physicians and other healthcare providers understand electronic funds transfer (EFT) and other available payment options. Notably, the FAQ encourages physicians to carefully analyze their agreements with health plans for any added fees associated with a particular payment option. You may also be interested in the AMA's EFT Toolkit, which includes resources such as " Getting started: Accepting EFT payments in the physician practice" and lists the steps physicians should follow for evaluating whether to implement EFT in their practice and how to do so. The toolkit also outlines the most common EFT payment options, the features of each, and the costs to accept each payment option.
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Win a $10,000 Travel Voucher
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 The Physicians Foundation, a non-profit group of physician and medical society leaders, is conducting its third national survey of America's physicians. This landmark survey, which you may have read about in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and many other publications, is intended to give physicians a voice, and the Medical Society greatly urges your participation. So please take the survey. All participants who include their email address will have the full survey report emailed to them, and will be entered in a drawing for a $10,000 travel voucher, a $2,000 Apple voucher, and multiple iPad Airs
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MSDC is pleased to welcome the following Resident/ Fellow members:
Shagun Aora, MD | Lauren Alicia Bishop, MD | James David Brooks, MD | Alap Atul Butala, MD | Puja Dhaval Chokshi, MD | Salim Daouk, MD | Andrew Paul Demidowich, MD | Ricardo Orlando Escarcega Alarcon, MD | Ted Fan Fam, MD | Negar Foroughi, MD | Misty Gamble, MD | Kanwar Zameer Singh Gill, MD | Shabnam Hafiz, MD | Javi Hartenstine, MD | Rodolfo Henrich Lobo, MD | Sunny Jhamnani, MD | Lori H. Kels, MD | Jihad Kudsi, MD | RahulLakhotia, MD | Sandeep Mahajan, MD | Christine MK Malino, MD | Nicholas Marinkovich, MD | Corrine Michelle Maund, MD | Rory James Merritt, MD | Kara Monday, MD | Tram Nguyen, MD | Courtney Alex Paul, MD | Neil Vishal Puri, MD | Aditya Sharma, MD | Anshu Shukla, MD | Cheryl Silverbrook, MD | Archana Sinha, MD | Doria Thomas, MD | Taryn Elise Travis, MD | Yevgeniy Vayntrub, MD| Danielle Marie Wilbur, MD
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Let MSDC Help You
In order to offer more value to you and your practice, MSDC is redesigning its website, www.msdc.org. Please take this brief survey to tell us what matters to you. This survey is designed to be brief, but allows you to add comments if you have additional feedback to share.
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Nominations for Leadership Elections Due May 1, 2014
MSDC's Leadership Development/ Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for the 2014-15 Leadership Elections for the following offices:
- President Elect (1-Year Term, followed by 1-Year-Term as President)
- 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! 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, 2014.
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MSDC Seeks Members for Nominating Committee
The Medical Society is seeking members to participate on the MSDC Nominating Committee. Committee members will help develop the ballot for the 2014 leadership elections. For more information on the requirements or to volunteer, please contact Ed Shanbacker.
MSDC Board Meeting on April 28
MSDC will be holding its next Board Meeting at 6:30 PM on Monday, April 28, 2014, at MSDC Headquarters. Current MSDC members interested in attending board meetings may contactEd Shanbacker for an invitation.
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Editor Pia R. Duryea 202-355-9414 (direct) duryea@msdc.org
Was the information in this letter useful? If so, forward to a friend to let them know the value of MSDC membership!
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2013-14 Board of Directors
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Catherine S. May, MD Chair of the Board; At-Large Laura L. Tosi, MD President, AMA Alternate Delegate John Larsen, MD President-Elect Daniel I. Perlin, MD Immediate Past President 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 Susanne Bathgate, MD At-Large Julian R. Craig, MD At-Large Barry Lewis, MD, MBA At-Large Carla C. Sandy, MDAt-Large Stuart F. Seides, MD At-Large Raymond Tu, MD At-Large K. Edward Shanbacker Executive Vice President
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Prosperity Medical Center 8501 Arlington Blvd., Merrifield, VA 22031 See online listing
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MEMBER BENEFIT: FREE HIV/AIDS CME WEBINAR
MSDC members may now register for a free, online HIV/AIDS CME course to help meet the District's new CME requirement. To register, go to http://proadc.elmexchange.com Returning ELM Exchange users can sign in using their username and password. New users can click the "Sign Up" button and fill out the short form. The Medical Society will continue developing FREE CME opportunities to help District physicians meet the 3 CME HIV/AIDS requirement by December 31, 2014.
Do you prefer in-person courses? Webinars? Conference Calls? Let us know by taking this SURVEY
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 Help Your Patients Save Money
The Medical Society is pleased to offer MSDC's DCRx Card as a member benefit for you to share with your patients. Using this card, your patients receive discounts of up to 75% off prescriptions, selected eye-wear, vitamins and other products. The card is accepted in pharmacies in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Contact Pia Duryea to order sample cards. Read more about the program here.
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AMA Foundation: Seed Grants and Medical Students
Grant Converts Researcher to Volunteer
The AMA Foundation offers many levels of involvement, from high-level volunteers who serve on the board of directors to student ambassadors who promote the organization and its grant opportunities. One example is Aaron Wild, a 2012 AMA Foundation Seed Grant Research Award recipient who continued his involvement with the Foundation after his project's conclusion by serving on a selection committee for the 2014 seed grant awards. Learn more.
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The International Conference on Diabetes Issues Call for Posters
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Cloud-based Services for Orthopedic Practices
Free Member Webinar - for Orthopedists ONLY
April 8, 2014
12:15 PM (Eastern) Y ou have specific needs as an orthopedic practice, needs that traditional software EHR and practice management vendors may not be able to address in this time of rapid health care change. In an industry with plenty of choices, San Antonio Orthopaedic Group- the largest orthopedic group in South Texas-selected the cloud-based services of athenahealth. Like many orthopedic caregivers, they needed an efficient, streamlined way to share and access information, integrated across all the care settings in their seven locations. Hear from John Urban of San Antonio Orthopaedic Group and athenahealth expert Barb Damon as they discuss how the right partner can help your practice achieve clinical and financial success during this challenging time. Register today to learn more.
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 2014 Loss Prevention Seminars
Technically Speaking...When Medicine & Technology Collide
MSDC Members Save 50%! Sign Up Now!
Tuesday, April 8, 2014 Thursday, May 15, 2014 Wednesday, June 11, 2014
6:00 - 8:00 PM American College of Cardiology, 2400 N Street, NW, Washington, DC From diagnosis, documentation and communication to decision support, public relations and more... physicians are continually challenged to leverage new technologies in support of good medicine. This seminar will use recent technology-related cases and claims to examine new areas of physician exposure. To learn more or register, click here. Seminars will be held at later dates this year at other locations. See a complete listing of dates and locations here.
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Meaningful Use Stage 2: Is Your Practice Ready?
Free Member Webinar
April 16, 2014
12:15 PM (Eastern) You've mastered the demands of Meaningful Use Stage 1, but Meaningful Use Stage 2 has now begun. Are you ready for the new core measures and higher reporting thresholds? The first step is getting the knowledge you need to form a plan and take action. As the Meaningful Use focus shifts from recording and reporting to care coordination and patient engagement, the Meaningful Use Stage 2 attestation process could mean added hassle for attesting providers-but with a fully certified, fully prepared EHR, it doesn't have to.
Join Meaningful Use expert Jasmine Gee, who'll discuss: - How new Meaningful Use Stage 2 measures differ from those in Stage 1
- Why it's necessary to have having a Complete 2014 Certified EHR
- How to best prepare for Stage 2 by examining your Stage 1 performance
- The unique visibility benefits cloud-based EHR services deliver in helping you achieve Stage 2
- Details on the industry's only Meaningful Use incentive payment guarantee
Click here for more information or to register.
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2014 International Conference on Diabetes
Hosted by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
July 18-19, 2014
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Grand Hyatt Washington, 1000 H Street NW, Washington, DC
Don't miss this groundbreaking conference on the causes of diabetes, the critical role of nutrition, and priorities for research while earning 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. The International Conference on Diabetes, jointly sponsored by The George Washington University and Physicians Committee, will feature more than 17 speakers in a live, two-day program in the heart of Washington, D.C.Learn more about the program and take advantage of early-bird registration!
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Medical Real Estate Listings
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WANTED: OFFICE SPACE TO SHARE
Internist seeking space to share with another physician in the downtown DC area. Physician would need an office and 2 exam rooms starting November 1, 2014. If you have availability, please call Dr. Richard DiGioia at 202-331-1042.
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MEDICAL OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE
Prosperity Medical Center 8501 Arlington Blvd., Merrifield, VA 22031
Premier state-of-the-art medical campus in Northern Virginia with full floor opportunities. Please contact Peter Papantoniou at 301-961-1941 or see online listing for more information.
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Fluzone Prebook extended - Join Atlantic Health Partners and Prebook by April 30
MSDC members that join Atlantic Health Partners and order Sanofi's Fluzone by April 30 and/or Medimmune's Flumist by April 18 will receive the lowest prices and best terms. Atlantic also offers the most favorable prices and terms on the entire portfolio of Sanofi and Merck vaccines. Participation with Atlantic will help you better prepare for flu season, save you money on vaccines throughout the year, and enhance patient satisfaction with your practice.
Join the thousands of physicians that are saving dollars and receiving high quality customer service from Atlantic. Contact Cindy or Jeff at 800-741-2044 or info@atlantichealthpartners.com to see how Atlantic Health Partners (www.atlantichealthpartners.com) can benefit your practice.
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