January 2, 2013

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Pine Cone masthead
Greetings!

   

Physicians Day at the Legislature is just around the corner.   

 

If you have already RSVP'd, we thank you and look forward to seeing you on March 19th.  If you have not, we encourage you to attend this Biannual Event.  

 

We have been very fortunate this year to schedule meetings with the Governor and the House & Senate Leadership.   

 

See the agenda for complete details.   If you plan on attending, send a note to your local legislator and let them know.  (form letter which you may customize

 

 

The MAFP Board of Directors has been active in advocating for Family Medicine this Legislative Session, providing written testimony on several bills of importance to preserving family physicians scope of practice.  Come join us and speak with your senators and representatives about issues that are important to you!

I'm certain you will not want to miss this exciting day at the Capitol. 
Please return your registration form, either by email or fax, at your earliest convenience.
Thank you - looking forward to seeing you there -

Deborah Halbach
Executive Director, MAFP 
  

 


 
Attestation Form for MaineCare Primary Care Payment Bump Available; Must be Completed  
  

the Office MaineCare Services (OMS) is implementing Section 1202 of the Affordable Care Act, effective January 1, 2013 which requires Medicaid programs to pay "for primary care services furnished by certain physicians in calendar years (CYs) 2013 and 2014 at rates not less than the Medicare rates in effect in those CYs or, if greater, the payment rates that would be applicable in those CYs using the CY 2009 Medicare physician fee schedule conversion factor." 

In order to receive the increased rate, providers must fill out and submit a Self Attestation form. By completing the form, providers attest that s/he meets the criteria established by the ACA - specifically, that:

  • they are appropriately Board certified; OR 
  • that 60 percent of their Medicaid claims are for evaluation and management (E&M) and vaccine administration codes as specified in the federal rule.  

The Self-Attestation form can be found here HERE (downloadable .pdf document) and provides detail on each of the above criteria.

Provider files will be updated once OMS has approved your form, and OMS will send you a confirmation via email. Please note that the increase will not occur until OMS has approved your form, and that payments will be retroactive to 1/01/13. 

If you have any questions, please contact Donna Sutter at OMS at (207) 629-4280

 
(reprinted from MMA Weekly Update)
 
Do You Do Driver Exams?  (school bus, commercial?)  NEW Federal Rule Affects You!
MAFP brings 
Registration Form & Complete Brochure

Final Rule Calls for National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners

 

The new federal regulations call for the creation of a training, testing and registration program for health professionals who provide physicals for drivers of commercial vehicles.

 

Physicians Providing Driver Exams Face New Federal Regulations -

The new rule is intended to improve highway safety and driver health.

The regulation calls for medical examiners to re-certify every 10 years and comply with additional reporting requirements.

 

Read More                                                            

*repeat article* 

Rural Physicians - You Don't Have to Go it Alone

 
Rural physicians account for less than 20 percent of the AAFP's active membership, and that percentage is gradually shrinking.  

 

The trend in our membership is toward employed positions in urban areas. And although more than 11,000 family physicians are practicing in small towns, farming communities and other out-of-the-way places, it's easy to feel isolated when you are the only physician -- or one of the few -- in town.  

 

It also can leave small-town docs feeling like we don't have a voice in what the Academy is doing on behalf of family physicians.  (read the complete editorial about AAFP's Working Group on Rural Health

 

Rural Family Physician Resources 

MC-FP Exams Scheduled 

 

Online application for the 2013 MC-FP Examinations scheduled for April 2013 is now open. Physicians can access the online application by logging into their Physician Portfolio

 HERE 

 

The dates for the April 2013 exams are:

April 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22

 

The online application for the November 2013 Examination will open in the summer of 2013.  

 

Dates for November exams are:

November 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Physicians may contact the ABFM Support Center with any questions: [email protected] or 877-223-7437. 


Commercial Driver Medical Examiner (CDME) Self-Assessment Now Available Online 

 

Commercial Driver Medical Examiner (CDME) Self Assessment

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) offers an innovative, challenging, and practical way for providers of commercial driver medical examinations to exercise, update, and maintain their knowledge base and conveniently and affordably earn valuable CME credits.

 

The ACOEM CME program consists of a user-friendly 46-question self-assessment based on  the NEW 5th Edition of The DOT Medical Examination: A Guide to Commercial Drivers' Medical Certification, by Natalie Hartenbaum, MD, MPH, FACOEM.   

 

READ more 

 

New  TransforMED Newsletter available

 

  • Dr. McGeeney's Final CEO Report: It's Time.
  • TransforMED and collaborative partners begin implementation of Patient-Centered Medical Neighborhood demonstration project.
  • TransforMED convenes Patient-Centered Medical Neighborhood kickoff learning collaboratives with health care organizations in seven communities.
  • TransforMED Nominated for Small Business of the Year Award.
  • TransforMED improves Change Readiness Survey tool for Patient-Centered Medical Home primary care model.
  • On-Demand Webinar: Extreme Makeover -- PCMH Edition.
  • Delta-Exchange: TransforMED's collaborative social network for practice transformation gathers member feedback in annual survey.
 
In This Issue
MaineCare Attestation for Primary Care Bump
Driver Exam-NEW Rules
Rural Docs - Don't Go It Alone
AMFM MC-FP Exams
NRCME On-line Exam
Veterans Resources
21st Annual MAFP Update
CME - QC Paine Mgt Series
From the 1st Tooth
CME- Child Psych Care

Will you be pictured
THIS year? 
Update 2010 General session
Don't Delay - Register NOW for the MAFP 21st Annual Family Medicine Update

CME by Family Docs for Family Docs

April 10-13, 2013 at Sunday River Hotel & Conference Center

NEW for 2013:
**2 SAM's (4/10) - Asthma OR Mental Health in the Community

**NRCME Training (4/13- separate conference, add'l fee


Schedule & Registration will be available at: www.maineafp.org
 

QC Provider Lunch & Learn: 

   

Introducing the Snuggle ME Recommendations: Care of Pregnant Women with Perinatal Substance Use with a Focus on Pain Management

 

Webinar  

Tuesday, April 2nd 12N - 1PM

  

Part 2 of a Webinar Series on Pain Managment and Appropriate Use of Opiods 

 

Patients and providers face significant challenges in managing chronic pain, and in identifying and treating opioid dependence. Recognizing those challenges, Maine Quality Counts presents the second part of a webinar series on pain management and appropriate use of opioids


  REGISTER NOW

 

"From the First Tooth" - is YOUR Practice on this list? 

First STEPS Phase 3 Learning Initiative- it's not too late to sign up! (Read full article)

The First STEPS Learning Initiative can help your practice improve upon the work they do with families on promoting healthy habits - including obesity screening, healthy weight  and oral health screening.  

 

For more information:

contact Dr. Amy Belisle at or  download a registration form.  

 

For Your Patients: 

Sesame Street Video: "Kids Just Want to Brush" 

 

READ the entire "First Tooth" newsletter 

Child Psychiatry in Primary Care Conference 

 

University of Vermont's Child Psychiatry in Primary Care conference is taking place May 31, 2013 at the Hampton Inn in Colchester, Vermont outside of Burlington.

 

Primary care physicians very frequently report that they do not receive enough training in mental health.  This conference is specifically designed to be useful to the primary care community and has been extremely well received in the past.

 

REGISTRATION INFO
Maine AFP - PO Box 424 - Hartland, ME 04043
207-938-5005
 www.maineafp.org