2016 June 3    
In This Issue
Opioids in Maine
Confused about MACRA?  MAFP & AAFP have your back!

Visit MAFP's MACRA Resource page for helpful information for your practice, practice managers, employers!
Read the latest from the President's Pen

Watch
Dr. Sturrock's WABI TV Interview - here
MAFP PineCones Newsletter

 There's a lot happening in Maine this summer and fall - particularly around the Opioid Epidemic and the implementation of MACRA - check out these articles and links for helpful resources for your practices. 
Compassionate Tapering of Opioids: Why and How - FREE Webinar - June 14th - 12 noon
Quality Counts is hosting a FREE Webinar on Compassionate Tapering of Opioids-
A major provision of Maine's new opioid prescribing law will soon require providers to limit the daily opioid dosages of chronic pain patients. But how can providers meet this legal requirement while also limiting their patients' distress? This webinar offers answers by exploring the effectiveness of high dose opioids, looking at pain control alternatives, delving into Morphine Milligram Equivalents and sharing techniques for effectively and compassionately tapering opioid dosages to below legal limits and, ultimately, to zero.
Time:  June 14, 2016 at 12:00 PM
 
Caring for ME - Be Part of the Solution!
Supporting Maine Clinicians to Improve Chronic Pain Management and Safe Opioid Prescribing
Recognizing the need for creative and bold solutions, Maine Quality Counts (QC) is launching "Caring for ME", a collaborative effort that aims to bring together a wide set of partners to promote shared messages, educational resources, and practical tools for health care providers
Complete information and resources for "Caring for ME" 
How New Medicare Payment System Intends to Help Small Practices
 Draft regulations released last month outline sweeping changes to the Medicare payment system, and one of those eagerly anticipated changes is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) stated intent to ease physicians' administrative burdens-including for those in small or rural practices.  A new fact sheet outlines flexibilities the agency is proposing for physicians in the new payment system.
(from MMA Weekly Update May 31, 2016)

READ the Article
 Get Paid for Providing Advance Care Planning to Patients - AAFP Creates FAQ to Support Family Physicians
 AAFP payment experts recently collaborated with CMS to produce a frequently asked questions resource on how to use advance care planning CPT codes.

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