Now is the time to repeal the SGR and enact meaningful Medicare physician payment reform before the March 31, 2015 deadline. All physicians can help by participating in the AMA's National Physicians Call-In Day tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24.

The AMA needs as many physicians as possible to flood the phone lines of their U.S. representatives to make the case for repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) through passage of H.R. 1470. The number to call tomorrow and be connected to the office of your U.S. Representative is (800) 833-6354. Physicians are also encouraged to contact your lawmakers through social media and by sending an urgent email. Go to the AMA's Fix Medicare Now website to connect to an email and social media messaging tool.

BACKGROUND: The bipartisan, bicameral legislation currently under consideration would eliminate the flawed SGR formula and support the implementation of new payment and delivery models that will promote high-quality care while reducing costs. The current Medicare "patch" expires and all physician services are subject to a 21 percent payment cut on April 1.

The continual threat of annual payment cuts and occasionally missed patch deadlines, combined with overlapping and often conflicting quality reporting programs, have impeded physician efforts to invest in adoption of alternative payment models that promote greater accountability for the cost and quality of care they provide. Enactment of H.R. 1470/ S. 810 represents an enormous improvement in the health care system in a market segment that has been neglected for far too long.

In addition to stabilizing the Medicare program for our nation's seniors, this legislation also provides an opportunity for Congress to address the health care needs of children and low-income Americans by extending funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program and providing critical support for Community Health Centers.

Click here to download a bill summary of H.R. 1470. Click here to view a chart comparing the "SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2015" and current law. Thank you for your participation.

Register today for the Colorado Medical Society's 2015 CMS Spring Conference, "Breaking down barriers: Reunifying physicians and patients." The conference will be held May 1-3, 2015 at the Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Registration and hotel reservations are now available. Click here to go to the spring conference page of CMS.org to register and get more information on the conference.

All Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) are encountering issues with printing incorrect patient responsibility amounts for Medicare claims submitted by non-participating physicians on non-assigned claims that would lead a patient to believe that the physician collected more money from them than they should.

Novitas Solutions, the MAC for Colorado, alerted providers of the problem in early January and announced in late February that it is a programming issue but have not released information on when it will be fixed. Colorado Medical Society continues to monitor the situation and is pushing for a quick resolution.

In calendar year 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will begin making separate payment under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for chronic care management (CCM) services under Current Procedure Terminology (CPT) code 99490. CCM services are non-face-to-face care management/coordination services for certain Medicare beneficiaries having multiple (two or more) chronic conditions.

The federal CMS held a national provider call on Feb. 18 on this subject. Click here to listen to a recording of the call and access handouts.

For the first time, CPEP is offering the Prescribing Controlled Drugs: Critical Issues and Common Pitfalls� course in Denver. Originally developed by Vanderbilt Center for Professional Health in Nashville, Tenn., this three-day course is intended for participants who have engaged in misprescribing activities and is designed to teach appropriate prescribing practices, facilitate understanding of personal motivations in the patient encounter as understood within the framework of family systems theory, discuss personal responsibilities with patients, and cultivate new skills in substance abuse identification.

CPEP will hold this course twice in 2015. The initial offering will be held July 20-22 at the Hilton Garden Inn on South Colorado Boulevard in Denver. Click here for more information.

Colorado is addressing the growing problem of the abuse of prescription medicine with a new public awareness campaign, "Take Meds Seriously." The campaign aims to reduce prescription drug abuse and misuse in the state by advising the general public on the safest ways to use, store and dispose of prescription medicine.

"Take Meds Seriously" features a new website, TakeMedsSeriously.org, along with statewide advertising and public outreach efforts. The website is designed to educate consumers on three issues: safe use, safe storage and safe disposal. Physician practices and pharmacies can access customizable handouts on the website.