As we find ourselves hurtling towards an election with an uncertain outcome,
we at Western Carolina Medical Society seek to stay centered with questions such as, "Why are we here? How will these elections affect our members? What in this election cycle is particularly relevant to us? How can we join in the political conversation?"

This election is very relevant to us, in Western North Carolina, North Carolina, and across the nation. Local, State, and national elections will help to define the future of healthcare--which parties control the Senate and the House, who our governor is, and who the president is will affect how we practice medicine and just as important, how the patient is able to access our care. You can easily join in the political conversation by researching candidate positions on issues important to medicine and by casting your vote. WCMS has made researching NC candidate positions a breeze for you: for a run down on WNC and governor candidates' positions on issues such as mental health, access to care, and scope of practice.
Click here to read Samantha's full letter and find the links to the WCMS "Get Out the Vote" materials.

WCMS is excited to announce that we have prepared some materials to help you educate your patients and staffs about the very important issue of Medicaid Expansion. We have a poster for exam/waiting rooms as well as bookmarks that a consumer may take with them.

Click here for an update from Dr. Jenni Mullendore. 

CMS Makes Major MACRA Implementation Announcement

Andrew Slavitt, Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), announced in a blog posting that the agency heard concerns expressed by the American Medical Association and other physician organizations about the proposed start date for performance reporting by physicians under the new payment systems created by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, or MACRA. In a draft regulation issued last April, CMS proposed to require physicians to begin reporting under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) or through the advanced alternative payment model (APM) option on January 1, 2017, even though final regulations promulgating MACRA's sweeping payment system changes would not be issued until the fall. Today, CMS announced that the final MACRA regulation will exempt physicians from any risk of penalties if they choose one of three distinct MIPS reporting options in 2017, in addition to the option of participating in an advanced APM:

* Full-year reporting that begins on January 1;
* Partial year reporting for a reduced number of days; and
* A "test" option under which physicians can report minimal amounts of data.