Save the Date for Upcoming CMS Meetings/Events
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September 8, 2016
CMS Meet the Candidates Forum
5:30 pm
Goodwood Carriage House
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| Check out the Latest CMS Member Benefits |
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For more information on DocbookMD, click
here.
To view the DocbookMD Training Manual, click here.
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Legislation That Took Effect July 1, 2016 - What Physicians Need to Know
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There are a number of bills passed during the 2016 Florida Legislative Session that are due to take effect on July 1st, 2016. There are 4 bills in particular that will have some impact on our members that warrant some discussion so you are prepared. Those issues are listed below and summarized further here.
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Transparency
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Workers Compensation Fee Schedule
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Out of Network Billing.
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PA and ARNP Prescribing Controlled Substances
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Workers' Attorneys Blast Proposed Insurance Hike
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In another sign of a building debate about Florida's workers' compensation insurance system, attorneys for injured workers are blasting a proposed insurance rate hike for employers.
Source: The News Service of Florida
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Opioid crisis prompts CMS to strike pain management from value-based purchasing
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The CMS has responded to calls to eliminate patient satisfaction on pain management from Medicare's value-based purchasing program. The agency angered hospitals, however, with plans to stop paying their off-campus facilities the same as hospital-based outpatient departments.
READ MORE
Source: Modern Healthcare
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Capital Medical Society Introduces New Member Benefit
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Capital Medical Society members can now receive a discount on certain events at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center by using our promo code "CMS" which currently can be used to save $5 off tickets to the upcoming WWE event on Friday, July 29. Members can receive the discount a few different ways.
- Go online to the following link and enter in promo code "CMS":
3. Call (850) 583-4871 to purchase over the phone
There will be additional fees that apply when members go to purchase online or over the phone. There are no additional fees when purchasing at the box office.
We will announce additional discount information as other events come to the Civic Center.
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Important Reminder about Billing Requirements for Certain Dual-Eligibles
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As part of the AMA's ongoing work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on issues affecting Medicare providers and beneficiaries, the AMA would like to remind physicians that balance billing is prohibited for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program.
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CMS makes Medicare claims data available to qualified entities.
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New rules under MACRA mean that qualified providers can share or sell analyses of Medicare and private claims data, which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could be a boon to better care delivery.
Source:
AAOS Headline News Now
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Professional Notes
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We Care Dental Network's Dr. Steven Bryan and Dr. Brittney Craig were recognized at the Florida Dental Association's 2016 Florida Dental Convention in Orlando in June.
Dr. Bryan was recognized with a Leadership Award and Dr. Craig was honored with the inaugural New Dental Leader Award.
Congratulations, Dr. Bryan and Dr. Craig!
Source:
Tallahassee Democrat
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Health Officials Issue Mosquito-Borne Illness Advisory for Jefferson County
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The Florida Department of Health says that there has been an increase of mosquito-borne disease activity in Jefferson County.
Two horse cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis have been confirmed, according to the DOH.
Officials say there is a heighten concern that residents could become ill and the risk of transmission to humans has increased.
Jefferson County Mosquito Control and the DOH say they're continuing surveillance and prevention efforts.
Residents are reminded to drain standing water in an effort to stop mosquitoes from multiplying.
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Federal Judge Approves Medicaid Settlement
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A federal judge has given final approval to a settlement in a decade-long legal fight over care provided to children in Florida's Medicaid program.
Judge Adalberto Jordan signed off on the deal last Tuesday. The settlement, which was released in April, calls for steps aimed at increasing payments to doctors, improving dental care for children and trying to make sure children get enrolled in Medicaid and receive services with minimal disruption.
Source:
Health News Florida
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Pediatricians: More Obstacles To Care Under Private Medicaid Plans
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Florida pediatricians say children covered by Medicaid face more obstacles to getting needed care than they did before the state switched them over to private health-care plans, a recent survey found.
The survey, released last month by Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute, showed that two-thirds of responding
physicians saw an increase in the number of Florida children being reassigned to other doctors or health-care plans without their parents' knowledge or consent.
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Study: Brand-Name Drugs' High Copays Soak Medicare Part D Patients
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A new study takes a fresh measure of generic drugs' price advantages, revealing how much more Medicare Part D patients shelled out in copayments for two popular brand-name drugs in 2013.
The result: 10.5 times more.
Copayments averaged $42 for both Crestor, a cholesterol medication, and Nexium, taken for acid reflux, according to researchers whose study was published Wednesday
in Health Affairs.
The consumers' cost for generic therapeutic equivalents was $4, they said.
Source:
Kaiser Health News
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Nurse Practitioners to Lobby for VA Proposal
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The American Association of Nurse Practitioners is
launching a national ad campaign to raise public awareness of a proposal to expand the practice authority for advanced practice registered nurses in the VA Health Care System.
At issue is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
proposal from May that would give APRNs full practice authority to certified NPs, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse-midwives. This means APRNs would be able to provide care to veterans without physician supervision.
Source:
Becker's Hospital Review
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Justices Will Hear Hospital Funding Dispute
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The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments Oct. 5 in a long-running dispute about a 2003 state law that directed Sarasota County to reimburse private hospitals for indigent care, according to an online docket. Sarasota Doctors Hospital, Inc., Englewood Community Hospital Inc., and the former Venice Regional Medical Center went to the Supreme Court after the 2nd District Court of Appeal last year ruled that part of the 2003 law was unconstitutional. A three-judge panel of the appeals court said the reimbursement requirement was an improper "special law" because it would single out private hospitals in Sarasota County for payments. The three private hospitals went to court in 2011 after the county refused to reimburse them, according to the appeals-court ruling. The private hospitals argued, at least in part, that the law was constitutional because the Sarasota Public Hospital District also could claim reimbursements and that the private hospitals perform a "public good" by caring for indigent people. While Venice Regional Medical Center is named in the case, the hospital is now known as Venice Regional Bayfront Health. Justices issued an order June 24 setting the date for oral arguments, according to the docket.
Source:
The News Service of Florida
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A Broken System Forgives Sexually Abusive Doctors in Every State, Investigation Finds
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In a national investigation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution examined documents that described disturbing acts of physician sexual abuse in every state. Rapes by OB/GYNs, seductions by psychiatrists, fondling by anesthesiologists and ophthalmologists, and molestations by pediatricians and radiologists.
The AJC launched its national investigation a year ago after reaching a surprising finding in Georgia: two-thirds of the doctors disciplined in the state for sexual misconduct were permitted to practice again.
Source:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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2017 ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS Files Available
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The 2017 ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS code updates, including a complete list of code titles, are available on the 2017 ICD-10-CM and GEMs and 2017 ICD-10-PCS and GEMs webpages. The posted files contain the complete versions of both
ICD-10-CM (diagnoses) and ICD-10-PCS (procedures).
- 2017 General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs) will be posted in August 2016
- Official Coding Guidelines and the Present on Admission (POA) Exempt List will be available soon
Source:
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
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Public Hearing Notice - Environmental Regulation Commission
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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has scheduled a public hearing before the Florida Environmental Regulation Commission (ERC) to present for approval to adopt its proposed revisions to Florida's human health-based surface water quality criteria in Chapter 62-302, F.A.C. The public hearing is scheduled as follows:
Date: Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Marjory Stoneman Douglas Building, Conference Room A, 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL
At this same ERC hearing, the DEP will also present (a) proposed revisions to Chapter 62-302, F.A.C., to create a new sub-classification for Treated Potable Water Supplies (Class I-Treated) and reclassify seven Class III waters into the new Class I-Treated sub-classification, and (b) proposed revisions to Chapter 62-303, F.A.C., to revise the assessment methodology for human health-based criteria and incorporate the new Class I-Treated sub-classification as part of the process to identify impaired surface waters.
Source: Florida Department of Environmental Protection
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Legislative Updates
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To view the 2016 Bills impacting health care professions,
click here.
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Free Summer Webinars from The Florida Healthcare Law Firm
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Source: The Florida Healthcare Law Firm
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Luncheon - "Traumatic Brain Injury: New Science Examines an Old Problem"
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UF Orange and Blue Plate Luncheon
Tuesday, July 19th - 11:45AM
Doubletree by Hilton - Tallahassee
Our speaker will be Steven DeKosky, MD - Professor & Interim Director - UF McKnight Brain Institute. His topic will be "Traumatic Brain Injury: New Science Examines an old Problem."
Dr. DeKosky was involved in efforts to convince the NFL of the devastating impact of concussions on athletes. He was portrayed in the recent Will Smith movie "Concussion" for his role in initiating research on the issue.
The cost of the lunch will be $20.00 payable at the door by cash or check written to the University of Florida. If you would like to attend - please RSVP to uf-communityrelations@ufl.edu.
(If you RSVP and later find you cannot attend - please let us know so we can cancel your reservation as we have to pay for all reserved lunches.)
Source: University of Florida
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You're Invited: Sixth Annual Broad and Cassel Health Forum
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Broad and Cassel and The Advisory Board Company are hosting the Sixth Annual Health Forum on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. Registration will begin at 11:00 AM, followed by presentations and discussions with some of the industry's top professionals knowledgeable about today's rapidly changing health care landscape. Admission is $90 per person. A lunch and a cocktail reception following the event are included.
For more information or to register,
click here.
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Capital Medical Society Alliance - Wine Tasting Fundraiser
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September 22, 2016
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
The home of Marcia and Bob Thornberry
2810 Cline Street
*Portion of proceeds will benefit The Brehon House
*Food sponsored by Brett Allen, SunTrust Bank
*$100 per couple
Please send payment to: Sarah Ho, CMSA Treasurer
1204 Miccosukee Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308
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Physician Survey on Health Insurance Mega-Mergers
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As you know, Aetna recently filed the paperwork to acquire Humana, and Anthem
has filed paperwork to acquire Cigna. These developments have the potential to make a major impact on the physicians we all serve. State and federal regulators are interested in knowing the prospective effects of these possible mergers on physicians' practices and patient care, and we need your help in gathering this vital information.
Your individual responses will be kept strictly confidential and only aggregated data will be used in our reporting. This survey, and any information collected in response, will be used solely for the purpose of petitioning state and federal government concerning the antitrust issues raised by Aetna's proposed acquisition of Humana and Anthem's proposed acquisition of Cigna.
Source: Florida Medical Association
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Zika Virus News and Updates for Health Care Providers
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- Information for Clinicians
- Information for Obstetricians
- CDC Issues Updated Zika Recommendations - 3/25/16
- Department of Health Resources for Physicians and the General Public
- Department of Health Resources for Mosquito-borne Viruses in General
- CDC for Zika
- Initial Guidance on Zika Virus Testing for Non-Pregnant Individuals And for Pregnant Women and Infants
- Zika Laboratory Guidance
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Calling For The Florida Women's Hall of Fame Nominations
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The Florida Commission on the Status of Women has opened the nomination period for the 2017 Florida Women's Hall of Fame. This annual event celebrating the accomplishments of outstanding Florida women is tentatively scheduled for March 2017 at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee.
This is an opportunity to nominate a Woman in Medicine who has made significant contributions to the improvement of life for women and for all citizens of Florida.
Click here for details on the selection process and criteria for nominees. Completed nominations must be postmarked by July 15, 2016 to be considered.
Source: Florida Commission on the Status of Women
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Don't Miss Your Opportunity to Support the 2017 CMS Membership Directory!
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The Capital Medical Society will publish its 2017 Membership Directory early next year. It will be distributed to all members. We have once again contracted with a company called E&M Consulting to produce the directory. They will manage all the ad sales, creative design, and formatting of the publication for us. This is a very professional group with experience in publishing association directories. Their sales team will contact you through fax and/or phone calls to ask you to consider placing an ad. If you are interested, click here to fill out the space reservation form and return it to them. Please be responsive and help support this directory. Remember, it will include our entire medical community.
CMS will provide the content - including photos of our members. If you have an updated photo - please send it to us!
Please feel free to call us if you have any questions - and thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
The CMS Staff
(850) 877-9018
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You Can Support the CMS Foundation! Sign Up and Shop Today!
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For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the Capital Medical Society Foundation!
Click
here to access AmazonSmile and support CMS Foundation today!
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