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IN THIS ISSUE
MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Tuesday, February 6
Early Career Physicians Bocce with the Best of Them Networking Event

Monday, February 12
MHCC Webinar: Navigating Telehealth Compliance and Reimbursement
Flyer I RSVP - RSVP by Feb. 9

Thursday, February 15
AMA ONC Webinar: Draft Trusted Exchange Framework
  RSVP

Wednesday, March 7
Lobbying Day in Annapolis

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The MCMS mission is to be  the foremost physician organization to advocate for and serve physicians, their medical practices, and their patients in Montgomery County, Maryland.
2.6.18 Early Career Physicians Bocce with the Best of Them Networking Eventbocce
Need new patients? Want more referrals? Need to meet more young physicians in the area? Make attending this Early Career Physicians event a priority! 

It's fast. It's easy. It'll include indoor bocce, the classic Italian lawn game.
 
Bring lots of referral packets and business cards to give to your new contacts! Seize this opportunity to meet new physicians who practice in this area - all working toward the same goal - being more successful in Montgomery County and the D.C. metropolitan region!
2.12 Navigating Telehealth Compliance and Reimbursementtelehealth
The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) will host a virtual learning session on Monday, February 12 from 12 - 1 PM.  A detailed agenda  is available  here . Attendees must RSVP by February 9. Click here to register.

Navigating the legal and administrative requirements around telehealth can be daunting for practices. This presentation will highlight key compliance and reimbursement requirements that all practices considering telehealth should know, including:
  • key federal laws and state requirements;
  • what practice standards physicians must implement when providing telehealth services;
  • best practices for ensuring compliance with remote prescribing rules;
  • the types of providers that are able to receive Medicaid reimbursement for services provided via telehealth; and
  • what key requirements must be in place for Medicare reimbursement of services provided via telehealth and remote patient monitoring.
Updated Medical Records Copying Fee as of January 2018records
In Maryland, how much practices may charge for medical records copying fees is tied to the Consumer Price Index. Please note: Federal HIPAA regulations do not allow a charge for a preparation fee for records provided directly to the patient. As of January 2018. . .

The fee for copying records in electronic format is 75% of the per-page fee (see below) and may not exceed $81.63, as well as the actual cost of postage and handling. Health care providers may charge a preparation fee of $22.88, if the records are sent to a provider or a person other than the patient or the patient's personal representative. 

The fee for copying paper records is not to exceed .83 cents for each page of the medical record and the actual cost of postage and handling. Health care providers may charge a preparation fee of $22.88, if the records are sent to another provider or a person other than the patient or the patient's personal representative. 

The following rules continue to apply:
  • No fee may be charged to transfer the records of a Medicaid recipient to another provider.
  • A practitioner may not withhold medical records because of unpaid fees for medical services.
  • The records may not be withheld under an emergency request from a state or local governmental unit concerning a child protective services or adult protective services case pending payment.
  • A physician should not withhold records that have been subpoenaed pending payment of copying and preparation charges but may bill any non-governmental entities subpoenaing records.
In the opinion of MedChi's Committee on Ethics and Judicial Affairs, records should not be withheld from another health practitioner pending payment of the copying fees if to do so would hinder an ill patient from receiving needed medical attention.

Physicians may NOT demand payment of the allowed charges before turning the records over to a patient or other authorized person. The Board of Physicians is empowered to discipline a physician who fails to comply with the requirements of the Medical Records Act and HIPAA.
How Should Health Information Networks Share Patient Records?hie
AMA ONC Webinar for AMA Members, States and Medical Specialties
Speaker: Genevieve Morris, Principal Deputy National Coordinator for Health IT
Register

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) recently released the Draft Trusted Exchange Framework for public comment. The 21st Century Cures Act requires ONC to develop or support a trusted exchange framework, including a common agreement among health information networks nationally.

The Draft Trusted Exchange Framework focuses on policies, procedures, and technical standards that build from existing health information network capabilities.  The intent is to provide a single "on-ramp" to patient information regardless of what health IT developer, health information exchange or network is used, or how far across the country the patients' records are located. 

This webinar will review the Draft Trusted Exchange Framework. Comments for the draft Trusted Exchange Framework need to be submitted to [email protected] before February 20, 2018. 
New Podcast Series Helps Physicians Navigate Tough Patient Encounterspod
For many physicians, having difficult conversations with patients is a part of daily practice. The American Medical Association has launched a new podcast series, AMA Doc Talk, which features physicians' eye-opening encounters with patients and their real-world solutions and insights. Inspired by research and feedback from physicians, topics range from talking with patients who don't heed your medical advice to helping patients manage the challenges of chronic disease. 

The interview-style series is hosted by Dr. Rajesh S. Mangrulkar, associate dean for medical student education, University of Michigan. To listen to episodes of AMA Doc Talk, visit  Apple Podcasts or Stitcher, or learn more here.
Quality Payment Program MIPS Deadline: March 31, 2018qpp
This is a reminder that the performance data your practice collected during 2017 must be submitted to CMS by March 31, 2018. The first payment adjustments, based on this data will go into effect on January 1, 2019. The payment adjustments can be positive or negative. 

If you need help navigating MIPS, the AMA has provided an online resource, Understanding Medicare's Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), that you may find helpful. Members are encouraged to contact Colleen George at MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, with questions about the deadline. She can be reached at [email protected] or 410.539.0872 ext. 3360.
Montgomery County Medical Society    |   [email protected]  |    301.921.4300