Thank you to all the members who voted during the 2017 Colorado Medical Society election of officers. We express our sincere thanks, also, to all of the exemplary physician candidates. 

COMPAC is the nonpartisan political action committee of the Colorado Medical Society made up of physicians and medical students. Our goal is to support and elect pro-physician, pro-patient candidates on the state level.

Following the Aug. 2 release of the media story -- Naturopathic Doctors Illegally Calling Themselves 'Physicians', in which COMPAC Chair Mark Johnson, MD, MPH, is interviewed disavowing this practice -- the Colorado Medical Society received a flood of emails affirming the alarming trend of NDs self-identifying as physicians.

Every legislative session brings new battles for patient safety and we need your help to continue to fight. Join COMPAC today through our secure online payment system! Your support will help us continue to make our voice heard.

Physician educators at the Center for Personalized Education for Physicians (CPEP) and health care lawyers at Polsinelli have developed and are sponsoring a two-part webinar this fall titled, "The Feds Are Coming! Reducing Physician Risk When Prescribing Pain Medicine. The webinars will be held Oct. 17 and Nov. 1. The Colorado Medical Society and COPIC are co-sponsoring the program. Watch for more information on the course and registration in a future ASAP e-newsletter and on CMS.org.

In late August, Gov. John Hickenlooper, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, shared a letter detailing their bipartisan framework for stabilizing the individual health insurance market. In the letter they recommend:

1. Immediate federal action to stabilize markets, 
2. Responsible reforms that preserve recent coverage gains and control costs, and 
3. An active federal/state partnership that is based on innovation and a shared commitment to improve overall health system performance.

The letter to Congressional leadership is signed by six other governors from both sides of the aisle. Click here to read the letter.

Registration is open for the 2017 discussions/training sessions presented by the Division of Workers Compensation. There are three main topics to participate in:

• 2017 Medical Fee Schedule rule changes;
• Getting Set Up for Telemedicine; and
• Introduction to the Medical Treatment Guidelines.

DoWC is continuing the "Universe" registration process to create and track event tickets. Please print these out and bring to your session. There are nine (9) sessions to choose from, with the main topics highlighted in the event title -- all are free to attend.

If you opt for a session that is webinar-based, AND you plan to attend via the webinar, there is a link within the event to complete the "GoToWebinar" registration as well (view able after clicking the "+More" link). Please complete both.

Registered by visiting: https://www.universe.com/users/cdle-division-of-workers-compensation-5Y8KF1. Questions? Contact Jim Becker at james.becker@state.co.us.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released additional subregulatory guidance on virtual credit cards and fees for standard electronic funds transfer (EFT). These FAQs and responses address many of the concerns that are near and dear to providers' hearts: the payer/vendor coercion typical of virtual cards/EFT "value-added" programs, the lack of transparency around fees, and the ability of providers to request and receive standard EFT with no vendor or health plan fees. Click here to access the FAQs.

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) launched an online AACE Obesity Resource Center . The website presents complications-centric patient care strategies that support improved long-term maintenance of weight loss. Visit the site for resources and tools for your patients.