ASAP e-newsletter: Jan. 11, 2019
Gov. Jared Polis focuses on education, health care in State of the State address
Two days after taking the oath of office, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis addressed a joint session of the Colorado General Assembly on Thursday to outline his goals for office. He laid out his plans for health care, saying that while we've made progress, families are still being "ripped off." He also announced the creation of the "Office of Saving People Money on Health Care" and said that we "must get a grip on the opioid epidemic.” 

CMS President Parsons sends letter of congratulations, priorities, to Gov. Polis
CMS President Debra Parsons, MD, FACP, sent a letter to newly inaugurated Colorado Gov. Jared Polis congratulating him on his election, pledging CMS’s full cooperation in working together, and educating the governor on the mission of CMS and the value of the medical society to his administration. 

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Nominate yourself or a colleague to run for CMS office next year
The nomination period for the 2019 CMS all-member election is open through Jan. 31, 2019. The Colorado Medical Society asks all members to consider nominating a colleague or self-nominating for a leadership position: President-elect (one position), AMA Delegates (four positions) and AMA Alternate Delegates (four positions). The CMS Board of Directors would like to see contested elections and encourages multiple candidates at each position.

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CIVHC data byte: In- vs. Out-of-Network Provider Payments
A Data Byte from CIVHC shows the difference between median payments for in- and out-of-network providers for three common procedures: Laparoscopic appendectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and small intestine resection. Results indicate that out-of-network payer and member payments to professionals are not always higher than those for in-network care (one out of three of the highlighted procedures). See the full graphic here. Data Bytes are quick snippets of CO APCD data pertinent to the current health care landscape that CIVHC makes publicly available at no cost.
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ABMS seeks physician comments on Maintenance of Certification reform
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its 24 member boards launched a major initiative in 2017 to re-envision the future of continuing board certification, calling the initiative “Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future Commission.” Last month, the commission released its draft report, which includes the key findings and recommendations for reforming how ABMS specialty boards operate continuing certification programs. The draft report is open for public comment until Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, at 10 p.m. MT. CMS encourages physicians to share their thoughts with ABMS. Download the report and provide comments here.
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Transcription Outsourcing, LLC is the leading U.S. provider of medical transcription services. We provide physicians with the ability to be more productive and more profitable. To learn more, call 720-287-3710, visit www.transcriptionoutsourcing.net or email bwalker@transcriptionoutsourcing.net.
Register for CHA's 2019 Colorado Opioid Safety Summit
The Colorado Hospital Association, in partnership with the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), will host the 2019 Colorado Opioid Safety Summit from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 24, 2019. The summit will feature experts discussing the current status of Colorado's opioid crisis and progress in opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. Click here to learn more about the summit and to register. Registration is $30 and available until Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019.
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Digitize your CV and save time and money in managing your credentialing and health plan enrollment data and documentation with the new CMS Credentialing and Enrollment Services (powered by 3WON). Visit www.3won.com or call 630-992-7777.
DORA annual reporting now open
The reporting system for Professional Review Governing Boards registered with DPO (Division of Professions and Occupations) opened on Jan. 1, 2019. DPO is the Division within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) that administers the Professional Review Governing Boards Program.

All annual reports must be submitted by midnight on March 1, 2019. Late reports or submissions sent by mail cannot be accepted. DPO is required to collect data in a non-identifiable and aggregate manner; therefore, reporting can only be submitted online.

Emergency room physicians: Register for ECHO ALTO learning series
Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) invites emergency departments to participate in the next iteration of the Colorado ALTO Project training: the ECHO ALTO Series. CHA, in partnership with ECHO Colorado, is providing emergency departments the opportunity to obtain the valuable information that was provided during the Colorado ALTO Project in-person trainings via a convenient virtual training platform.
 
This four-part training series will begin on Jan. 16, 2019 and will be continued on consecutive Wednesdays from 8-9 a.m. Click here to register and to learn more about the ECHO ALTO Series. Space is limited to 30 participants. For questions, or more information please contact Ashley Baker at Ashley.Baker@cha.com.
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Serving medical professionals is all we do. Owned and operated by the Colorado Medical Society and backed by an all-physician board of directors, MTC is uniquely focused on the needs of its clients. 

MTC Benefits include: Voice Logger/Voicemail, Appointment Confirmations/Reminders, Personalized Announcements, Custom Applications, and competitive rates! 

CMS Members: Contact MTC today for your FREE two-month trial and monthly discount. (866) 345-0251 or (303) 761-6594, info@medteleco.com. Visit www.medteleco.com
The Colorado Medical Society is only as strong as its members

Refer a colleague to join CMS so together we can continue our work advocating for physicians and their patients. Go to cms.org/join. Questions? Contact membership@cms.org