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CMS Annual Meeting: First look at the agenda!
Registration open for all attendees; plus, don't forget to register your kids for free childcare
Don't miss your chance to attend the most anticipated event of the year: the 2018 Colorado Medical Society Annual Meeting, Sept. 14-15 at the Vail Marriott in Vail, Colo.
What can you expect this year?
- Delicious food and drinks, especially at the COPIC dessert buffet and the formal President's Gala
- Thought-provoking panel discussions and workshops led by an impressive slate of state and national speakers covering the hottest topics in medicine
- A lively COMPAC lunch with special legislative guests
- Special Public policy training for medical students
Childcare is provided during conference events. Advance registration is strongly encouraged to ensure adequate ratios of children to caregivers.
Click here to register your child(ren).
New this year, the conference will conclude Saturday night with the presidential gala, giving attendees and their guests a full day on Sunday to explore the beautiful city of Vail, a top Rocky Mountains destination. In addition to the numerous trails for hiking and biking, and the breathtaking fall colors, Vail's Oktoberfest (Sept. 14-16) will serve up Bavarian beer, music, dancing, yodeling and alpenhorn blowing in Vail Village, and attendees can score great finds at the Vail Farmers' Market and Art Show (Sept. 16).
Click here for more information and the link to register.
We can't wait to welcome you and your families to this special weekend at this idyllic mountain retreat. As always, there is no registration fee for members and we have secured discounted group pricing on lodging at the hotel.
NOTE: At the May CMS Board of Directors meeting, the board voted to suspend the 2019 Annual Meeting. This action DOES NOT AFFECT the 2018 CMS Annual Meeting. We hope you'll join us this September for a fantastic program!
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Are you unsure of your participation status in any of the many products a health plan offers?
If so, legislation that CMS helped to pass in 2017 can help you. You can now request and receive from the plans you participate with a listing of all of their plans/products showing your participation status in each.
The following information is just one example of what is available to CMS members in the
Know Your Legal Rights database. Be sure to take advantage of this valuable member benefit.
C.R.S. 10-16-705.5 Participating provider networks - definition - selections standards - informal reconsideration
(4) Upon request, and not more often than quarterly, a carrier shall provide a provider that is participating in one or more of its networks with a complete list of all network plans and products the carrier offers to consumers, with an indication of the provider's participation status within each network plan or product. The carrier shall respond to a provider's request within thirty days after it receives the request.
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Vote for Colorado medical students in AMA video challenge
Students from the University of Colorado School of Medicine are competing in the American Medical Association Global Health Challenge. They have made it to the top 10 and need your help to win a global health trip to Guatemala, Ecuador or the Dominican Republic to provide care to some of the world's most vulnerable populations.
View their entry video here and vote up to once per day using the thumbs-up icon at the top of the video page until July 30 to help them advance to the final round. View all top 10 entries
here. Good luck to our Colorado medical students!
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AMA: Anticompetitive CVS-Aetna merger should be blocked
After conducting an analysis on the proposed acquisition of Aetna by CVS Health, the American Medical Association (AMA) urged regulators to block the merger. The AMA position is based on evidence indicating the merger's likely anticompetitive effects on Medicare Part D, pharmacy benefit management services, health insurance, retail pharmacy and specialty pharmacy. The announcement was made by AMA President Barbara L. McAneny, at a
hearing held by the California Department of Insurance, on June 19, 2018.
The AMA will file a post-hearing memorandum outlining its concerns later this month explaining the merger's potential negative consequences for health care access, quality and affordability including:
- An expected increase in premiums
- Anticipated increase in drug spending and out of pocket costs for patients
- A reduction in competition in health insurance markets
- A foreseeable failure to realize proposed efficiencies and benefits
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Do you know if you should participate in the 2018 Quality Payment Program?
The federal CMS released the
2018 QPP MIPS Participation Look Up Tool. There will be two determination periods for 2018 to determine eligibility in this program based on CMS claims review for the following timeframes:
- Sep. 1, 2016-Aug. 31, 2017
- Sep. 1, 2017-Aug. 31, 2018
Need Assistance with QPP? If you are eligible and need assistance navigating through the participation requirements of this program, there is no-cost technical support available to you and your clinicians!
Telligen: Providing assistance to physician practices and Health Systems with more than 16 clinicians. Contact Courtnay Ryan, senior QI facilitator at [email protected].
TMF Health Quality Institute: Providing assistance to physician practices and health systems with less than 15 clinicians.
Email
[email protected] or s
ubmit a
Request for Support
form.
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AMA files amicus brief to defend patients' ACA coverage
The AMA -- along with the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry -- filed an amicus brief in response to the court case
Texas v. United States
to express opposition to a lawsuit that would undermine expanded health insurance coverage and other important patient protections.
This lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), arguing that congressional action that reduced the tax on individuals who fail to comply with the individual mandate to purchase insurance voids the law itself.
If the plaintiffs are successful, important patient protections and insurance reforms that are currently law would cease to exist.
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Member benefit: What you should know about the Colorado Drug Card
The Colorado Medical Society has been working closely with Colorado Drug Card and numerous clinics and hospitals around the state to distribute free discount prescription cards so that all Colorado residents will have access to the free program.
Colorado Drug Card was launched to help uninsured and under-insured residents afford their prescription medications. The program can also be used by people that have health insurance coverage with no prescription benefits, which is common in many health savings accounts (HSA) and high deductible health plans. Residents whose health insurance includes prescription drug coverage may also qualify for and receive discounts on medications not covered by their insurance plan.
Colorado Drug Card is a proud supporter of Children's Miracle Network and its network of CMN hospitals across the country. A donation will be made to Children's Hospital Colorado (nearest CMN hospital) each time a prescription is processed using Colorado Drug Card.
Colorado Drug Card has helped residents save more than $129 million since its inception. You can help by encouraging your patients to print a free Colorado Drug Card at
www.coloradodrugcard.com
or www.cms.org.
Colorado Drug Card also has a mobile app for iPhone and Android phones.
Any physicians who are interested in ordering free cards for their clinic/hospital can email
[email protected]
or call Deb Adler, Colorado Drug Card outreach director, at 770-313-7261.
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We are the nation's leading provider of commercial real estate services for healthcare tenants and buyers. Our team of experts can save you time and money on your next lease or purchase negotiation.
www.carrhr.com
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Officite builds websites that are attractive, powerful and easy to launch. Visit Officite.com to see their offerings, including SEO, reputation tracking, social media, and more. Call 866-602-7850 to learn about special offers for CMS members.
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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.
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You are unique.
More than 50% of physicians feel they have more complicated financial needs than other professions. Our firm works with physicians and their families to tackle these unique challenges. Call (720)-887-1299 or visit www.goldmedalwaters.com.
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For physicians requiring expert disability insurance claim advice. Confidential assistance focused on your special circumstances. Experienced, qualified counsel. Referrals of patients also accepted.
Steven Taffet
Taffet Law, PC
720-565-4074
[email protected]
www.taffetlaw.com
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Compliments of CMS: Reduce patient callbacks, HIPAA compliant, RX Savings up to 75%, click for free customization COLORADO DRUG CARD.
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Time is money! FREE banking services designed for medical professionals. Call 303-840-8484 today to schedule your appointment with a Relationship Banker.
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 MTC's management team has over 50 years of experience in medical answering services. 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: Arch and Metrocall pagers, Sprint cell phones, voice logger, personalized announcements, custom applications and services, and competitive rates!
Contact MTC today for your FREE two-month trial.
Monthly discount for CMS members.
(866) 345-0251 or (303) 761-6594;
Fax: (303) 761-4026;
[email protected]
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2018 Colorado Medical Society Annual Meeting - Sept. 14-15 in Vail
Register today for the 148th CMS Annual Meeting, Sept. 14-15, 2018, at the Vail Marriott.
Find more information here.
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Member benefit: Know Your Legal Rights database
Find comprehensive information on your rights to:
- Protections from physician profiling;
- Expedited prior authorization and referrals;
- Telehealth coverage;
- Protection against anti-retaliation;
- Help with narrow networks;
- Timely payment;
- Fairness in contracting;
- The right to appeals;
- And much more!
Go to
www.cms.org/kylr
to view the resource.
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