Volume 117, No. 7: July 2021 Edition

They Said It... "We want to let them know that their opinions on creating health policy are important, even as first-year medical students. We want to listen to them and get their ideas into the fabric of medicine, even while they are still in medical school." Dr. Stephen Permut, current president of the Philadelphia County Medical Society, discussing our medical student membership. You can read his interview and more in our latest edition of Philadelphia Medicine magazine.

Things You Should Know...

Informed consent restored

The Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) successfully reversed the informed consent ruling for patients, which was recently signed by Gov. Tom Wolf at the end of June and took effect immediately. Now physicians will once again have the authority to delegate informed consent to another colleague or other qualified individual. All members can learn more about key provision with the PAMED’s Quick Consult on Act 61 at www.pamedsoc.org/QuickConsult. Senate Bill 425, which became Act 61, can be accessed here.

COVID-19 accelerated and advance payments: Updated FAQs as of June 24

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated its FAQs (in PDF format) about repayment of COVID-19 accelerated and advance payments. If you received these payments, learn more about how recoupment works and how it affects your Medicare claims payment amounts.

Bank of America hosts Masterpiece Moment

A new video series celebrates great works of art around the world. This month, BOA’s Masterpiece Moment features the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic) by Thomas Eakins. Dr. Gross was the PCMS President (1863) during the Civil War and The Gross Clinic was completed 13 years later by 1876 in time for the World’s Fair in Philadelphia. The video can be viewed here.

AMA urges Biden administration to provide more vaccines to physician practices; did you miss out?

According to the COVID-19 Response Team, the Biden administration is redoubling its’ efforts to get vaccines to physician offices. The American Medical Association has been urging this for quite some time. The COVID-19 Response Team is tracking the data, but it has asked if there is any new information or anecdotes related to vaccinations in physician offices. Please share insights that would be helpful by Wednesday, July 14, before the end of the business day so we can forward these to AMA leadership, since they plan to share these concerns with the Biden administration. Information can be sent to PCMS at [email protected].

Did you receive provider relief funds? Time to report

The Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal is now open for reporting on the use of funds. Physicians who received one or more PRF payments exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate during a payment-received period, must report. Review the updated Reporting Requirements Notice (June 11) and register in the PRF Reporting Portal. For additional assistance and other resources, visit the HHS Reporting and Auditing webpage. Real-time assistance is available by calling the provider support line at (866) 569-3522; for TTY, dial 711. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

PAMED Prior Authorization Survey: We need your help

Prior authorization reform legislation (S.B. 225) advanced out of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee recently.   PAMED wants to hear about your experiences with prior authorization. Please take a few minutes to complete their survey and you'll be entered into a drawing to win one of four $25 Amazon gift cards for your time. You can take the survey here.   Besides the chance for a $25 Amazon gift card, why else should I take this survey?   PAMED is advocating for prior authorization reform in Pennsylvania. Your personal experiences and stories will help educate lawmakers on the extent of this problem in Pennsylvania and how it affects physicians and patients across the state.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Become a medical examiner?

Medical examiners who perform federal department of transportation driver medical exams are expected to fully understand the medical standards of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and related guidance. The National Registry requires medical examiners to participate in required training, pass a certification test and register on the National Registry system to become a certified medical examiner. To learn more, visit their registration page here. Medical examiners are not permitted to conduct physical qualification examinations of interstate commercial motor vehicle drivers until the official certificate has been received via email. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation follows the federal rules. You can learn more on their FAQ page.

Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)

Be on the lookout, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children is working to complete a comprehensive community health needs assessment within our community. The CHNA is done every three years to identify the region’s top health concerns and develop strategies to address these health issues as well as help better understand the risk indicators, population trends, and health care barriers in our service area.

Calendar of Events

July

Virtual Information Session: Decoding What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Right Now Date: Wednesday, July 21 Time: 6:00 PM Join experts from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to learn everything you need to know about the COVID-19 variants. Isolation and quarantine resources that are currently available will also be discussed. Live interpretation services will be available in: Spanish French Mandarin Arabic ASL Additional interpreters can be provided by request when you register. For questions or accessibility needs, contact [email protected]. Click Here to Register Click here to download the event flyer (file size: 128 KB). 

Philadelphia County Medical Society | [email protected] 215-563-5343 | http://philamedsoc.org

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