ASAP: Additional provider funding; plus flu resources and CMS working for you

ASAP e-newsletter: Oct. 9, 2020

HHS announces new round of provider relief funds

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will disburse another $20 billion in CARES Act Provider Relief Funds. Under this Phase 3 General Distribution allocation, physicians who have already received Provider Relief Fund payments may apply for additional funding that considers financial losses and changes in operating expenses caused by the coronavirus. Recognizing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased anxiety and depression in the country and behavioral health providers have continued to provide care through telehealth and other means, HHS also announced that the nation’s behavioral health care providers, including psychiatrists, are now eligible for funding. Previously ineligible physicians, such as those who began practicing in 2020, will also be eligible to apply. Physicians will have from Oct. 5, 2020 through Nov. 6, 2020 to apply for Phase 3 General Distribution funding. More information here.

Don’t forget to renew your Colorado Medical Society membership for 2021!

Tools for your practice: Encourage patients to get their flu shot

Physicians need no reminder of the current pandemic or the strain on the health care system if cases of flu/pneumonia and COVID-19 worsen simultaneously in the coming months. More than 3,500 Coloradans were hospitalized for the flu during the last flu season. As of Oct. 7, 369 Coloradans are currently hospitalized for confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. Use the tools below to spread the word to your patients of the importance of getting a flu vaccine this year.

fluvaxcolorado.org - Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's flu vaccine information website (English)
vacunagripecolorado.org - CDPHE's flu vaccine information website (Español)
vaccinefinder.org - A locator tool for many vaccines, including flu, from Boston Children's Hospital, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others

New CPT codes for multi-virus tests to detect COVID-19 and flu

The American Medical Association recently published an update to the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set that includes two new codes to report nucleic acid assays that allow a single test to simultaneously detect the novel coronavirus and a combination of common viral infectious agents. The new category I CPT codes and long descriptors are:

87636 - Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) and influenza virus types A and B, multiplex amplified probe technique
87637 - Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), influenza virus types A and B, and respiratory syncytial virus, multiplex amplified probe technique

Board opens committee meetings to all members

CMS committee meetings listed below and on cms.org/events

The Colorado Medical Society Board of Directors voted at their September meeting to open committee meetings to all CMS members to promote member engagement in the society. Committee meetings will be posted on the CMS events webpage, cms.org/events, and in each issue of ASAP. Please see upcoming meetings below; all will be held virtually via Zoom through the end of 2020. Email the CMS staff person listed beside the committee date to register and request the agenda.

Oct. 14, 7:30 a.m. - COMPAC Board of Directors; emily_bishop@cms.org
Oct. 26, 7:30 a.m. - Council on Legislation Scope of Practice workgroup; emily_bishop@cms.org
Oct. 27, 6 p.m. - Committee on Health Care Value; chet_seward@cms.org
Oct. 28, 7 a.m. - AMA Delegation; dianna_fetter@cms.org

Registration is required; non-members or those unable to be identified will be removed from meetings.

CMS comments on RFI for prevention health coverage Provisions substance use disorders

The Colorado Medical Society joined the American Medical Association, Colorado Pain Society and Manatt Health in responding to a request for information from the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) on the health coverage provisions proposed in a bill that would have increased access to multidisciplinary, multimodal pain care. Gov. Jared Polis vetoed HB 20-1085 at the end of the 2020 Colorado General Assembly citing the desire to avoid an increase in health insurance premiums. The joint CMS/AMA analysis affirmatively answered the central question of whether the bill would have provided access to cost-effective, evidence-based ALTOs and atypical opioid options for patients with pain. We recommend the DOI conduct additional analyses based on our findings. Read the full response here.

Reminder: Physicians, register to vote now; ballots mail today

VoteHealth 2020 is a nonpartisan group encouraging physicians and other health care professionals to make sure they are registered to vote and then vote in the 2020 elections. Historically, physicians have voted at a lower rate than the rest of the population. The deadline to register to vote in Colorado is Oct. 26. Find helpful links at VoteHealth2020.com.

Ballots in Colorado mail to registered voters starting today, Friday, Oct. 9. View COMPAC endorsements here. The CMS Board of Directors voted to support Proposition EE, a tobacco/vape tax, and oppose Initiative 120, a prohibition on late-term abortions.

CMS partners with ActionPPE to connect physicians to PPE

Use CMS's discount code for 5% off

Order your next round of PPE through ActionPPE.org, which has partnered with the Colorado Medical Society to give you access to medical-grade PPE supplies. Available products are KN95 or disposable tri-fold masks, disposable gowns, face shields, gloves and hand sanitizer. Place your order through the CMS order form here -- actionppe.org/3/cms/ -- and share this link with your colleagues. Use discount code cms-save5 for 5 percent off all orders through the link above.

2021 CMS Election: Call for nominations

The nomination period for the 2021 Colorado Medical Society Election is open through Jan. 31, 2021. The Colorado Medical Society encourages all members to consider nominating a colleague or self-nominating for one of the open leadership positions: president-elect (one position) or AMA delegation (eight positions). The election manual, which contains all of the information a potential candidate needs about the duties, eligibility, requirements and election process, is available on the CMS website. Read more here.

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Upcoming events for physicians

Physician Town Hall with Sen. Rhonda Fields

Wednesday Oct. 14, 6 p.m.

Sen. Rhonda Fields, assistant majority leader and senator for SD 29 (Arapahoe County), will hold a listening town hall for physicians on Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. to hear your concerns and priorities ahead of the 2021 session. Sen. Fields is arguably our most important friend in the Senate right now. Please consider not only attending yourself but sharing this opportunity with your colleagues. Register here. Learn more about Sen. Fields here.

Final lunch-and-learn session from the Colorado Consortium

Wednesday Oct. 14, 12:30-1:15 p.m.

The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention’s Provider Education work group will present the final program in their series of free lunch-and-learn sessions on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 12:30-1:15 p.m. Topic: Medication-assisted treatment best practices with speaker Lesley Brooks, MD. Physicians can earn up to 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (pre-registration required for credit). If you’d simply like to drop-in and not receive CME credit, no pre-registration is required. Connect via Zoom: link / password: 620980.

Third annual Colorado Consortium Addiction Medicine Symposium

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Join health care providers from across Colorado to explore the convergence of substance use disorder and the COVID-19 pandemic. Local and national experts will discuss issues related to racial inequality in health care, the methamphetamine and fentanyl epidemics, reproductive health considerations for women with substance use disorder, and the impacts of COVID-19 on substance use disorder, including self-care for frontline workers. This activity is certified for up to 5.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Please register for this Zoom webinar here. For more information, please contact info@corxconsortium.org.

Accreditation Statement:

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Colorado Medical Society and North Colorado Health Alliance. The Colorado Medical Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation:

The Colorado Medical Society designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The Colorado Medical Society designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.5 Hour(s) Attendance w/ No Credit. Participants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.