October 2019
Resources: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
You're probably seeing a lot of pink this month. It's October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. It is important that patients are aware of the symptoms of breast cancer, understand measures that can be taken to lower their risk and undergo necessary screenings, such as self-breast exams and mammograms. New technologies have made it possible for large numbers of women to find out whether they carry genetic mutations that increase their risk of breast cancer. Knowing the likelihood that someone who carries a certain mutation will actually develop breast cancer can help the physician and patient decide whether it is appropriate to take certain risk-reduction steps. Find the latest recommendations on the CDC Breast Cancer Awareness webpage and share it with your patients.

For your Medicare patients, Medicare covers a screening mammography for eligible women. A clinical breast exam is also covered as part of the screening pelvic examination for beneficiaries who meet the coverage criteria. Access the Medicare Preventive Services Educational Tool and Screening Pap Tests and Pelvic Examinations Booklet.
The Colorado Medical Society is pleased to announce a new member benefit: Group dental insurance plans through Delta Dental
Poor oral health can lead to and escalate serious overall health issues. That’s why dental insurance is important and why the Colorado Medical Society (CMS) has collaborated with COPIC Financial Service Group and Delta Dental, the state’s leading dental benefits provider, to offer CMS members an affordable dental benefits program for their employees and their families. Designed for small- to medium-sized organizations, this plan offers a combination of flexibility and cost savings to fit your group’s needs. CMS worked closely with COPIC Financial Service Group to develop this association plan for its members. It's a product we believe in.  Read more here.
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Support employees! MINES' Practice Assistance Program offers CMS members 24/7 access to confidential counseling, resilience resources, legal services, wellness coaching, and unlimited work/life referrals. Phone: 800.873.7138, email info@minesandassociates.com or visit www.minesandassociates.com
Payer issues: We want to hear from you!
CMS, with Colorado MGMA, is gathering intelligence for advocacy efforts
As we approach the upcoming legislative session, we need to hear from you concerning issues impacting your practice. In partnership with the Colorado Medical Group Management Association, the Colorado Medical Society seeks intelligence from practices on the "front lines." Please contact us at payerissues@cms.org with your payer issues.

And remember to use the members-only Know Your Legal Rights online catalog of provider protection statutes. It contains decades of public policy victories that may assist you in your dealings with payers. Make sure all of the physicians in your practice are members of the Colorado Medical Society so you have access to this great resource today!

*Accessing Know Your Legal Rights requires a CMS member login. Member physicians’ staff can obtain their own login by contacting Tim Yanetta at tim_yanetta@cms.org .
Join Telligen QI Connect™regional health care quality improvement collaborative
Telligen QIO has developed Telligen QI Connect™, an exclusive regional health care quality improvement collaborative built to help practices improve care and navigate the constantly evolving health care landscape. You can join community coalitions and affinity groups with these areas of focus:

  • Nursing home quality
  • Opioid safety and adverse drug event prevention
  • Infection prevention
  • Care transitions
  • Behavioral health
  • Patient safety
  • Chronic disease self-management

Sponsors
Favorite Healthcare Staffing, our new Member Benefit Partner, provides discounted staffing and placement services to CMS members. Visit Favorite's CMS member site or call 720-210-9409.
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.
Important FYIs about the new Medicare card
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued an MLN Matters Article, New MBI: Get It, Use It, that includes helpful FYIs about the new Medicare cards. We encourage you to read this important article for information on why to use the MBI now, what to do if an MBI changes, and more.

The good news is that the latest reporting from the federal CMS shows that 80 percent of fee-for-service claims were submitted using the MBI.

If you do not use MBIs, starting Jan. 1, 2020, regardless of the date of service, claims will be rejected with a few exceptions, and eligibility inquiries and transactions will be rejected. You can obtain your patient’s MBI by asking your patients for their cards, using the MBI Lookup tool in Novitasphere, or checking the remittance advice.

When you write an order or refer a patient for a service or treatment, use your discretion and share the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) with:

  • Lab or diagnostic facilities, especially when they do not see the patient
  • Skilled nursing facilities for transfers between facilities
  • Ambulance transport providers when arranging patient transport
Sponsors
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Take Credit Cards? Is Your Practice Ready for the Oct. 15 EMV Deadline?

Important! What your practice needs to know about switching to EMV: Click here.
Quality Payment Program: Changes in 2020 plus upcoming MIPS dates and deadlines
CORHIO wrote a blog post highlighting changes to MIPS in 2020 and beyond to help you navigate these proposed changes. Read it for information on the performance threshold increase, MIPS performance category weights, cost category proposed changes, promoting interoperability category changes, and improvement activities category changes. Read it here.

Below are important Merit-based Incentive Payment (MIPS) dates and deadlines:

  • Dec. 31 – 2019 Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception and Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Applications deadline
  • Dec. 31 – 2020 virtual group election period closes
  • Jan. 2 – 2019 MIPS performance period data submission window opens
  • March 31 – 2019 MIPS performance period data submission window closes

For more information:


For questions, contact QPP@cms.hhs.gov or 866-288-8292.
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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: Secure Messaging, 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
Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation: Rules 16&18 updates seminars remaining in October (Littleton and Denver) and November (webinar)
The Division of Workers' Compensation offers training sessions to update physicians and practice staff on the important changes to Rules 16 & 18 (the medical fee schedule). Remaining sessions this year will be held in person in Littleton (Oct. 17) and Denver (Oct. 28), and by webinar (Nov. 14). For more information and to register, please visit the DOWC website. The Division of Workers’ Compensation is statutorily required to review the medical fee schedule on an annual basis. The Division hosts a series of annual stakeholder meetings to assist in this process, and the DOWC says these meetings have helped make Colorado a national role model for stakeholder collaboration in payment policy development. Check their website for upcoming events.
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