ASAP e-newsletter: Sept. 4, 2019
Colorado physicians elect Sami Diab, MD, as CMS president-elect
Sami Diab, MD, a Denver oncologist, was elected CMS president-elect and will be inaugurated in fall 2020. Thank you to all the members who voted during the 2019 Colorado Medical Society leadership election. Thanks, also, to the physician-candidates for stepping up as leaders in the society. 

Re-elected to the Colorado delegation to the American Medical Association were: David Downs, MD, FACP; Carolynn Francavilla Brown, MD; Jan Kief, MD; Rachelle Klammer, MD; Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts, MD; Lynn Parry, MSc, MD; Brigitta Robinson, MD, FACS; and Michael Volz, MD.

Congratulations to these CMS leaders.  Read more here.
CMS Annual Meeting: Registration deadline is midnight Sunday, Sept. 8
Join us in a celebration of the precious role of physicians, Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Last chance! Register to attend the 2019 Colorado Medical Society Annual Meeting, Presidential Celebration and Gala before registration closes Sunday, Sept. 8 at midnight. This signature event will feature free time in the museum in the morning for yourself and all of your guests, three hours of education geared toward the latest knowledge needs for members in all stages of their careers (with free child care provided with advance registration), and a formal gala in the evening to celebrate the inauguration of incoming CMS President David S. Markenson, MD, MBA, and recognize all leaders in organized medicine. Click here for more information, the link to register and more!
Sponsors
CMS submits comments on legislature-directed public option health insurance
The Colorado Medical Society submitted comments on Aug. 30 regarding the potential state health insurance option to supplement previous preliminary recommendations provided in a stakeholder presentation on July 26.  Read the CMS comment letter here. CMS commits to continuing active participation and constructive engagement as the state agencies develop a public option proposal. The 2019 Colorado legislature passed House Bill 19-1004, requiring the Polis Administration to develop and submit a proposal to the General Assembly by Nov. 15 concerning the design, costs, benefits and implementation of a state option for health care coverage. Now that the public comment period has closed, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and Colorado Division of Insurance will spend September drafting the proposal based on comments received, then open a comment period on the proposal in October. Stay tuned for more information on the October comment period.
Sponsors
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.

MAN vs COW: Medjet Member Transport







CMS Member Discounts on Medjet Membership at MEDJET.COM/CMS
Payer issues: We want to hear from you!
CMS, with Colorado MGMA, is gathering intelligence for advocacy efforts
It has been getting harder to keep track of all the payer policy changes. There seems to have been a flurry of them this year (e.g., Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, etc.) that will likely impact your practice. The Colorado Medical Society advocates on behalf of physician practices with payers, regulators and legislators to reduce your hassle factors, ensure fair reimbursements, and ensure proper processing of claims. We need to hear from you about the payer issues you are facing! 

Did you know you have access to a searchable catalog of provider protection statutes that you can use in disputes with health plans? Know Your Legal Rights* 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!

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." We need to hear from you! Please contact us at payerissues@cms.org with your payer issues.

*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
Sponsors
Hear these doctors share how CareAllies helps them.
Register for Syringe Service Programs: State and Local Perspectives on the Role of Policy, Funding and Partnerships - Monday, Sept. 16
The Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health invites you to register for Syringe Service Programs: State and Local Perspectives on the Role of Policy, Funding, and Partnerships. The webinar will be held Monday, Sept. 16, 12-1:15 p.m. MT. Register here. Participants will learn examples from state government of effective implementation of syringe services programs (SSPs) through policy and practice. Presenters will highlight experiences in gaining statewide support and community buy-in, crafting policy and bringing it to practice, and building strong partnerships with local communities to support SSP growth. This webinar is the second in a three-part series addressing SSPs, an important community-based prevention program that can save lives, combat the nation’s opioid crisis, reduce the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C, and support individuals in accessing substance (SUD)/opioid (OUD) use disorder treatment services. A recording of the first webinar in the series, “Syringe Service Programs -- A Critical Public Health Intervention” is available here.
Sponsors
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
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.
Support final Overdose Awareness Day event Sept. 7 in Durango, plus "Bring Naloxone Home" campaign materials are available
One Overdose Awareness Day Event remains in Colorado, 1-3 p.m. on Sept. 7, at Buckley Park in Durango. For more information about all 2019 events, visit www.OverdoseDay.com and find ‘Colorado’ under ‘Participate' and 'Activities 2019.’ 

Along with remembrance, the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention hopes to bring attention to the hope of overdose prevention. Find materials for the Bring Naloxone Home campaign at www.bringnaloxonehome.org/resources.
Sponsors
Sunflower Bank has a specialized team and a suite of banking solutions dedicated to meeting the needs of medical professionals and your practices. We have up to 100% financing programs with low rates for practice acquisitions and start-ups, partner buy-in/buy-out, refinancing of existing practice debt, and upgrading or replacing equipment.

Contact Dave Dyer | VP, Business Banking | 303-620-7174 | Dave.Dyer@SunflowerBank.com
&
Relationship Loan: Experience the Value of Partnership

Features and Benefits:
  • Up to 100% financing* option available on primary residency
  • Purchase or rate term refinance
  • Gift funds are allowed
  • "Follow the Client" option with documented evidence of a "full banking relationship" with Sunflower Bank or First National 1870*

Contact Fred Smith, Mortgage Loan Originator | 303-489-5782 |
2019 Provider Education Symposium: Call for abstracts for poster session on opioid epidemic work
Registration is open for the 2019 Provider Education Symposium hosted by the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention. It will be held Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, 5:30 - 9 p.m., at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Register here. Registration, a poster session, and hors d'oeuvres will be available at 5 p.m. This event is free of charge. Consider submitting an abstract for the poster session that highlights your work related to the opioid crisis in Colorado. The deadline to submit an abstract is Sept. 6. Read more here.

This year, the Consortium is collaborating with Boston University School of Medicine to present SCOPE (Safer/Competent Opioid Prescribing Education) of Pain. SCOPE of Pain is an in-depth training that focuses on effective communication skills and the potential risks and benefits of opioids for managing acute and chronic pain. The training includes the assessment of opioid misuse risk and recognition and treatment of opioid use disorder. Earn credits for CME and ABIM MOC Part II. For more information, contact Susanna.Cooper@cuanschutz.edu.
Sponsors
Gain deeper engagement, better-informed patients, and more reimbursement opportunities with mCharts, the personal longitudinal health record empowering both patients and clinicians to improve health. www.mCharts.com, sales@mCharts.com, (719) 930-6024
Keep up the pressure: Reach out to your federal congressional representatives on surprise billing
The Physicians Advocacy Institute (PAI) has been working with state medical associations to promote a fair, balanced federal solution for "surprise" medical billing. Organized medicine is supporting the bipartisan approach in H.R. 3502 sponsored by Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD (D-CA) and Rep. Phil Roe, MD (R-TN). The insurer-championed payment benchmark that is included in the House Energy and Commerce legislation, H.R. 3630, and the Senate HELP legislation, S.B.1895 would devastate physician practices by giving insurers full rate-setting authority, undermining provider networks and causing even more consolidation. Now that Congress has returned from their August recess, physician organizations are working to flood Congressional offices with communications from constituents expressing support for the Ruiz-Roe framework and voicing concerns about the negative impact on patient access to key physician services should the insurer-backed approach prevail.

To build on efforts to date, PAI partnered with FreeRoots to develop a grassroots initiative to help promote engagement by physicians. Click here to try out this free and easy-to-navigate tool, which allows physicians to take five minutes or less to communicate with their members of Congress in several different ways, simply by entering your zip code.
Sponsors
Compliments of CMS: Reduce patient callbacks, HIPAA compliant, RX Savings up to 75%, click for free customization COLORADO DRUG CARD.
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