Passing of Alameda County Board Supervisor Wilma Chan

We are extremely saddened to report that Alameda County Board Supervisor Wilma Chan passed away on October 3. She was a passionate, warm, caring champion for underserved patients and the loss of her leadership in our community will be deeply felt. Please keep her family, friends, and staff in your thoughts. 

CMS Releases Final Rule for CY22 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

The final rule for the CY22 Medicare physician fee schedule confirms the cuts that are in store that Congress must address before the end of the year. Notably, the 2022 Medicare conversion factor will be reduced by approximately 3.85% from 34.8931 (2021) to 33.5983. This is largely a result of the expiration of a 3.75% increase to the conversion factor at the end of calendar year 2021. The ACCMA has been urging local Congressional representatives to stop three Medicare payment reductions, which add up to a combined 9.75%, from going into effect on January 1. 

My Green Doctor: A New Money-Saving ACCMA Membership Benefit

My Green Doctor is a new, free money-saving ACCMA membership benefit. It is about creating a sustainable environmental sustainability program for your office. You or your office manager will add just five minutes of “My Green Doctor” to each regular office meeting agenda. Everything to do is scripted in the “Meeting-by-Meeting Guide” so there’s nothing to study in advance. With each meeting, you’ll make small changes that over time mean big improvements in your uses of energy, water, chemicals, paper, food, and other supplies. Your office will benefit from My Green Doctor’s library of educational brochures, bringing home wise choices. This is how we can help prepare our patients for the health effects of climate change. Use your ACCMA membership to register today as a Partner Society Member for free. Go to www.MyGreenDoctor.org or www.MyGreenDoctor.es (in Spanish), click the black “Click Here to Join My Green Doctor” button, and select Partner Society Member. The discount code to use My Green Doctor and save $60 per year is MGDACCMA. 

The CMA recently testified before the US Department of Education, urging it to fix the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to ensure qualifying California and Texas physicians can receive federal loan forgiveness consistent with their colleagues in every other state. CMA has been advocating for a fix for many years, but regulators have been unwilling to reopen the regulations and fix the PSLF program to allow all eligible California and Texas physicians to participate. The department recently announced, however, plans to transform and improve the PSLF through the negotiated rulemaking process.

 

On January 1, 2022, the DHCS will transition all Medi-Cal pharmacy services from managed care to fee-for-service (FFS). The CMA encourages physicians, particularly those who currently prescribe medications for Medi-Cal patients, to register for the secure Medi-Cal Rx Provider Portal as soon as possible and ensure you are prepared for the upcoming transition to avoid any disruptions in patient care.

New CA Law Requires Timely Follow-up Care for Mental Health Issues

 

A law (SB 221) signed by Gov. Newsom on Oct. 8 requires that mental health and substance abuse patients be offered return appointments no more than 10 days after a previous session, unless their provider approves less frequent visits. The law takes effect on July 1, 2022.

Extension to File MIPS Hardship Requests

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reopened its reweighting request period for performance categories during the 2020 MIPS program year. Physicians, groups, virtual groups and alternative payment model (APM) entities now have through Nov. 29 to submit a request for the reweighting of one or more of the MIPS performance categories, which are: quality, cost, promoting interoperability, and improvement activities.

CalHealthCares Loan Repayment Program Opens January 24

 

CalHealthCares administers loan repayment on educational debt for California physicians and dentists who provide care to Medi-Cal patients. Eligible physicians can apply for up to $300,000 in loan repayment in exchange for a five-year service obligation. Webinars to assist in the application process will begin in early January. Click here for eligibility requirements and to find out more. 

ACCMA History Talk on November 17

Former ACCMA Executive Director Donald Waters, author of “Medical Care for All, Regardless,” will present highlights from the book via Zoom in a program hosted by UCSF Department of Archives on November 17 from noon to 1:10 pm. You can attend by clicking here; registration is limited. Mr. Waters will discuss ground-breaking programs launched by the ACCMA in 1945 that boldly guaranteed high-quality medical care to everyone in the community. The book, which was published last month, is available for download here or members can request a hard copy by contacting the ACCMA at (510) 654‑5383 or accma@accma.org.

Dues Discount Ends December 15 

ACCMA members who renew their 2022 membership by December 15 qualify for a 5% discount on their dues. Click here to pay your dues online. Nonmembers who join now and pay in full for 2022 will receive the remaining months of this year for free. Click here to join now!

He Can’t Cure His Dad. But a Scientist’s Research May Help Everyone Else. The New York Times, 11/4/21

Labs With No One to Run Them: Why Public Health Workers are Fleeing the Field, Kaiser Health News, 11/2/21

Why Is Delta so infectious? New Lab Tool Spotlights Little Noticed Mutation That Speeds Viral Spread, Science, 11/4/21

Black Women in Medicine Stress Importance of Building Support Networks, MedPage Today, 11/4/21 

New Staff Onboarding Series

Now available! Current and new staff can receive on-demand training on HIPAA, OSHA, and customer service. Intended for all staff encountering patients in person or by telephone, this course covers customer service techniques, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). For questions, contact Jenn Mullins, Education and Event Associate, at jmullins@accma.org.

Click here to register. 

The California Medical Association's (CMA) wellness program (CMA Wellness) is pleased to launch free, online wellness engagement groups for health care providers who conduct patient screenings for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Treating patients with multiple ACEs or toxic stress can potentially impact your personal wellness and increase feelings of burnout. CMA Wellness's engagement groups will support providers by offering subject matter experts, best practices, and an open forum to share experiences, facilitated by trained, volunteer physicians. Each monthly webinar is organized around a prevailing theme with a stakeholder co-host to provide a variety of perspectives with a general discussion and breakout rooms. Registration is required, and providers will be joining the Tuesday series for a 6‑month duration.

For more information and to register, click here.

Virtual Grand Rounds: Spotlight on COVID-19 Vaccines

Register here.

"Medical Care for All, Regardless”

Wednesday, November 17 | noon to 1:10 PM

FREE | Presented by UCSF Library Archives & Bay Area History of Medicine Society

Former ACCMA Executive Director Donald Waters, author of “Medical Care for All, Regardless,” will present highlights from the book, which covers ground-breaking programs launched by the ACCMA in 1945 that boldly guaranteed high-quality medical care to everyone in the community. The book is available for download here or members can request a hard copy by contacting the ACCMA at (510) 654‑5383 or accma@accma.org.

Register here; registration is limited.