Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It |
|
COVID-19 Updates
On Wednesday the FDA authorized booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccines. It also updated its authorization for all three vaccines — Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer — to allow medical providers to boost people with a different COVID vaccine than the one they initially received. It did not recommend any one vaccine over another as a booster, and also remained silent on whether it is preferable to stick with the same vaccine when possible.
The Biden administration, anticipating that the FDA and the CDC will make COVID vaccines available to 5- to 11-year-olds in the coming weeks, laid out plans on Wednesday to ensure that some 25,000 pediatric or primary care offices, thousands of pharmacies, and hundreds of school and rural health clinics will be ready to administer shots if the vaccine receives federal authorization.
Effective Oct. 18, Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Xavier Becerra has renewed the nationwide COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for an additional 90 days. The COVID-19 PHE was first declared on Jan. 27, 2020, and has been renewed every 90 days since then. The current extension of the PHE will take it into late January 2022.
Solano County reported on Wednesday that 79% of residents 16 years and older have received at least one COVID vaccine dose, and 68% are fully vaccinated.
Napa County reported on Tuesday that 93% of residents 16 years and older have received at least one COVID vaccine dose, and 85% are fully vaccinated.
Solano County reports that, as of October 21, it has given more than 557,000 vaccinations (first and second doses). As of October 14, ICU capacity in the county is 12% with 12 confirmed COVID patients hospitalized.
Napa County reports that as of October 21, more than 205,000 vaccine doses have been administered by the county. As of October 14, ICU capacity is 1% with 5 COVID patients in ICU.
Apply by October 26 for Provider Relief Fund Distribution
All physicians may apply for Phase 4 funding from the HHS Provider Relief Fund to assist physician practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians will be reimbursed for their revenue losses and increased COVID-related expenses from July 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021 (as compared to revenues in 2019). There will be bonus payments for physicians treating Medicaid/CHIP patients. Small practices will receive a higher percentage of their lost revenues and increased expenses. Applications must be received before midnight, October 26, 2021.
ICYMI: Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Treatment for COVID Now Available in Napa
Eligible patients in Napa who have tested positive for COVID-19 and show signs of likely progression toward hospitalization can now receive monoclonal antibody infusion therapy. The one-time infusion, which was authorized by the FDA for emergency use in the treatment of COVID-19, may help keep certain individuals with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 from progressing in their illness and may make it less likely for them to be hospitalized. The antibodies used in the therapy are similar to the ones your body makes naturally in response to an infection. For more information on the therapy, eligibility, and how to schedule an appointment, please see the attached flyer.
|
|
New California Law Expands Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences
A bill co-sponsored by the California Medical Association, SB 428 (Hurtado), the ACEs Equity Act, was recently enacted to expand health insurance coverage for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) screening. It applies to all health care service plan contracts, including Medi-Cal managed care plan contracts, and health insurance policies issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, that provide coverage for pediatric services and preventive care. All physicians, particularly Medi-Cal providers, are encouraged to receive a free, two-hour training to learn how to screen for ACEs; physicians can receive 2 CME credits and 2 MOC credits upon completion. |
|
Doctors Ask CMS to Enforce Rules on Zero-Fee EFT Payments
The California Medical Association has joined other medical and specialty societies to express strong concerns over unfair business practices around electronic payments. CMA has for many years urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to clarify and enforce the right of physicians to receive electronic payments via the Automated Clearing House electronic funds transfer (EFT) standard without being forced to pay percentage-based fees for “value-added” services. 57% of medical practices reported that health plans charge fees that the practice has not agreed to when sending payments via EFT, with 86% reporting average fees of 2 –3% of the claim payment. Read the joint letter that was sent to CMS by the medical and specialty societies here. |
|
Aetna to Halt Paper Checks and Remittances by September 2022
The payor said it plans to transition to the exclusive use of electronic remittance advices (ERA), electronic funds transfer (EFT) and electronic explanation of benefit (EOB) statements for all participating and non-participating providers by September 2022. This method is beneficial to payors, but costly for physicians. Health plans often receive cash-back incentives from credit card companies for VCC transactions. Meanwhile, VCC payments are subject to transaction and interchange fees, which are borne by the physician practice and can run as high as 5% per transaction. Physicians can avoid these interchange fees by enrolling in EFT. |
|
NSMS 2021 Awards Gala Now On-Demand!
Miss the NSMS Virtual Awards Gala last Friday? Watch it on-demand here! For this year’s event, we created a cocktail together LIVE, heard an address from the president of the American Medical Association, and honored the following Napa-Solano physicians for their achievements in medicine: Dr. Larry Cooney, Lifetime Achievement Award; Dr. David Pratt, Physician of the Year (Napa); and Dr. Tessa Stecker, Physician of the Year (Solano). And huge thank-yous to our event sponsors: MIEC, Partnership HealthPlan of California, Touro University California, and Bay Imaging Consultants Medical Group!
|
|
Dues Discount Ends December 15
NSMS 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!
|
|
Available on demand
Member $29.00 | Non-member $79.00
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.
|
|
Tuesdays through December 14
Free to attend | CME Available | Presented by CMA
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.
|
|
Wednesday, October 27, 2021 | 12:15 – 1:15 PM
FREE for members & members’ staff | Presented by CMA
Three different value-based care programs will be discussed: the Primary Care Reimagined program, the Medicare Shared Savings Program, and PBGH’s California Quality Collaborative’s Advanced Primary Care Standards. Learn about these models and what the shift toward value-based care means for you and your practice. Members’ staff: To receive a promo code for free registration, email Becky Paplanus at events@cmadocs.org with your physician’s California medical license number. |
|
Thursday, October 28, 2021 | 12:15 – 1:15 PM
FREE | Presented by CMA and DHCS
On January 1, 2022, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will be transitioning all Medi-Cal pharmacy services from managed care to fee-for-service. Under this program, most physicians who write prescriptions for Medi-Cal or Medi-Cal managed care patients will use a new secure portal for key prescribing functions, such as:
- Prior authorization information and instructions
- Beneficiary eligibility lookup
- Claims submission, activities, and inquiries
This webinar will review what’s changing, what’s staying the same, how to sign up to use the new portal, and where to go to learn more.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
