Volume 117, No. 11: November 2021 Edition
They Said It...
“There is an under-recognized bunch of men and women out there who are entrepreneur businesspeople working on behalf of patients across the state and nation. Independent physicians are very loyal to patients and patients are loyal back.” Dr. Jaan Sidorov, former CEO for the PA Clinical Network, discussing the future of private-practice physicians. Read more in our latest edition of Philadelphia Medicine magazine.
Things you should know...
Final rule for the CY-2022 Medicare physician fee schedule
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for the Calendar Year-2022 Medicare physician fee schedule. The American Medical Association has thoroughly analyzed the more-than-2,400-page rule and will provide a comprehensive summary in the near future. 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, as averted in 2021 by congressional action.

The policies in the rule are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2022 and cover diverse topics, including the CY 2022 rate setting and Medicare conversion factor, telehealth and other services involving communications technology, and updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) through Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) activities, methodology, and payment adjustments, amongst other provisions.
 
The text of the final rule (scheduled to publish in the Federal Register on November 19, 2021) is here.
 

 
Pfizer hosting vaccine training and education webinars
Pfizer Vaccines U.S. Medical Affairs continues to host daily webinars. In addition to medical updates, these sessions will focus on the storage, handling and administration of available vaccine presentations. The sessions will be updated to reflect new information and changes that evolve. Such updates will be identified at the start of each session and further explained during each presentation.

Please click on the links below to join the sessions at the designated times.

Password: ZMjtfDdn438 

Password: YYkSGJGT848

Password: 8ZGbRrha2f8

Password: PzpX4ZPnT63

Password: YKwPs6P85cH 

Password: S4wspGuhN33

Password: iWpzpvHh667 
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. The American Medical Association and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the Ad Council, launched a new suite of public service advertisements (PSAs) under the theme of “Change the Outcome.”

There is a companion toolkit for medical practices that want to leverage the multimedia campaign. Here is also what is happening locally:
 
AMA STEPS Forward™ Saving Time Playbook offers strategies to improve practice efficiencies
Physician burnout is an epidemic in the U.S. health care system, and time spent on nonpatient-facing tasks in a clinician’s workday is contributing heavily to the problem.

But saving time cannot be accomplished by simply telling physicians to become more efficient. Timesaving efforts need to come from organizational leaders who can affect large-scale change.

The Saving Time Playbook offers strategies and tips that can significantly improve efficiencies in your practice, with highlights from nine AMA STEPS Forward™ toolkits.
Time to get health insurance
The Health Insurance Marketplace opened earlier this month.

The enrollment period ends Jan. 15, 2022. Dec. 15, 2021, is the last day to sign up for health insurance in the Marketplace for an effective date of Jan. 1, 2022.

For virtual materials, including Marketplace promotional materials and customizable materials in various languages, please check out Marketplace Health Insurance Materials.

Patients without insurance can apply for health coverage directly at HealthCare.gov and CuidadoDeSalud.gov. Also, to find local help (navigators, certified application counselors, agents and brokers) 24/7, call the HealthCare.Gov Call Center: 800-318-2596.
Congratulations to PCMS member Syed Moez Shah Bukhari, MD
An internal medicine physician with Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus, PCMS member Syed Moez Shah Bukhari, MD has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) as its October 2021 Everyday Hero Award recipient. PAMED’s Everyday Hero Award, launched in 2018, is designed to showcase talented physicians who go above and beyond in their profession and in providing patient care. Patients and medical colleagues can nominate PAMED member physicians for this award at: www.pamedsoc.org/EverydayHero.
It’s awards season at PCMS
It’s our version of the Oscars, but no acting skills are needed. All you have to do to be honored is be one heck of a good doctor.

Take a careful look around you, then submit nominees for the following Philadelphia County Medical Society Awards:
  
Strittmatter Award: Since 1923, the award has honored a PCMS physician who has demonstrated to the Society the most valuable contributions to the healing art, surgical or medical. Requirements: A physician colleague should submit a nominating letter and include the candidate’s current curriculum vitae.
 
Practitioner of the Year Award: Presented to a PCMS member for excellence in patient care and community service. Requirements: Physician colleagues, medical students and staff may send letters of nomination. Please include examples of community service.
 
The Dr. Vanitha Appadorai Vaidya Award for Humaneness in Medicine: Presented to a PCMS resident/fellow physician for his/her exceptional ability to work with people, patients, and their families, and for his/her understanding of human as well as clinical needs. Requirements: Medical students, physicians and professional staff are urged to submit nominating letters and include written examples of their nominee’s humaneness.
 
Cristol Award: Presented to a PCMS physician member who has made a significant contribution to the Society by furthering and enhancing the educational, scientific and charitable goals, purposes and functions of organized medicine. Requirements: Physicians and medical students are encouraged to submit nominating letters.
 
Send your nomination letters to [email protected]. For more information, call Eileen Ryan at 215-563-5344.
 
You may also mail your letters to:
Award Chair, c/o PCMS, 2100 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA 19130. 
 
Nomination deadline is Friday, March 4, 2022.
When do you think mask-wearing will end?
We would like to hear your opinion about when you think public indoor COVID-19 mask-wearing will end! We're conducting a short, one-question survey, and the results will be featured in our upcoming edition of Philadelphia Medicine magazine.

Take the survey here:
Calendar of Events
2022
Child Abuse Prevention Training Program

Date: To be determined

We recently held our Child Abuse Prevention Training Program on November 9. In case you missed it, we will be holding another course in early 2022. Stay tuned!
Have a suggestion for an article? Contact us at [email protected]!
Connect with us at:
Philadelphia County Medical Society | [email protected]
215-563-5343 | http://philamedsoc.org