They Said It...
"Things here are different, because although the quality and technology is higher in the United States, the relationship between doctors and their patients in Bolivia is much closer. You have more time to be with your patients. It is very important to get the connection with the patients and you need to spend time. Maybe here it was the same in the past, but now with the number of patients we have, you don't have the time to spend with your patients. There, the doctor is part of the family." Current PCMS President Dr. Ricardo Morgenstern recounting his experiences in medicine in both his native Bolivia and the US. You can read more about his history and goals as PCMS President in our Summer 2022 edition of Philadelphia Medicine magazine.
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Things you should know... |
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Why we must reform the Medicare physician payment system |
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Diverting the Medicare physician payment system away from its current unsustainable path and steering it instead toward physician practice sustainability will protect patient access to quality, evidence-based care while easing administrative burdens. The AMA and many other multiple state and national medical societies have outlined a practical, commonsense approach reforming Medicare physician reimbursement based on the principles of simplicity, relevance, alignment and predictability.
Taking inflation in practice costs into account, Medicare physician payment plunged 20% from 2001 to 2021. Medicare spending on physician services per enrollee retreated by 1% between 2010 and 2020, even as spending per enrollee for other parts of Medicare jumped by between 3.6% and 42.1%.
Leading the charge to reform Medicare physician payment is a core element of the AMA’s Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians, along with fixing prior authorization, supporting telehealth, reducing physician burnout and stopping scope of practice creep.
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CDC has updated its COVID-19 guidance for community settings as part of an effort to reduce COVID-19's disruption of daily life. The guidance continues to promote mask-wearing and staying up to date with vaccination, as well as isolating when you have COVID-19, while updating COVID-19 exposure recommendations from quarantining to mask-wearing and testing.
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PDPH Update - Candida auris in PA Healthcare Facilities
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The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) and Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) are reminding you to have heightened awareness for C. auris in patients and to take action to contain the spread.
In March 2020, the first confirmed case of C. auris was detected in Pennsylvania. Since then, cases have continued to increase. To date, 144 cases of C. auris infection and colonization have been identified in patients in 24 healthcare facilities across Allegheny, Bucks, Dauphin, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.
C. auris is a fungus that presents a serious global health threat. It is often resistant to antifungal drugs commonly used to treat Candida infections, is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings. C. auris infection has been identified in many body sites including bloodstream, urine, respiratory tract, wounds, and external ear canal. Based on information from a limited number of patients, CDC reports that 30–60% of people with C. auris infections have died. Many of these people had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death.
DOH and PDPH recommend that healthcare facilities and providers:
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Develop and maintain C. auris action plans to assure measures are in place should a patient with C. auris be detected in, or transferred to, the facility.
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Maintain vigilance for clinical illness that could be consistent with C. auris, particularly in patients at higher risk.
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Deliver education to staff and providers about C. auris and the infection prevention and control measures necessary to contain it.
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Medical doctors must renew their medical licenses by December 31 (Osteopathic physicians by October 31) of every even-number year in order to retain the right to engage in the practice of medicine. This process has not yet begun for the upcoming cycle; however, it is important that you keep the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) up to date with your current mailing address.
Your license renewal application will be mailed by the Board of Medicine to the address on file and it cannot be forwarded. Thus, if you have moved since your current license was issued, you are encouraged to file a change of address with the BPOA. Call (717) 787-8503.
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Health Care and Climate bill passes House |
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The House passed a bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, on Friday which includes updates to climate change policies and health care coverage. The bill is expected to be signed into law this week. Key provisions include:
- Lowering drug prices through mandatory negotiations via CMS, as well as other Medicare updates
- Extending Affordable Care Act adjustments through 2025.
- Tax credits for producing electricity from renewable resources, among other energy and climate change provisions
- Reducing the deficit via corporate tax reform and increased IRS funding
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Monkeypox vaccination strategy in Philadelphia |
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Monkeypox cases continue to rise in Philadelphia, with 84 cases as of August 3. The Philadelphia Health Department is implementing a single dose vaccination strategy to make vaccine available to those at highest risk of exposure to monkeypox, and plans to expand eligibility and give second doses as more supply becomes available. This strategy is consistent with the monkeypox vaccine distribution strategy in the UK, Canada and New York City. Until there is sufficient supply in Philadelphia, all vaccine doses will be treated as first doses, and second dose appointments will be scheduled once enough vaccine is available.
To learn more about the Health Department’s vaccination strategy and for guidance on monkeypox cases, click here.
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CONTRACT CORNER BRIEFS
by Karen E. Davidson, Esquire
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FOUNDATIONAL UNDERSTANDING.
Building on last month’s Contract Corner Brief, one of the 4-pillars of physician employment contracts is compensation including how the “dollars” align with the position. That is, does the aggregate annual compensation line-up with physician’s obligations (such as the number of patient care hours, call, etc.) and benchmark data for the applicable specialty. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) national and regional data (for academic and non-academic positions) can be a helpful guide, especially for physicians (mid-career or otherwise) who know their personal production. One point of negotiation – physicians may want to seek a commitment for compensation to increase over time (such as yearly during a multi-year contract). Doing so can be impactful because employers often limit increases to a certain percentage of the annual amounts paid during the previous year.
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Child Abuse Prevention Training Program
Date: Tuesday, September 13
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Our upcoming Child Abuse Prevention Training Program for the 2022 licensing cycle will be taking place on Sept. 13. All physicians renewing their license are required to submit documentation to verify the completion of at least two hours of approved continuing education in child abuse recognition. The program will be conducted as a Zoom video conference.
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Mindfulness with Dr. Lopez
Date: Friday, Sept. 16 and Friday, Oct. 28
Time: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Practicing mindfulness can assist with uncertainty about the future, depression, fear of recurrence, and anxiety. It can also mitigate physical symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbances. Dr. Ana Maria Lopez will lead us through beneficial mindfulness techniques during this session.
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Introducing MD Office Insights, a healthcare consulting firm specifically designed to show medical practice managers proven methods to maximize provider reimbursement and improve payer relations. MD Office Insights offers time-saving and cost-effective strategies that will take a medical practice from the cycle of chasing denials to knowing exactly how to address them. Identify the metrics that matter, streamline the recovery process and remove the frustration and confusion in the claim denial and revenue reconciliation process.
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