Wednesday | December 23, 2020
As we continue to struggle with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, illicit drug epidemic, and regulatory tsunami, ASIPP would like to bring you some positive updates.

The paycheck protection program second draw loans are included in the stimulus program, which was passed by Congress and awaits the president’s signature. If signed as is, the program extends the paycheck protection program and adds deductibility for PPE expenses. Under Reopening America, vaccine purchases and distributions will be expanded.
 
It also creates a second loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a second draw loan for smaller and harder-hit businesses, with a maximum amount of $2 million.

Eligibility
In order to receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan under this section, eligible entities must:
  1. Employ not more than 300 employees;
  2. Have used or will use the full amount of the first PPP; and
  3. Demonstrate at least a 25 percent reduction in gross receipts in the first, second, or third quarter of 2020 relative to the same 2019 quarter. Provides applicable timelines for businesses that were not in operation in Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 of 2019. Applications submitted on or after January 1, 2021 are eligible to utilize the gross receipts from the fourth quarter of 2020.

  • Eligible entities must be businesses, certain non-profit organizations, housing cooperatives, veterans’ organizations, tribal businesses, self-employed individuals, sole proprietors, independent contractors, and small agricultural co-operatives.

  • This program also incorporates low-cost loans available for businesses with reduction in their revenues similar to PPP.
Some physicians have already received their third stimulus checks and those who have already applied can expect to receive theirs soon. We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to update you as we learn more. 
The opioid epidemic has captivated the country for a decade, although it lost attention this year in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the life and healthcare of patients with chronic pain and addiction and so many others. The impact of COVID-19 on use of prescription opioids has been modest, with use largely rebounding to baseline levels since June. Still, another year of double-digit declines in prescription opioid use in 2020 is expected to further reduce use in the United States to levels not seen since the early 2000s. While the human toll of the opioid epidemic is being addressed differently across the country, efforts in managing prescription opioids and in supporting medication-assisted treatment are showing measurable progress in many states. 
Data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) indicates that approximately 81,230 drug overdose deaths occurred in the US since May. The most common are overdoses from synthetic opioids such as illicitly manufactured fentanyl.

The CDC's report shows:
  1. A substantial increases in drug overdose deaths across the United States;
  2. A concerning acceleration of the increase in drug overdose deaths;
  3. Significant increases in overdose deaths involving psychostimulants with abuse potential such as methamphetamine.
Congress passed a $900 billion pandemic relief package that would finally deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths.

Lawmakers tacked on a $1.4 trillion catchall spending bill and thousands of pages of other end-of-session business in a massive bundle of bipartisan legislation as Capitol Hill prepared to close the books on the year.
Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a type of headache that is considered to be originated from the upper cervical spine. There are conflicting results in studies showing changes in the cervical spine in patients with CEH. 
Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the second vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The emergency use authorization allows the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. for use in individuals 18 years of age and older.
Reviews appear to be positive for the final revision to regulations on physician self-referral announced late Friday by the Trump administration, but at least one group says the changes don't go far enough.

"This should be recognized as one of the most important health policy achievements of recent years," Mary Grealy, president of the Healthcare Leadership Council.
With Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine being administered across the US and Moderna's likely to be within weeks, the question of whether to get vaccinated is no longer hypothetical.

Federal officials expect that 20 million Americans could be immunized by the end of the year.

By April, vaccines could start being distributed to young, healthy people.

But around four in 10 Americans have said they won't get a coronavirus vaccine, according to several polls (though some said they might change their minds once more people get vaccinated or more information becomes available).
A federal advisory panel is recommending that the next round of coronavirus vaccines be given to teachers, first responders, correction officers and grocery store employees, along with people 75 and older.

But even as the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made its recommendations Sunday on who should be vaccinated next, officials acknowledged that there still isn’t enough vaccine available for people who make up the second and third rounds of vaccinations.
In April, the first recommendation for mask-wearing was to protect others—your family, friends, and the older adult or immunocompromised person at the grocery store. Now, though, the growing body of evidence suggests that wearing a mask to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—is key to protecting yourself too, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As knowledge of masks and their benefits continue to evolve, physicians want patients to know what to look for when choosing one to wear. 

During these hard times, ASIPP® would like to help our members by offering additional benefits for renewing your membership by December 31, 2020.

All sessions from the September 2020 meeting are available through June 2021 for a reduced fee. On-demand registration also provides access to all of the great resources available in the exhibit hall.

Be a part of the ASIPP® 2021 Annual Meeting at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside on June 24-26, 2021.





ASIPP has formed a partnership with Henry Schein and PedsPal,
a national GPO that has a successful history of negotiating better prices on medical supplies and creating value added services for the independent physician. Working with MedAssets, PedsPal provides excellent pricing on products like contrast media that alleviate some of the financial pressures you experience today.

In an effort to further increase value to its physician members, ASIPP has endorsed Willow Risk Advisors as their professional liability insurance broker. Teaming up with the NORCAL group, Willow Risk has developed an exclusive Medical Malpractice Insurance Program tailored specifically to serve interventional pain physicians.

ASIPP is now offering our members the benefit of a unique revenue cycle management/billing service. We have received a tremendous amount of interest in the ASIPP billing and coding program. Click here to learn more about the negotiated rate for practices and more!