Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It |
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COVID-19 Updates
FDA Votes on Booster Vaccine on Friday
An outside advisory committee is scheduled to meet on Friday to recommend whether the FDA should approve Pfizer’s application for a booster coronavirus shot. On Wednesday agency regulators released their first analysis of the application, examining safety and immune response data on roughly 300 adults who received a booster shot of the vaccine six months after their second dose. They found an increased immune response and no serious safety concerns in study participants, though they also said vaccines were holding up powerfully against severe forms of Covid‑19.
Deadline Extended to October 15 for CalVaxGrant Application
Under CalVaxGrant, a new state program to increase COVID‑19 vaccination rates, physicians and medical practices can apply to receive up to $55,000 in reimbursement for related expenses incurred since November 2020 and through November 2021. Qualifying expenses include staffing and training (most common expenses), technology, infrastructure, supplies and equipment, and administrative overhead. Apply before October 15 at calvaxgrant.org.
Spreading COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation Might Risk Medical License
The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) recently released a statement in response to a dramatic increase in the dissemination of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and disinformation by physicians and other health care professionals on social media platforms, online and in the media. According to the statement, providing misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine contradicts physicians’ ethical and professional responsibilities, and therefore may subject a physician to disciplinary actions, including suspension or revocation of their medical license.
The Vacaville City Council voted on Tuesday to require face masks indoors in city buildings and during certain outdoors activities. Twenty-nine city employees, some vaccinated, tested positive for COVID in August; others missed work for testing and quarantine due to workplace exposures. Vacaville has the lowest vaccination rate among residents 12 and older (68.3%) among the seven Solano County cities.
Solano County reported on Wednesday that 76% of residents 16 years and older have received at least one COVID vaccine dose, and 64% are fully vaccinated.
Napa County reported on Tuesday that 85% of residents 16 years and older have received at least one COVID vaccine dose, and 88% are fully vaccinated.
Solano County reports that, as of September 16, it has given more than 515,000 vaccinations (first and second doses). As of September 9, ICU capacity in the county is at 6% with 28 confirmed COVID patients hospitalized.
Napa County reports that as of September 16, more than 193,000 vaccine doses have been administered by the county. As of September 9, ICU capacity was 9% with 5 COVID patients in ICU.
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We Need Your Help to Block Looming Medicare Payment Cuts
Three Medicare payment reductions are going into effect on January 1, 2022, that add up to a combined 9.75% payment cut. Reps. Ami Bera, MD (D‑CA) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R‑IN) are highlighting the dangers these cuts could have on physicians’ ability to provide quality care for their patients if Congress fails to enact legislation to address them. Reps. Bera and Bucshon are asking their colleagues in the House of Representatives to add their names to a “Dear Colleague” letter, and you can, too, by contacting your representative and asking them to sign on! |
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DCA Extends License Re-Activation Waiver
The Department of Consumer Affairs issued DCA‑21‑187 extending the temporary waiver of continuing education requirements and payment of required fees for individuals seeking to restore a retired/inactive license until November 1, 2021, or when the State of Emergency ceases to exist, whichever is sooner. DCA‑21‑187 may be amended as circumstances require. |
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CMA Submits Comments on Federal Surprise Billing Regs
The No Surprises Act bans balance billing for out-of-network services starting in 2022 to protect patients and establishes a baseball arbitration-style independent dispute resolution (IDR) process to allow physicians and insurers to resolve their payment differences. Overall, CMA continues to believe that the act is a mostly balanced solution. However, CMA’s foremost concern is that the proposed Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA) median contracted rate is not appropriately calculated to reflect prevailing median contracted rates in private markets and that this artificially lower median rate will cause the same problems experienced in California after implementation of AB 72. |
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Coalition to Support Independent Practices in Leading Value-Based Care
In what amounts to a perfect storm of payment reductions going into effect on January 1, 2022, physician practices face Medicare cuts on multiple fronts that amount to a combined 9.75% cut. This would directly impact Medicare patients’ ability to access care. And all of this comes at a time when physician practices are still recovering from the exhaustion and financial instability of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Although not all of the cuts are under CMS jurisdiction, CMA is urging CMS to stop the 3.75% budget neutrality cuts that do fall under the agency’s purview, and to reduce the QPP reporting burdens. |
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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.
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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.
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September 21 – January 18
CME Available
Registration is now open for the 2021–2022 Physician Leadership Program, from the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association (ACCMA), is an innovative program developed in 2016 by physician leaders in collaboration with faculty from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and Haas School of Business. Participants will enhance their leadership effectiveness, learn from nationally recognized experts, expand their network with local colleagues, and will gain practical skills and insights directly applicable to their practice opportunities and challenges. Participants can earn a Certificate of Completion and up to 24 hours of CME credit.
Discounts for medical society members and groups are available! Find out more and register here.
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Thursday, September 23, 2021, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Hybrid meeting: In person (Los Angeles) and virtual
State of Reform, one of the most important statewide events in California health care, pulls together practitioners, thought leaders and policymakers — each working to improve our health care system in their own way — into a unified conversation in a single place. Choose to attend in person or virtually; registration fee varies. CMA members receive a 20% discount on registration with promo code CMA20.
For more information and to register, click here.
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Friday, October 8 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Discounts for Members; Free for Medical Resident and Student Members | Presented by CMA
The NEPO Summit is known for bringing together some of the most diverse voices in medicine and providing an opportunity to discuss critical topics in health care through the lens of multiculturalism and health equity. This year’s online event will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions. In the morning session, experts will discuss how an awareness of Cultural and Linguistic Competency (CLC) and Implicit Bias (IB) can benefit physicians and patients alike. The afternoon session will focus on issues of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), health outcome disparities in the Asian American and Pacific Islander American communities, and physician wellness.
Learn more and register here.
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Friday, October 15 | 6:00 to 7:00 PM
Online | Free to NSMS members, $50 for non-members
Celebrate your physician colleagues, win raffle prizes, and learn how to make a classy cocktail from an experienced bartender. Register for this year’s virtual gala by Oct. 1 and receive a FREE delivery of cocktail ingredients to your front door so that you can join us in making a drink live during the event. The theme of the drink will be “The Doctor is Gin.” Raffle prizes include hot air balloon rides, signed SF Giants memorabilia, bike rentals, wine, and more!
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Friday, October 15, 6:00 – 9:30 PM
Chardonnay Golf Club, American Canyon, CA
FREE FOR MEMBERS + ONE GUEST | $125 FOR NON-MEMBERS
Join us for an evening of entertainment and great food as we celebrate the following physicians for their achievements in medicine and recognize the Napa-Solano medical community for coming together during a historically challenging time. Physician of the Year: David Pratt, MD (Napa), Tessa Stecker (Solano). Lifetime Achievement: Lawrence Cooney, MD (Solano).
Register here (your NSMS username and password is the same as your CMA login). For questions, contact Griffin Rogers, NSMS Director, at grogers@napasolanodocs.org or (707) 255‑2544.
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Register now and the on-demand program will be provided to you on date of release
On demand | Available Friday, October 15
FREE | CME Available
Review some of the most critical privacy and security standards in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Rules. In this one-hour webinar with expert HIPAA and practice management consultant David Ginsberg, you will receive important updates on who is covered, what information is protected, how you can stay secure in the Information Age, and how to avoid costly mistakes, as well as learning what is new for compliance. For questions, contact Jenn Mullins, Education and Event Associate, at jmullins@accma.org.
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Thursday, October 21 | noon – 1:30 PM
$50 or $75 for 2–3 physicians from same hospital/group | CME Available | Presented by CPPPH/CSAM
This webinar will focus on what medical staff/medical group policy makers need to know about physicians’ use of drugs that are no longer “illegal,” for example, cannabis products and psychoactive agents that are being used therapeutically.
Speakers: Greg Skipper, MD; John G. Rosenberg, MD, MPH; and David M. Balfour, MD
Register here by October 19.
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Thursday, October 21 | 6:15 – 7:30 PM
FREE | CME Available
In this webinar, we will start with the core — you — and then expand. You will have time to think about your attitudes, the way you treat yourself and others, how you spend your time, your purpose, and resilience. The speaker is Linda Clever, MD, of RENEW. For questions, contact Jenn Mullins, Education and Event Associate, at jmullins@accma.org. |
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