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!

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.

 

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.

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. 

ACCMA History Book Now Available

Read about ACCMA’s quest during the years 1945–55 to embrace its mantra, “Medical Care for All, Regardless,” in a book just published by the ACCMA this month. One lesson everyone will take away from this book is that physicians have the capacity to influence major challenges affecting our society when they collectively set their sights on doing so. 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. Former ACCMA Executive Director Donald Waters, author of “Medical Care for All, Regardless,” will present highlights from the book via Zoom in a program hosted by UCSF Department of Archives on November 17. Stay tuned!

Join us on Thursday, October 7, at 6 PM for an online presentation by Reji Varghese, Deputy Director of the Medical Board of California. He will discuss the process of evaluation and intervention, the second phase of the Death Certificate Project investigation, and the current status of the Physician Health Program. All ACCMA members are welcome to join this meeting of our Advisory Committee for Physician Wellbeing for this informative presentation and discussion. If you would like to attend and/or have questions you’d like Mr. Varghese to address, email rsvp@accma.org. 

How to Make Sense of COVID Data in the Delta Era, The Atlantic, 9/14/21

Over Half of States Have Rolled Back Public Health Powers in Pandemic, Kaiser Health News, 9/15/21 

New Staff Onboarding Series

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.

Click here to register. 

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.

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.

Two of the most pressing issues facing medical practices now are telehealth and COVID-19 vaccine administration. This webinar will help ensure that your practice can avoid billing challenges with both of these crucial services. 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.

Register here. 

Join us for an online presentation by Reji Varghese, Deputy Director of the Medical Board of California. He will discuss the process of evaluation and intervention, the second phase of the Death Certificate Project investigation, and the current status of the Physician Health Program. All ACCMA members are welcome to join this meeting of our Advisory Committee for Physician Wellbeing for this informative presentation and discussion.

If you would like to attend, email rsvp@accma.org. 

Learn more and register here.

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.

Click here to register.

Medical Staff Policies Related to Use of Cannabis Products and New Therapeutic Agents

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.

Register here by October 19. 

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.

Click here to register.