FAQ: Do service dogs have to be accommodated in a physician's office? Physicians are asked to accommodate service dogs in their offices with increasing frequency. The law generally requires a place of public accommodation, like a physician's office, to permit service dogs where customers would normally be allowed so long as providing the accommodation is reasonable and necessary. However, what constitutes a service dog is not always obvious as many people also have companion animals or emotional support animals they wish to bring. The law does not require companion animals to be accommodated in the same way as service animals. To help ... July 15, 2014 General ADA/Discrimination, Disabilities, Access to Care, Legal Issues 0 0 Comment Read More »
DEA makes tramadol a Schedule IV drug Effective August 18, 2014, tramadol will be classified as a Schedule IV drug, according to a rule recently published by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The drug had been a non-controlled substance under federal law for almost 20 years. According to the DEA, the abuse of tramadol products has increased over the last several years, with it being used as a substitute for other opioids such as hydrocodone. Tramadol is a centrally acting synthetic opioid analgesic used in the management of moderate to moderately severe pain in adults. Tramadol ... July 15, 2014 General Drug Prescribing, Prescription Drugs, Drug Dispensing, Quality of Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA files brief with California Supreme Court in MICRA constitutionality case The California Medical Association (CMA), along with the California Dental Association and the California Hospital Association filed an amicus brief with the California Supreme Court urging the common sense application of our state’s landmark Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA), which allows non-economic damage awards up to $250,000 and unlimited economic damage awards for all past and future medical costs, lost wages and earning capacity. This case is just the latest in many legal challenges to MICRA that have been funded by trial lawyer groups from across the country. In ... July 15, 2014 General Legal Advocacy, MICRA, Professional Liability, Amicus Briefs 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ Expands Peer Review Services Does your medical staff need help with peer review? The Institute for Medical Quality is expanding its services to include Clinical Case Review of individual cases and Judicial Review services in addition to our existing Comprehensive Peer Review services. Through off-site patient chart review, an IMQ Clinical Case Review consultation provides an objective evaluation of the clinical practice of one or more physician members of a hospital medical staff, physician group, or ambulatory care practice through peer review of selected cases. IMQ's involvement is especially helpful when an organization will ... July 7, 2014 General IMQ, Peer Review Services, Institute for Medical Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
MICRA lawsuit measure assigned proposition number The unprecedentedly broad and diverse coalition working to defeat the trial lawyers’ MICRA lawsuit measure is now officially the “No On 46” campaign, following the assignment of proposition numbers to qualified ballot measures by the Secretary of State’s Office on Monday. If approved by voters, Proposition 46 would increase health costs, reduce access to care and threaten patient privacy, all to make it easier and more profitable for lawyers to sue doctors and hospitals. In addition to increasing the overall number of medical lawsuits and the cost of health care ... July 3, 2014 General Professional Liability, MICRA 0 0 Comment Read More »
Despite CMA concerns, United moves forward with Premium Designation program Sidestepping concerns voiced by the California Medical Association (CMA), United Healthcare is proceeding with the rollout of its "Premium Designation" physician performance program in California. Physicians who wish to request a reconsideration of their Premium Designation status before the results are displayed publicly in the insurers’ network directory on August 6, must do so no later than July 16. CMA had urged United Healthcare to delay implementation for a minimum of six months to allow time for the insurer to address deficiencies with the program and to allow physicians the ... July 1, 2014 Managed Care Managed Care, United Healthcare, Insurance/Reimbursement 0 0 Comment Read More »
Special discount for CMA members - AAPC Regional Conference in Anaheim California Medical Association (CMA) members can save $130 on a conference registration and hotel package for AAPC's Regional Conference at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, September 18-20, 2014. CMA members and their staff pay just $795 for conference registration plus two nights at the Disneyland Hotel—the lowest price AAPC is offering anywhere! The conference includes more than 50 educational sessions, covering hot topics in coding, auditing, practice management, compliance and electronic health records. There are tracks in ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, medical auditing and practice management. You can earn up to 19 ... July 1, 2014 General ICD-10, Conferences 0 0 Comment Read More »
California family leave program to expand effective July 1 Beginning on July 1, California's paid family leave (PFL) program will be expanded to provide benefits to workers who take time off of work to care for a seriously ill parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild or sibling. This change was prompted by the passage of Senate Bill 770, which was signed into law by Governor Brown on September 24, 2013. Currently, PFL is only available to workers who take time off of work to care for a seriously ill child, parent, spouse or registered domestic partner, or to bond with a minor ... July 1, 2014 General Paid Family Leave (PFL), CMA On-Call, State Disability Insurance (SDI) 0 0 Comment Read More »
Error on Anthem ID cards results in claim denials In late March, the California Medical Association (CMA) began receiving complaints from physicians in San Diego, Orange and Bay Area counties about denials from Anthem Blue Cross. Practices reported that patients presented to their offices with Anthem ID cards that indicated they had a Covered California/mirror PPO product and subsequent eligibility verification also indicated the patient had a PPO product. However, Anthem later denied the claims stating the services were not covered under the patients' benefit plans because they received services from out-of-network providers. CMA escalated the issue to Anthem and ... July 1, 2014 General Covered California, Health Insurance Exchange, Anthem Blue Cross 0 0 Comment Read More »
Leader's Toolkit course coming to San Diego in September The California Medical Association (CMA) is offering a two-day leadership course, titled the Leader’s Toolkit, for physicians who are seeking leadership roles in organized medicine. The course will be held in San Diego on September 27-28. Participants will learn real world skills and will leave with actionable behaviors, tools and concepts to help them be effective leaders in organized medicine. Some of the issues covered include change management, leading a team, responsibilities of a leader, setting boundaries and priorities, time management, parliamentary procedure and understanding and leveraging critical relationships. Tom Gehring, ... July 1, 2014 General San Diego County Medical Society, Physician Leadership 0 0 Comment Read More »
