Medical board will collect CURES fees beginning April 1 The Medical Board of California announced it will soon begin collecting an additional $6 per year on physician license applications and renewals to fund the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES). The fees, authorized by SB 809, provide funding for ongoing maintenance and staffing of CURES. Physicians can expect to see an additional $12 ($6 per year) added to their licensing fees beginning April 1, 2014. CURES is an online database that allows authorized users, including physicians, pharmacists, law enforcement and regulatory boards, to access information about a ... January 14, 2014 General CURES, Medical Board of California, Quality of Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA fights to protect patient privacy in CURES prescription database The California Medical Association (CMA) has filed an amicus brief with the California Court of Appeal in Alwin Lewis, M.D. v. Superior Court of the State of California, asking the court to give meaningful privacy protection to patient data collected in the Controlled Substance and Utilization Review and Evaluation Systems (CURES) database. In this case, a Medical Board of California investigator testified that the board routinely obtains confidential prescribing records from CURES for all patients of physicians subject to medical board investigations, even where the complaint is unrelated to the ... January 14, 2014 General CURES, Legal Advocacy, Privacy, Advocacy, Amicus Briefs 0 0 Comment Read More »
DMV will only accept new DL 51 for commercial driver exams effective Jan. 1 Effective January 1, 2014, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will only accept the DL 51 form with a 1/2014 revision date as a valid medical examination report for commercial driver license holders. Exams performed before January 1 can still be submitted on the older forms (revision date of 1/2012 or newer). Also new this year, physicians who give DMV medical examinations will, beginning May 21, need to complete a federal accredited training and pass a certification test to continue to perform physical qualification examinations for truck and bus ... January 14, 2014 General Medical Examiner, Department of Motor Vehicles 0 0 Comment Read More »
Gov. Brown's proposed budget eliminates retroactive Medi-Cal cuts Governor Jerry Brown this morning announced that the State of California would not be moving forward with retroactive collection of a 10 percent cut to the Medi-Cal program, a win for physicians and patients in California. The announcement came as part of the governor's 2014-2015 fiscal year budget proposal. "The Governor’s budget demonstrates a clear understanding of the importance that California’s Medicaid (Medi-Cal) program has for the state’s poorest and most vulnerable patients," says Richard Thorp, M.D., president of the California Medical Association (CMA). “After voicing a commitment to expand ... January 14, 2014 Medi-Cal Medi-Cal, Insurance/Reimbursement 0 0 Comment Read More »
Reminder: SLR not accepting 2014 meaningful use attestations until April The California Department of Health Care Services reminds physicians that the State Level Registry (SLR) will not be accepting 2014 meaningful use attestations for the Medi-Cal Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program until April 1, 2014. This restriction only applies to 2014 meaningful use attestations. Physicians who are in the first participation year of the program and are adopting, implementing or upgrading (AIU) to a certified EHR rather than demonstrating meaningful use can submit 2014 AIU attestations beginning January 1, 2014. For more information, visit www.medi-cal.ehr.ca.gov. January 14, 2014 Medi-Cal Department of Health Care Services, EHR, Electronic Health Record, Meaningful Use, Health Information Technology 0 0 Comment Read More »
Surviving the first month of Covered California On January 1, 2014, California's health benefit exchange, Covered California, began providing health coverage to more 400,000 patients statewide. With that figure expected to grow by the end of the 2014 open enrollment period, it is critical that physicians and their staff know what to expect. To that end, the California Medical Association (CMA) offers these tips to survive the first month of Covered California. This document is available to members only. Please join CMA or Login to access the document. January 9, 2014 Managed Care Health Insurance Exchange, Covered California, Health Benefit Exchange, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
SBCMS sponsors Group Long-Term Disability program You work to protect your patients… We work to protect you. As a physician, you probably know better than anyone else how quickly a disability can strike and not only delay your dreams, but also leave you unable to provide for your family. Whether it is a heart attack, stroke, car accident or fall off a ladder, any of these things can affect your ability to perform your medical specialty. That’s why the San Bernardino County Medical Society sponsors a Group Long-Term Disability program underwritten by New York Life Insurance Company: ... January 6, 2014 General Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance, Benefits 0 0 Comment Read More »
Act now to protect yourself under the Physician Payment Sunshine Act By taking four easy steps now, you can make sure you're prepared when it's time to review your 2013 financial data before it's published online later this year. Under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, drug and medical device manufacturers started tracking their financial interactions with licensed physicians – including consulting fees, travel reimbursements, research grants and other gifts – beginning Aug. 1, 2013. Any payments, ownership interests and other “transfers of value” will be reported to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for publication in an online database ... January 6, 2014 General Physician Payment Sunshine Act, Legal Issues 0 0 Comment Read More »
Local Physicians Receive Annual Unforgettable Pediatric Doctor Award Each day, pediatric physicians - pediatricians, ER specialists, surgeons, and neonatologists - make a huge difference in the lives of children and their Inland Southern California families. On December 31st, The Unforgettables Foundation honored local caregivers with the annual Unforgettable Pediatric Doctor Award during the 14th Annual Lights for Little Lives Memorial Walk and Candle Lighting Ceremony in Loma Linda. This year's winners were nominated by their respective colleagues for this award. Loma Linda University Children's Hospital: John W. Mace, M.D. is board certified in Pediatric Endocrinology ... January 3, 2014 General Awards, Unforgettable Pediatric Doctor Award 0 0 Comment Read More »
