IMQ webinar: Building an infection prevention program Effective infection control is becoming increasingly important due to a shift in health care delivery from inpatient to outpatient. Given the critical need to ensure patient safety and reduce health care-associated infections, it is more important than ever for health care workers to carefully adhere to infection prevention principles. In an effort to help physicians meet the demands of infection control in their offices and other outpatient settings, the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ), a subsidiary of the California Medical Association, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health ... February 9, 2016 General IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Continuing Medical Education 0 0 Comment Read More »
UHC to require prior authorization for select musculoskeletal and pain management procedures As indicated in its January 2015 Network Bulletin, United Healthcare (UHC) will begin requiring prior authorization for certain additional musculoskeletal and pain management procedures effective April 4, 2016. Included in the new prior authorization requirement are various arthroscopy procedures, spine-related surgeries, neurostimulators for back pain and certain foot surgical procedures. For a complete listing of procedures requiring notification, physicians can access the Advance Notification Requirements on the UHC website. Prior authorization will be required for services performed in all places of service settings, including inpatient/outpatient hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers ... February 9, 2016 General, Managed Care Preauthorization, United Healthcare, Pain Medicine 0 0 Comment Read More »
Blue Shield revises Provider Data Confirmation form In December 2015, the California Medical Association (CMA) began receiving calls from physicians who had received requests from Blue Shield of California to complete its Provider Data Confirmation form. According to Blue Shield, the requests are an effort to comply with Senate Bill 137, a new law that requires payors to maintain accurate provider directories (among other things). Blue Shield is asking that participating providers review and complete the form to indicate whether the data it has on file for each provider is accurate, incorrect or incomplete. Some physicians, ... February 9, 2016 Managed Care Blue Shield 0 0 Comment Read More »
CPPPH hosting Bay Area workshop on disruptive behavior California Public Protection and Physician Health, Inc. (CPPPH) is hosting a workshop for physician health committees that will focus on evaluating disruptive behavior. The workshop will be Saturday, February 27, 2016, in Oakland. Presenters will include medical leaders and experts in the field of physician health. The workshop is centered around three case illustrations of disruptive behavior, and includes discussion around what was done, what was learned and what was the outcome. The workshop will also include identifying resources and sharing information. Participation is usually limited to those who serve on ... February 9, 2016 General California Public Protection and Physician Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Deadline to file for meaningful use hardship exemption is March 15 In mid-December, Congress adopted a last-minute bill that gives CMS the authority to grant a blanket exemption for all eligible physicians who apply for the exemption from the 2015 meaningful use penalties. This action prevents the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing Medicare payment penalties for physicians who fail to demonstrate meaningful use of a certified electronic health record (EHR) system in 2015. New rules released last year state that eligible professionals must attest that they met the requirements for stage 2 meaningful use for a period ... February 9, 2016 Medicare Electronic Health Record, Meaningful Use, Medicare, EHR 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA seeking physician feedback on proposed health insurance mergers Proposed mergers of the some of the largest national health insurance companies have been announced, with Aetna reaching a $37 billion deal to purchase Humana, and Anthem agreeing to purchase Cigna for $48.4 billion. State and federal regulators are interested in knowing the prospective effects of these possible mergers on your practice and patient care. The California Medical Association (CMA), in collaboration with the American Medical Association, is asking for your feedback on these proposed mergers. The survey should take about 8-9 minutes to complete. Only de-identified data will be used ... February 9, 2016 Managed Care Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Humana, Aetna 0 0 Comment Read More »
AMA publishes online Zika resource center for physicians On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international public health emergency as the spread of the Zika virus has moved into more than 20 countries in Latin America. This rare move by the WHO signals the seriousness of the outbreak and gives countries powerful new tools to fight it. The WHO is concerned about a possible link between Zika virus and microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with brain damage and unusually small heads. Reported cases of microcephaly have risen sharply in Brazil, where Zika ... February 3, 2016 General Maternal and Child Health, Public Health, American Medical Association, WHO, Zika Virus 0 0 Comment Read More »
Connect with CMA today - find us on social mediat! The California Medical Association (CMA) invites its 41,000 member physicians and all others interested in a healthier California to follow, like or bookmark our social media accounts. Catch the latest CMA and California health news on Twitter; tag yourself in our latest event photos on Facebook; share our public health reminders on Instagram; watch inspiring videos on Youtube; and find the latest CMA job openings and event announcements on LinkedIn. CMA also invites you to share your organization’s events or news, as well as any other items of interest to the ... February 3, 2016 General Social Media 0 0 Comment Read More »
Make blood pressure control your goal during February Heart Month In a national effort to help prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Million Hearts® campaign encourage physicians to talk to their patients about blood pressure – and, if high, to help them make control their goal. According to the CDC, nearly one in three American adults has high blood pressure – and half don’t have it under control. High blood pressure leads to heart disease and stroke, the first and fifth leading causes of death in the ... February 3, 2016 General Cardiology, Public Health, Blood Pressure 0 0 Comment Read More »
Anthem Blue Cross to review level 5 emergency room claims Anthem Blue Cross announced in its December Professional Network Update that, beginning January 1, 2016, it will initiate a pre-payment review of level 5 emergency department visits billed with CPT 99285 or G0384. Anthem has advised CMA that it will focus on level 5 emergency department visits that are billed in combination with diagnosis codes that “are an unlikely combination for high level visits.” The payor will exclude claims billed with critical care, observation or inpatient admissions. Claims with CPT codes 99285 and G0384 that are selected by Anthem for pre-payment ... February 3, 2016 General Emergency Departments, Emergency Rooms, Emergency Services, Anthem Blue Cross 0 0 Comment Read More »
