IMQ offers free online course to help providers identify child abuse Thanks to a grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the California Medical Association’s Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) is offering a free course on child abuse prevention, recognition and reporting. The course is designed for California physicians, nurses and other health care professionals who regularly or occasionally treat pediatric patients. Physicians and other health care professionals are mandated by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect. This course, produced by the Child Abuse Prevention Center in Sacramento, will help providers understand their reporting obligations and how ... December 21, 2015 General Continuing Medical Education, IMQ, Maternal and Child Health, CME, Institute for Medical Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Foundation recruiting Climate Change Champions As part of a two-year, statewide initiative focused on increasing health provider knowledge about climate change, the California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation is recruiting physicians and other providers to be Climate Change Champions. This initiative will expand the diversity of voices speaking about the impacts of climate change on health. By mobilizing health provider champions, the project aims to increase public understanding that climate change is an important public health issue and to build public support for climate change solutions. The CMA Foundation and the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations ... December 21, 2015 General CMAF, NEPO, Public Health, Climate Change Champions 0 0 Comment Read More »
DHCS urges providers to attest for Medi-Cal meaningful use before December 14 The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced yesterday that after December 14, 2015, it may be required to stop accepting new Medi-Cal meaningful use attestations due to changes in the federal regulations governing the Medi-Cal Electronic Health Records Incentive Program. It is urging all newly attesting Medi-Cal providers to file before December 14, 2015. DHCS said it might be required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to stop accepting meaningful use attestations from professionals and hospitals; it is unclear when meaningful use attestations would be reopened. This ... December 21, 2015 Medi-Cal DHCS, Meaningful Use, Medi-Cal, Department of Health Care Services 0 0 Comment Read More »
Physician corps loan repayment program now accepting applications Applications are now being accepted for the next cycle of the Steven M. Thompson Loan Repayment Program. Award recipients will receive up to $105,000 to repay educational loans in exchange for a three-year service commitment in a medically underserved area of the state. The program was created in 2002 through legislation sponsored by the California Medical Association. Applicants should note that this application cycle closes on February 29, 2016, a month later than usual. According to the Health Professions Education Foundation, the deadline has been extended to allow time for ... December 21, 2015 General Steven M. Thompson, Early Career/Young Physician, Medical School Debt, Medical School Loans 0 0 Comment Read More »
SBCMS and Inland Coalition Announce 2016 White Coat Spring Break Internship Program SBCMS and the Inland Coalition are excited to announce the WHITE COAT SPRING BREAK INTERNSHIP program for 2016! We encourage you, as a physician, medical practice, or healthcare professional - to sign up as a host. Your guidance and mentoring of a high school senior on a healthcare pathway will be instrumental in impacting that student's future career choices and opportunities. This, in turn, supports healthcare throughout the entire Inland Empire. Hosts and student interns can sign-up by downloading and returning either the host application or the student intern application no later than February 29, 2016. We look ... December 17, 2015 General Inland Coalition, White Coat Spring Break Internship 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Capitol Insight: Dec. 7, 2015 CMA Capitol Insight is a biweekly column by veteran journalist Anthony York, reporting on the inner workings of the state Legislature ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whirlwind of a week Jerry Brown set off for Paris, but redirected his travel through San Bernardino to meet with law enforcement officials and others on the scene of America’s latest mass shooting. The shooting seems to occupy some strange place between the Paris attacks, which were orchestrated by ISIS, and a very American-style, Fort Hood or office place violence incident. One of the shooters pledged her allegiance to ISIS ... December 7, 2015 General CMA Capitol Insight, Anthony York 0 0 Comment Read More »
United Healthcare to delay implementation of multiple procedure payment reductions until March 1 In its December 2015 Network Bulletin, United Healthcare (UHC) announced that the multiple procedure payment reductions scheduled to begin with November 15, 2015, dates of service have been delayed until March 1, 2016. UHC previously announced in August that it would begin applying multiple procedure payment reductions to the following services: Technical component of diagnostic cardiovascular and ophthalmology procedures Professional component of diagnostic imaging services Some endoscopy procedures According to UHC, the new claim edits will apply for UHC commercial claims and ... December 7, 2015 Medicare United Healthcare 0 0 Comment Read More »
Why it's important to verify your patients' eligibility and benefits for 2016 With the new year soon upon us, physicians are urged to be diligent in verifying patients' eligibility and benefits to ensure they will be paid for services rendered. The beginning of a new year means calendar year deductibles and visit frequency limitations reset. With open enrollment there may also be changes to patients’ benefit plans, or patients may even be covered by a new payor. The new year also brings a host of other challenges that could affect your ability to be paid: Medicare patients can modify ... December 7, 2015 Managed Care Eligibility, Covered California, United Healthcare 0 0 Comment Read More »
Physicians urged to preemptively file for meaningful use hardship exemptions Because of a delay in the publication of regulations governing the Medicare meaningful use program, physicians are being urged to preemptively file for a 2015 hardship exemption to avoid penalties in 2016. Physicians should apply for an exemption under the “extreme and uncontrollable circumstances” category, even if they are uncertain whether they will meet the program requirements this year. Doing so will not preclude physicians from receiving an incentive if they do meet meaningful use requirements, but applying can serve as a safety net in staving off a penalty. In order ... December 7, 2015 Medicare EHR, Meaningful Use, Medicare, CMS, Electronic Health Record 0 0 Comment Read More »
Anthem asking physicians to affirm participation in workers' comp MPNs by Dec. 31 Anthem Blue Cross recently sent a request to physicians who participate in various workers’ compensation medical provider networks (MPN) through their Prudent Buyer agreements, asking them to affirm their continued participation in each of these networks. This request is required as part of the reforms instituted under SB 863, which mandates that MPNs obtain written acknowledgement from each participating physician that the provider elects to be a member of the network. Under the resulting regulations, physicians who have entered into contracts with workers’ compensation payors prior to August 27, 2014, and ... December 7, 2015 Managed Care Medical Provider Networks, MPN, Workers' Compensation, Anthem Blue Cross 0 0 Comment Read More »
