United Healthcare to implement several new multiple procedure payment reductions effective November 15 In its August 2015 Network Bulletin, United Healthcare (UHC) announced that, beginning with November 15, 2015, dates of service, multiple procedure payment reductions (MPPR) will be applied to several types of services, including: Technical component of diagnostic cardiovascular and ophthalmology procedures Professional component of diagnostic imaging services Some endoscopy procedures UHC reports that it is implementing the reductions to better align with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The new claim edits will apply for UHC commercial claims. ... September 8, 2015 Managed Care United Healthcare 0 0 Comment Read More »
Senate passes six bills to help fight impact of tobacco use Six bills aimed at reducing the harmful impacts of tobacco use has passed the California Senate with overwhelming support. The package of bills includes measures that will increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21, regulate e-cigarettes like tobacco products and ensure that schools and workplaces are smoke-free. “We are one step closer to saving the lives of thousands of young Californians,” Eric Batch, vice president of advocacy with the American Heart Association, said in a statement. “If they become law, these reforms will pay dividends for decades into the ... September 8, 2015 General Public Health, Tabacco Tax, Tobacco, Cancer 0 0 Comment Read More »
Report: high levels of cancer-causing chemicals found during e-cigarette tests The Center for Environmental Health (CEH), a consumer safety organization based in Oakland, has announced it will take “legal action” against electronic cigarette manufacturers after finding cancer-causing chemicals in a number of “vaping” products. CEH said that it is initiating legal action against the companies for failing to warn consumers of the presence of these cancer causing chemicals, as required under California’s strong consumer protection law known as Proposition 65. CEH's report, “A Smoking Gun: Cancer Causing Chemicals in E-cigarettes,” outlines the first-ever large sampling of actual e-cigarettes and vaping ... September 8, 2015 General Tobacco, Electronic Cigarettes 0 0 Comment Read More »
Urge Legislators to Oppose AB 533 AB 533 (Bonta) would drastically change the current health care marketplace by transferring negotiating power to the health plans at the expense of physicians. The bill would require non-contracted physicians/providers to accept the “average contracted rate”—as determined by the health plan—when performing services in a contracted or “in-network” facility. In so doing, AB 533 would eliminate incentives for health plans to provide fair contract terms to physicians. This bill is now eligible to be heard on the Senate Floor! The California Medical Association is working with the California Society of Anesthesiologists, ... September 3, 2015 General AB 533, Oppose AB 533 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMS clarifies ICD-10 grace period guidance In early July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that for a period of one year, it will allow for flexibility in claims payment, auditing and quality reporting processes as the medical community gains experience using the new ICD-10 code set. CMS specifically clarified its statement that during the 12 months after ICD-10 implementation, contractors would not deny claims based solely on the specificity of the ICD-10 diagnosis code. However, according to the latest FAQ, claims will be rejected if they do not contain a valid ICD-10 ... August 28, 2015 Managed Care, Medi-Cal, Medicare CMS, ICD-10, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 0 0 Comment Read More »
Survey finds increased parental vaccine acceptance in aftermath of California measles outbreak A survey conducted by Medscape found that fewer parents may be refusing to vaccinate their children in the aftermath of the California measles outbreak, especially in western states, which have had some of the highest refusal rates in America. According to the Medscape Vaccine Acceptance Report, an online survey of 1,577 pediatricians, family physicians, public health physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants that was conducted last month, 42 percent of clinicians said they believed more parents are accepting vaccines and 38 percent said parents are more accepting of the measles ... August 28, 2015 General Measles, Public Health, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
Patient resources on end-of-life decisions now available online The California Medical Association (CMA) encourages Californians to think about and talk with loved ones about their wishes for end-of-life medical care. CMA has developed a number of resources to help providers, patients and loved ones with making these important end-of-life decisions. The information, available in English and Spanish, includes legally recognized documents such as Advance Directives, Do-Not-Resuscitate forms and Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST). CMA's Advance Health Care Directive and POLST toolkits also include wallet identification cards and answer frequently asked questions from patients. Physicians are also encouraged ... August 28, 2015 General Do Not Resuscitate, End of Life Issues, POLST, Advance Directive 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDPH will award $60 million in grants to reduce mental health disparities in California; accepting proposals now The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is accepting proposals for projects that will help reduce mental health disparities across the state. Through its California Reducing Disparities Project, the department will award $60 million in contracts and grants over the next four years. “This opportunity allows Public Health to partner with organizations that are going to make a difference and help bring mental health equity to California,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Karen Smith, M.D. CDPH’s Office of Health Equity will award the money as part of an effort ... August 28, 2015 General Health Disparities, Mental Health, Public Health, Department of Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
California Asthma Summit coming to Los Angeles in October The California Asthma Summit 2015, presenting the latest research from asthma experts, will take place October 14-15 at The California Endowment Center for Healthy Communities in Los Angeles. Register by September 1 and save $50 off your ticket, which includes registration, breakfast, lunch, conference materials and resources, and continuing education credits. This two-day summit, presented by the California Department of Public Health and the Sequoia Foundation, will bring together renowned asthma researchers and stakeholders to connect and share works, theories and direction to plan and develop strategies to address the ... August 28, 2015 General Continuing Education Units, Public Health, Asthma 0 0 Comment Read More »
Study: e-cigarette use among youth could lead to smoking other tobacco products Youth who use e-cigarettes as their first method of smoking could transition to smoking regular cigarettes and other tobacco products, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Researchers surveyed 2,530 ninth-graders from 10 Los Angeles public schools for the study. None of the students had ever used combustible cigarettes before the survey, but those who had previously used e-cigarettes (222 students) were found to be more likely to smoke combustible tobacco during the subsequent year. “This study indicates that e-cigarettes are introducing many ... August 28, 2015 General Public Health, Smoking, Tobacco, Electronic Cigarettes 0 0 Comment Read More »
