Medi-Cal providers: Are you ready for ICD-10? The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is asking Medi-Cal providers to take a brief survey about their readiness for the October 1, 2015, transition to ICD-10. The purpose of the survey is to determine provider and submitter health care transaction preparedness. DHCS is encouraging Medi-Cal providers and submitters, including Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment (Family PACT) providers, to take the survey. While participation is not required, provider responses to the survey will help Medi-Cal assess any issues or concerns that may hinder ICD-10 compliance. All answered surveys ... August 28, 2015 Medi-Cal Family PACT, ICD-10, Medi-Cal, DHCS 0 0 Comment Read More »
Stand with Dr. Pan Dr. Richard Pan needs our help! With our support, Dr. Pan won his election to the State Senate promising to work to keep Californians safe and healthy, and he did just that authoring SB277 to abolish non-medical exemptions to school vaccinations. Now, anti-vaccination opponents are gathering signatures to recall the only physician in the California legislature. Dr. Pan faced bullying and personal threats because he is a champion for medicine and public health. Join us in standing with Dr. Pan and showing we oppose this misguided recall effort! Please go to ... August 27, 2015 General Richard Pan MD 0 0 Comment Read More »
Let's Get Healthy California now accepting applications for new 'Innovation Challenge' The California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS), with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), last week announced a new Let’s Get Healthy California “Innovation Challenge” to engage and empower people to work together toward improving the health of their communities and the state. The contest is accepting submissions through September 30, 2015, in the six Let’s Get Healthy California goal areas: Healthy beginnings Living well End of life Redesigning the health system Creating ... August 17, 2015 General Public Health, Department of Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMS to hold webinars for providers on Physician Compare website The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a series of one-hour webinars about public quality reporting and the Physician Compare website. The Affordable Care Act required CMS to create a website that would allow consumers to search for and compare physicians and other health care professionals who provide Medicare services. That site—the "Physician Compare" website, initially launched in 2010—provides contact information, specialties and clinical training, hospital affiliations and group practice information. In 2014, the website also began phasing in physician quality data from the Physician Quality Reporting System ... August 17, 2015 Managed Care, Medi-Cal, Medicare CMS, Quality Reporting, Webinars, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA continues to monitor health plan network directory accuracy Last November, the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) released the results of an audit of the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Covered California networks. Among other things, the audit found that 12.8 percent of the physicians listed on Anthem’s network were not accepting Covered California patients, while 12.5 percent were not in practice at the location listed in Anthem’s directory. In the case of Blue Shield, only 56.7 percent of the physicians listed in Blue Shield's Covered California directory could be verified as accepting Covered California patients. ... August 17, 2015 Managed Care Blue Shield, Covered California, Network Adequacy, Anthem Blue Cross 0 0 Comment Read More »
Gallup poll says rates of uninsured continue to drop in most states According to a Gallup poll released Monday, the national uninsured rate has fallen to 11.7 percent, down from 17.3 percent in 2013. The poll shows that states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act – and have at least helped in the running of their health insurance marketplaces, rather than leaving it entirely to the federal government – have seen larger drops in uninsured rates. In the 22 states that took both of those measures, including California, the uninsured rate dropped to an average of 7.1 percent. California's uninsured ... August 17, 2015 Managed Care, Medi-Cal, Medicare Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance Exchange, Uninsured, ACA, Insurance 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA receives Profile of Excellence award for Prop 46 campaign The American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE) honored the California Medical Association (CMA) with a Profile of Excellence award for its advocacy in the No on Proposition 46 campaign. The Profiles of Excellence Awards recognize organizations for efforts that advance the field of organized medicine and improve the lives of physicians and the patients they serve. CMA and its county medical societies were also recognized with the AAMSE President's Award for their collaborative efforts in the campaign. Proposition 46, the trial lawyers' attempt to overturn California's Medical Injury Compensation ... August 17, 2015 Awards, CMA MICRA, Awards 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ's CME program awarded accreditation with commendation The California Medical Association and its Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) have been recognized by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) as an exemplary provider of continuing medical education (CME). ACCME has awarded CMA/IMQ with a six-year accreditation term with commendation. Overall, only 21 percent of ACCME-accredited providers achieve accreditation with commendation. This six-year award recognizes both the quality of the educational activities and the initiatives sponsored by both organizations, which are intended to foster leadership, encourage collaboration with other stakeholders and integrate CME into efforts to improve ... August 17, 2015 CMA, General Awards, CME Accreditation, IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Accreditation 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDC says coordination is the key to stopping antibiotic-resistant bacteria The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that a coordinated approach to controlling antibiotic-resistant bacteria could prevent an estimated 619,000 hospital-acquired infections resulting from drug-resistant bacteria. With an increasing number of deadly “superbugs,” this relatively simple solution could save tens of thousands of lives over the next five years. According to a CDC report released this week, a coordinated approach—in which health facilities in a region share data with a central public health authority — could dramatically improve detection and save an estimated $7.7 billion in direct medical ... August 17, 2015 General Public Health, Antibiotic-Resistance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
August is National Immunization Awareness Month Each year in August, National Immunization Awareness Month provides an opportunity for providers to highlight the value of immunization across all ages. Activities focus on encouraging people to protect their health by being vaccinated against infectious diseases. The National Public Health Information Coalition has developed, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Immunization Awareness Month Communication Toolkits to help providers communicate with their patients about the importance of vaccination. Toolkits are available for four separate age spans: Preteens and Teens Pregnant ... August 6, 2015 General Public Health, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
