CMA publishes MACRA preparation checklist On April 16, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), changing the health care financing system in the most significant and far-reaching way since the program's inception in 1965. To help physicians understand MACRA payment reforms, and what they can do now to start preparing for the transition, the California Medical Association (CMA) has published an important checklist titled, “MACRA: What Should I Do Now to Prepare?” The checklist is available in CMA's MACRA resource center at www.cmanet.org/macra. There you will ... August 8, 2016 CMA, Medicare Practice Resources, Running a Practice, MACRA, Medicare 0 0 Comment Read More »
California Medical Association promotes child and adult vaccinations during National Immunization Awareness Month August marks National Immunization Awareness Month, a national effort to promote vaccinations to protect children and adults from serious, and sometimes deadly, preventable diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), immunizations are one of the top 10 public health accomplishments of the 20th century. Among children born during 1994-2013, vaccination will prevent an estimated 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths over the course of their lifetimes. In response, CMA President Steve Larson, M.D., MPH, issued the following statement: “By protecting your loved ones, we ... August 8, 2016 General Immunization, Practice Resources, Public Health, Vaccination, I Heart Immunity 0 0 Comment Read More »
Reminder: Practices should be wary of virtual credit card fees Is your practice accepting virtual credit card (VCC) payments from payors? If so, you risk losing a significant amount of your contractual reimbursement to high interchange fees. When paying claims, some payors have shifted from paper checks to electronic payment methods, including payor-issued VCCs. With this method, when issuing payment a payor sends credit card payment information and instructions to physicians, who process the payments using standard credit card technology. This method is beneficial to payors, but costly for physicians. Health plans often receive cash-back incentives from credit card companies for ... April 12, 2016 General Practice Resources, Payment 0 0 Comment Read More »
Like it or not, ICD-10 is here - what practices need to know After much debate and years of delay, the October 1, 2015, implementation date for ICD-10 has finally arrived. While concerns remain as to the preparedness of physician practices for this monumental transition, the full impact of the ICD-10 conversion will likely not be felt for several weeks or until the first payment remittances are received. CMA resources As the implementation unfolds, there likely will be unanticipated hurdles that need to be overcome. The California Medical Association (CMA) has a number of resources to help members prepare. CMA ICD-10 ... October 14, 2015 General, Managed Care ICD-10, Practice Resources 0 0 Comment Read More »
ICD-10 less than two weeks away; are you ready? With less than two weeks until the implementation of ICD-10, practices should be in the final stages of preparation and training for conversion to the new code set on October 1, 2015. The California Medical Association (CMA) has a number of resources to help members prepare. ICD-10 Transition Guide: This guide will help practices of all sizes successfully make the switch to the new ICD-10 coding system. It answers frequently asked questions and includes CMA’s ICD-10 Transition Preparation Checklist to help ensure the transition is a smooth one. The guide ... September 23, 2015 Managed Care Practice Resources, ICD-10, Webinars 0 0 Comment Read More »
Aetna issues physician terminations over frequency of E/M visits The California Medical Association (CMA) has received several reports from physicians in the San Francisco Bay Area that they’ve received contract termination notices from Aetna due to their above-average use of high-level Evaluation and Management (E/M) codes. The termination letters, issued by Aetna in mid-January, advised physicians that upon review of claims for a one year period, their usage of high level E/M codes was “significantly outside the norm” of comparative physicians within their market. CMA has learned that approximately 40 physicians within the Northern California Aetna PPO network were ... July 6, 2015 General Billing/Coding, Coding and Documentation, Practice Resources, Aetna 0 0 Comment Read More »
Practice Check-Up: Marketing your practice This is the third in a series of articles aimed at highlighting key areas practices should examine in an effort to improve practice performance. This month we focus on how effectively managing the appointment schedule can have a positive impact on both patient and practice satisfaction. Even with the influx of approximately 6.5 million newly insured patients in California as a result of health reform, many physicians in small and solo practice are concerned that they will be unable to compete with the large groups and large health care ... June 26, 2015 General Practice Resources 0 0 Comment Read More »
Is your Medicare practice information up-to-date? The February issue of CMA Practice Resources (CPR) contained an article discussing the importance of maintaining up-to-date practice demographic information with contracted managed care payors (see “Ensure your practice information is up-to-date with contracted payors”). This advice applies equally to government payors, such as Medicare, that you are enrolled in. Medicare administrative contractors (MAC), such as Noridian in California, obtain practice contact information from a practice’s Medicare enrollment application, from either the Internet-based Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS), or through a paper application. The MAC may contact ... March 17, 2015 Medicare Practice Resources, Medicare 0 0 Comment Read More »
Practice check-up: proactive patient communication As practices begin to schedule patients for their annual check-ups, remember that conducting an internal practice check-up is equally important. This is the first in a series of articles aimed at highlighting key areas practices should examine in an effort to improve practice performance. This month we focus on how clear, proactive patient communication can have a positive impact on both patient and practice satisfaction. Many practices take the important step of confirming patient appointments ahead of time. However, if you’re not also taking the time to inform your patients about ... February 18, 2015 General Practice Resources, Physician-Patient Relationship 0 0 Comment Read More »
ICD-10 transition guide now available; new resource webpage available With eight months until the transition to ICD-10, will your practice be ready be October 1, 2015? To help physicians prepare for the transition, the California Medical Association (CMA) has published a new resource, “ICD-10 Transition Guide – What physicians need to know,” which includes an ICD-10 transition preparation checklist. CMA has also created an ICD-10 transition webpage, www.cmanet.org/icd10, that includes important news articles and other ICD-10 transition information. CMA will also be hosting a number of live training events to assist physicians with the transition, with details announced soon. February 5, 2015 General Insurance/Reimbursement, Practice Resources, ICD-10 0 0 Comment Read More »
