Vital Signs This Week -- July 13, 2007
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MMS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Physicians Have Until July 16
to Remove NPI Data from Public Access
2. MMS Seminar Offers Options to
Maximize Return from Blue Cross Settlement
3. MMS President Urges Physician
Input in Tiering Methods
4. MMS Testifies in Support of
Several Tobacco-Related Bills
5. Call for Nominations: AMA
Delegates and Alternate Delegates
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
6. Who Pays the Price? The
Influence of Medical Liability on Women’s Access to Health
Care
7. Unmasking Depression in Primary
Care Practice
8. Partners in Prevention:
Infectious Disease Surveillance, Reporting, and Control in
Massachusetts
9. The 5th Annual World Congress
Leadership Summit on Healthcare Quality and
Pay-for-Performance
THIS WEEK IN HEALTH CARE
10. Patrick Cuts a Bit, then
Signs State Budget
11. Blue Cross Nixes Policy that
Allowed Low Employer Health Care Contribution
12. State Freezes Mass. Bay
Nursing Program
13. Prominent Diabetes Researcher
Named New Harvard Medical Dean
14. FDA Approves
Alzheimer’s Patch
MMS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Physicians Have Until July 16 to
Remove NPI Data from Public Access
Physicians have until July 16 to remove optional information from the
public national provider identifier (NPI) database, following a decision
by the federal government to make some of the data associated with the
NPI available to the general public. The Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) plan to make the information available on
a free public
website on August 1.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has strongly argued that
information related to NPI should be available only to physicians,
health care providers, HIPAA-covered entities, and their business
associates. However, CMS said that under freedom-of-information laws, it
is required to make some of the data available to the public. CMS said
it will not release social security numbers, individual taxpayer ID
numbers, and dates of birth.
To remove information from the NPI database, physicians should visit
https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES, establish a
username and password or enter a preexisting username and password, then
enter and submit changes to their public profiles. Physicians may also
submit changes on paper by calling the NPI Enumerator at (800) 465-3203
and requesting a paper NPUI Application/Update Form.
To read the CMS regulation, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/
06a_DataDissemination.asp#TtopOfPage.
In related news, MassHealth has key resources and information that
physicians can refer to as they apply for NPI. Physicians can visit
MassHealth’s NPI-specific website, www.mass.gov/masshealth/npi, which includes
information on obtaining and reporting an NPI, as well as billing with
an NPI.
2. MMS Seminar Offers Options to
Maximize Return from Blue Cross Settlement
The MMS is holding a free seminar and teleconference on July 25 to
provide all physicians with information about their options to collect
their share of the recent $128 million settlement of litigation filed by
dozens of medical societies against Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans.
The seminar will be held 8:30-10:00 a.m. at MMS Headquarters in Waltham.
All physicians are eligible to collect a portion of this pool.
The seminar will explain the settlement and outline advantages and
disadvantages of each collection option. For more information, call
(781) 434-7759, or visit the American Medical Association settlement
website at www.ama-assn.org/go/settlements.
3. MMS President Urges Physician Input
in Tiering Methods
This week, MMS President B. Dale Magee, M.D., M.S., emphasized the
importance of physician involvement in the implementation of quality and
cost measurement systems at an advisory board meeting of the Health Care
Quality and Cost Council. The council is a product of the Massachusetts
health reform law.
Dr. Magee urged Council members to recognize the need for physician
input before cost and quality data are disseminated to the public,
stressing the need for physicians to have opportunities to address the
accuracy, attribution, timeliness, and relevance of the data.
Later in the week, Dr. Magee was a featured panelist at a session of the
National Health Policy Forum at George Washington University in
Washington. In his remarks, he discussed the Group Insurance
Commission's physician tiering initiative in Massachusetts, and the
efforts of the Medical Society to ensure that the program supports the
delivery of high-quality care without causing unintended consequences,
such as disruptions of physician-patient relationships.
4. MMS Testifies in Support of Several
Tobacco-Related Bills
On Wednesday, the MMS testified before the Joint Committee on Public
Health in support of the following legislation related to tobacco
control and funding of tobacco cessation programs:
-
House Bill 2128, House Bill 2129, and Senate Bill 1218, acts that
would re-establish the allocation of funds received by the state from
cigarette taxes and from the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) to
tobacco control and other public health programs.
-
House Bill 2127 and Senate Bill 1333, identical measures that would
require Medicaid to continue coverage for smoking cessation treatment,
information, and education.
-
House Bill 2118, legislation that would raise the legal age for
purchasing tobacco products to 19 and would allow police and school
authorities to confiscate products from youth not old enough to buy them
legally. Violators would be subject to community service or be required
to enroll in smoking cessation or educational programs.
-
House Bill 2272, a bill that would ban the public distribution of
free smoking or tobacco products for commercial purposes in public
places, including streets, parks, and publicly owned buildings and
grounds.
-
Senate Bill 1241, an act that would require cigarette manufacturers
to report the identity and amount of the components of cigarette
smoke.
In addition to the Society’s continued anti-tobacco efforts on
Beacon Hill, the Society recently held its 13th Annual Anti-Tobacco
Poster Contest, an event designed specifically for schoolchildren. A
dozen students, selected from more than 4,400 entrants, were honored at
the State House last month for their winning creations.
5. Call for Nominations: AMA Delegates
and Alternate Delegates
The MMS Committee on Nominations is currently accepting nominations for
delegates and alternate delegates to the American Medical Association
(AMA). Nominations must be received by August 24 at 4:00 p.m.
Nomination forms can be accessed online at www.massmed.org/AMAnom. In addition,
nominators can find guidelines for candidates and information about the
Massachusetts AMA Delegation.
Interviews with the Committee on Nominations will be held on
September 19 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. All nominees should reserve this
date. For more information, contact Sue DiFilippo, MMS director of
governance meetings, at (800) 322-2303, ext. 7208, or sdifilippo@mms.org.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
MMS Events
6. Who Pays the Price? The Influence
of Medical Liability on Women’s Access to Health Care
September 26, 5:45-8:00 p.m., MMS Headquarters, Waltham
Sponsored by the MMS and its Committee on Women in Medicine
CME Credit: 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Program details and registration
information
7. Unmasking Depression in Primary
Care Practice
September 28, 8:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m., MMS Headquarters, Waltham
Sponsored by the MMS in collaboration with the Massachusetts Health
Quality Partners and the Massachusetts Psychiatry Society
CME Credit: 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Program information and
registration details
Other Programs
8. Partners in Prevention: Infectious
Disease Surveillance, Reporting, and Control in
Massachusetts
This online introductory training course, offered by the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health, is for people mandated by Massachusetts
laws and regulations to participate in infectious disease surveillance
and reporting, but who may be new to or unfamiliar with their roles and
responsibilities.
1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Program details and registration
information
9. The 5th Annual World Congress
Leadership Summit on Healthcare Quality and
Pay-for-Performance
August 6-8, Marriott Boston Copley Place
B. Dale Magee, M.D., president of the MMS, will be a featured panelist
for this event.
The World Congress Summit promotes the nation's best practices in
achieving and rewarding provider quality. Conference attendees will hear
prominent industry stakeholders discuss the latest trends in improving
health care quality through value-based reward programs.
MMS members receive a $200 discount on registration fees. Members must
mention code KXJ566 to receive their discount when registering.
Program details and registration
information
THIS WEEK IN HEALTH CARE
10. Patrick Cuts a Bit, then Signs
State Budget
On Thursday, Gov. Deval Patrick cut $41 million from the $26.8 billion
state budget before he signed it. The budget signed by the governor will
increase state spending by 4.2 percent in the fiscal year that began
July 1.
Patrick sent back three health care-related amendments concerning
information-sharing under the new health care law, an electronic health
records task force, and a proposed transfer of $150 million from the
General Fund to the Health Care Security Trust Fund. The governor also
included a budgetary move that would use a portion of the state's share
of a multi-state tobacco settlement to pay for a trust fund for state
retiree health care.
"[The budget is] balanced, it's responsible, it's a true
collaboration with the Legislature and we haven't seen that in a long
time," Patrick said in a State House News Service article on Thursday.
"It's a very conservative and appropriate increase in spending while at
the same time addressing some important investments in the Commonwealth.
So when I talk about balance, I don't just mean fiscally balanced, I
mean balanced in the sense of priorities as well."
Legislative leaders are now reviewing the budget. Overrides of some
line-item vetoes are possible, but this is the first time in 16 years
that the Legislature and Executive Branch have been under same-party
rule.
11. Blue Cross Nixes Policy that
Allowed Low Employer Health Care Contribution
At the request of Gov. Deval Patrick, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Massachusetts announced on Friday that it would scrap a recently
announced policy that would have allowed small business owners to
contribute only one-third of the cost of their employees’ health
insurance premiums.
Patrick told Blue Cross that a policy that allowed low employer
premium contributions could hinder efforts to equip all state residents
with health insurance under the health care reform law.
“The governor is responsible for the implementation of the
health care reform law and he believed our underwriting guideline would
have an adverse impact on the implementation,” said Chris Murphy,
a Blue Cross spokesman, in a Boston Globe
article on Friday. With about 3 million members, Blue
Cross is the state’s largest health insurer. For small companies,
most insurers require a minimum 50 percent employer contribution to
premiums.
12. State Freezes Mass. Bay Nursing
Program
Massachusetts Bay Community College will not be accepting new applicants
to its popular nursing program following a freeze imposed on the program
this week by the state Board of Registration in Nursing.
Board officials cited a lack of leadership and direction in the
program that they felt hindered the school’s ability to train
qualified nurses. The Board also said the college’s provost, Steve
Berrien, tampered with a student’s grades and unfairly allowed the
student to proceed through the program. Berrien denied the
allegation.
“We didn’t interfere with the integrity of the program,
its grade policy, or its standards,” Berrien said in a Boston Globe
article on Tuesday. “It was just one student and
one exam, and some of us feel it’s been blown slightly out of
proportion.” While discussions between MassBay and the Board were
expected to continue throughout the week, Berrien said he expected the
admissions ban to be lifted soon.
13. Prominent Diabetes Researcher
Named New Harvard Medical Dean
Jeffrey S. Flier, M.D., a well-respected diabetes and obesity researcher
at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has been appointed dean of
Harvard Medical School (HMS). Dr. Flier will assume the position vacated
last month after the resignation of Joseph Martin, M.D.
Dr. Flier said in a Boston Globe
article on Thursday that his key areas of focus as dean
will include implementing the school’s new patient-centric
curriculum, planning the school’s new campus in Allston, and
improving the translation of basic research into treatments for
patients.
14. FDA Approves Alzheimer’s
Patch
On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever
skin patch to treat dementia in Alzheimer’s patients. The patch
contains the same medication as a capsule that is now available. But
according to the patch’s manufacturer, Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corp., direct delivery via the patch will provide a more regular and
continuous dose of the medication throughout the day and will minimize
gastrointestinal side effects.
About 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s.
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