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MMS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
$85 Billion in Forced Budget Cuts Loom; Medicare Provider Payments, Health Funding Will Shrink
On March 1, an $85 billion "sequester"- or group of cuts to federal spending - is set to take effect, unless Congress averts it with a new budget compromise.
The cuts, which came as a part of the congressional debt ceiling compromise in 2011, are evenly split between domestic and defense programs. Among the billions in spending cuts expected are $11 billion in Medicare provider payments, ACA-created public health funds and state insurance exchanges, and TRICARE, although military officials have said they do not know exactly how the program will be affected.
Also, federal health agencies such as the FDA, NIH, CDC, and FEMA are slated to absorb hundreds of millions of dollars each in cuts if the sequester goes into effect. (Medicaid and Social Security benefits, and welfare/food stamp assistance are exempt from the cuts.) Even larger annual cuts are planned annually from 2014 to 2021. Read a report by Rep. Edward Markey about the Mass. impact of the cuts.
A report released last fall by the AMA, American Hospital Association and the American Nurses Association estimated up to 766,000 health care and related jobs could be lost by 2021 if Medicare
sequester cuts are enacted.
Related news:
Massachusetts Receives $44 Million to Further Health Reforms
Governor Deval Patrick announced that Massachusetts has been awarded more than $44 million from CMS to advance health care cost containment efforts. Massachusetts was one of six states to receive such funding. The Mass. award will be used for standardizing the way in which doctors and hospitals report on the quality of care they provide, electronic health records, and expanding medical homes. Many health care leaders, including MMS, supported the state's grant application to CMS.
Celebrate National Doctors Day with MMS on March 30
Join the MMS Alliance at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 30 to celebrate National Doctors Day with lunch and a tour of the historic Otis House in Boston. RSVP by March 15 to Jill Cricones at jcricones@mms.org
March 8 is Deadline for MMS Committee Appointments
If you would like to become more involved in the MMS, consider participating on a committee or the Member Interest Network (MIN) Executive Council.
Committee appointments are for specific terms, usually three-year renewable commitments. We have put in place resources for distance participation including conference calls, online meetings and video conferencing at regional offices. Those with limited time who wish to participate can take advantage of these means.
See a list of MMS committees and MIN Executive Council descriptions here. For more information and an application form to be considered for a committee, contact Sandra Manchester at the MMS Executive Office (800) 322-2303, Ext. 7012 or email smanchester@mms.org. If you would like to join the MIN Executive Council, contact Cathy Salas at the West Central Regional Office 1-800-322-2303 x7715 or email csalas@mms.org.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Live Events
How to Prepare for ACOs
Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Impact of Effective Communication on Patients, Colleagues, and Metrics (rescheduled from February 8, 2013)
Friday, March 1, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to noon. Call 800-843-6356 to register.
Managing Workplace Conflict
Thursday, March 7, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday, March 8, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Future Trends That Will Impact Radiologists and Their Practice
Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at the Westin Hotel, Waltham, MA.
Public Health Leadership Forum - Mental Health: Achieving Parity in Principle and in Practice
Wednesday, April 3, 2013, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
MMS Annual Education Program - Navigating the Currents of Change: Integrating Innovative Technologies into Your Clinical Practice
Friday, May 10, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at the Seaport Hotel, Boston. Call (800) 322-2302, ext.. 7306 for more information.
MMS Shattuck Lecture - Chronic Infectious Disease and the Future of Health Care Delivery, Sponsored by the MMS and its Committee on Publications
Friday, May 10, 2013, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Seaport Hotel, Boston. Call (800) 322-2302, ext.. 7306 for more information.
Assessing Medication, Mental Health, and Cultural Needs During Sheltering,
Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Call (800) 322-2302, ext. 7306 for more information.
2nd Annual Addiction Medicine for All Providers Conference
Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call (800) 322-2302, ext. 7317 for more information.
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Save the Date
11th Annual Symposium on Men's Health
June 12, 2013
Online CME Activities
* Also available in print. Call (800) 322-2303, ext. 7306.
For additional risk management online CME activities, visit
www.massmed.org/cme.
THIS WEEK IN HEALTH CARE
A Data Gap on Mass. Doctors
The board that oversees physician discipline in Massachusetts has yet to deliver on its promise to post more information online about doctors who are charged with a crime or who have a history of negligent care.
Beth Israel, Baptist Agree to Discuss Joint Programs
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center will be talking to New England Baptist Hospital about a range of joint clinical and community programs, but a merger is not in the works.
UMass Medical School Awarded $60 Million Devens Contract
The Federal Bureau of Prisons awarded a new five-year, $60 million contract to UMass Medical School to continue coordinating health care services for inmates at the Federal Medical Center in Devens.
Health Advocates Ask DPH to Clarify Medical Requirements for Marijuana
Both the MMS and the Massachusetts Public Health Association have asked state officials to more clearly define which type of doctors may recommend medicinal marijuana and precisely how much of the substance patients can receive. Related Report: Mass. docs want tighter controls on medical marijuana
To Worcester Doctor, Gun Buybacks Are Personal
Dr. Michael P. Hirsh, the local "Goods for Guns" buyback program that has taken more than 2,300 firearms off the streets and out of homes since its inception in 2002 is more than a means of potentially reducing gun-related deaths and injuries.
Mass. To Offer Dental Plans Through Its Health Connector
The state will begin offering stand-alone dental plans for children and adults through the state's Health Connector starting next year.
