MMS
News and Announcements
MMS, MeHi Meet State Regulators
to Resolve Unintended Consequences of EHR Mandate
MMS leaders, along with representatives from the Mass eHealth Institute (MeHI), met
with the state Board of Registration in Medicine (BRM) this week to discuss
concerns about last year’s state mandate requiring physicians to demonstrate skills to comply with
EHR Meaningful Use requirements as a condition of licensure after January 1,
2015.
The MMS told the BRM that the mandate, passed as part of last year’s payment reform legislation, could have unintended disastrous consequences, including the possibility of disenfranchising over half of Massachusetts physicians, including residents, many specialists, researchers and physicians who practice in many settings. The proposed regulations would also exclude many competent physicians who do not use EHRs. The MMS looks forward to working with the BRM and MeHi on a resolution to the issue.
Past articles:
New
on MassMed.org: Updated Medical
Marijuana Resources for Physicians
The MMS website has several new
and updated resources for physicians on the state’s new medical marijuana law,
including information on state regulations, considerations for physicians and
expert commentary. Explore
the updated MMS Medical Marijuana Resources for Physicians page.
Related news this week:
AMA
Adopts New Policies on Obesity, SGR; MMS Leaders Elected to AMA Councils
At its Annual
Meeting this week, AMA adopted several major policies, including a move to
recognize obesity as a disease state with multiple aspects requiring a range of
interventions to advance obesity treatment and prevention.
Delegates also
formally asked the AMA to repeal and replace the flawed federal sustainable
growth rate Medicare formula and to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory
Board, and voted to mandate a two-year implementation period for ICD-10/11, during
which time insurers would not be allowed to deny payment based on the
specificity of an ICD-10/11 diagnosis.
Two MMS delegates were elected to AMA posts this
week. MMS Past President Lynda M. Young,
MD, was elected to the AMA Council on Medical Service and MMS President-elect
Richard S. Pieters, MD, was elected to the AMA Council on Medical Education. Read
full coverage of the AMA meeting.
MMS
Testifies in Opposition to Unnecessary Psychotropic Prescription Regulations
MMS officials
testified this week in opposition to Senate Bill 303 and Senate Bill 308, legislation which would forbid the prescribing or administering
of psychotropic medications to residents in
a nursing home, rest home, or other long term care facility unless the written
consent has been obtained from the resident, the resident's health care proxy,
and the resident's designated contact. The bills set a statutory standard of
written informed consent and record keeping.
The MMS, which
supported the well-informed testimony of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society
in this matter, strongly objected to setting standards of clinical care through
the legislative process. Read
the full testimony here.
MMS Member
Special Event: Physicians, Health Care
Experts Convene Wednesday to Discuss Strategy in Changing Practice Environment
MMS members are invited to convene for a dinner and discussion on the changing
practice environment in Massachusetts from
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.at MMS headquarters.
Hosted
by MMS President Ronald W. Dunlap, MD, the gathering will feature two health
care experts, Chris Collins, of ECG Consulting Management, and Mark Waxman of
Foley, Lardner LLP, who will cover such issues as the financial impact related
to various ACO options, legal considerations when contracting with an ACO, data
analytics, and governance issues related to ACOs.
The second hour of the meeting
will be dedicated to open dialogue and a Q&A focused on physician needs and
expectations in the current environment, and how MMS can help to meet them. Dinner will be served. RSVP to Lisa Smith by email lsmith@mms.org or by
calling (781) 434-7759.
Education Programs and Events
Live CME Activities
Women’s
Leadership Forum: Women in Medicine – Competition, Collaboration, and Team
Leadership
Thursday,
September 26, 2013, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Call
for more information 800-322-2303, Ext. 7306.
Principles
of Palliative Care and Persistent Pain Management: Tools to Integrate Into Your
Practice
Friday,
September 27, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Call
for more information 800-322-2303, Ext. 7306.
Caring for the Caregivers IX: How do we Reduce
Physician Stress and Burnout?
Thursday,
October 3, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
CME
Accreditation Orientation
Tuesday,
October 15, 2013, 8:30 a.m.to 11:45 a.m.
Call
for more information 800-322-2303, Ext. 7306.
Managing Workplace Conflict
Thursday,
October 17, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday, October 18, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.
The
above activities have been approved for AMA
PRA Category 1 Credit™
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
New Medicare
Carrier for Massachusetts and New England
National Government Services (NGS) is the new
Medicare Administrative Contractor for Part A and Part B Services in New
England. For Part B Physicians, the transfer to NGS will be effective on
October 25, 2013. NGS recently sent letters to all Massachusetts physicians
explaining the change and next steps in the process. NGS will be working closely with the MMS on a series of educational
programs and extensive outreach efforts to make certain physicians’ offices are
aware of the change and have taken the necessary steps for a smooth transition.
Panel to Assess Partners-South Shore Hospital Merger
The state's new Health Policy Commission voted 10 to 0 to press forward with a
full cost and market impact review of Partners HealthCare's agreement to acquire the South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. Related
news: Cooley Dickinson-Partners Deal Won't Get Further
Review
Mental Health Clinics Cited
Dozens of therapists who were unlicensed or improperly supervised routinely treated mentally ill patients at three
clinics owned by a major provider of care to low-income people in
Massachusetts.
HHS Sec. Polanowicz Speaks on Mass. Issues
Secretary
of Health and Human Services for Massachusetts John Polanowicz discusses
controlling the state's healthcare cost, implementing the usage of medical
marijuana, and more. (WBUR.org, audio
of 23:00)
Former CMS Administrator Donald Berwick Launches Mass. Governor Bid
Donald M. Berwick, MD, a pediatrician, former Harvard faculty member, and a
former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced
he is running for governor in 2014.
Boston Children’s Hospital to Offer Pediatric Hand Transplants
Boston Children's Hospital announced it
has started the world's first hand transplant program for children, with the goal of restoring limbs to victims of
devastating infections, fires, or accidents.
Opiate Abuse Remains Problem for Massachusetts
With eastern Massachusetts leading the nation in the incidence of drug-related emergency room visits involving heroin
and other opiates, medical experts are urging the use alternative pain
therapies and an overdose-reversing drug.
