MMS News & Announcements
Is This the Year We Finally Get Medicare Payment Reform?
A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week approved legislation that would finally scrap the flawed physician payment formula for Medicare, known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR).
The subcommittee’s bill is the first step of what will probably be a very long road to reforming the Medicare payment system. A vote by the full committee is expected before Aug. 1.
The MMS will work with the state congressional delegation and the AMA to ensure that the payment updates are appropriate and that the issues specific to small practices are adequately addressed. Read more coverage of the SGR legislation on the MMS website.
MMS Testifies Against Unnecessary Changes to Limited Service Clinic Rules
MMS officials this week submitted testimony in opposition to proposed changes to limited service clinics, saying the existing regulations are unique in their comprehensive approach to public protection and addressing the concerns of delivering health care in a retail store setting. The MMS feels that the proposed regulations would significantly undermine those protections and are inconsistent with the goals of Chapter 224, such as increased efficiency, accountable care, patient centered medical homes and team-based comprehensive preventive services. Read more detail on the MMS testimony.
Deadline for International Health Studies Grant Applications is Sept. 15
Apply by Sept. 15 for this year’s International Health Studies Grant program. Medical students and resident physician members of the MMS are eligible to apply for grants up to $2,000 to defray the costs of study abroad. More information and application materials can be found here. For more information on the Foundation and its activities, visit www.mmsfoundation.org or contact Jennifer Day, director, at (781) 434-7044, or via email at jday@mms.org.
New for MMS Members: Guide for Physician Practices on Prior Authorizations
The MMS has published a new guide to help practices navigate the complex prior authorization processes at health plans. It also provides contact information and policies at each major health plan operating in Massachusetts for imaging, procedures and drugs.
Download the guide. (Available only to MMS members; login required.)
Don’t Let Your Legal Advisory Plan Coverage Lapse
It’s not too late to renew or enroll for the Legal Advisory Plan for the July 2013 – 2014 Plan Year. For $70 you receive legal assistance regarding Board of Registration in Medicine matters, a free 30-minute consultation for BRM matters, and a free quarterly newsletter, The Legal Advisor. A new benefit has been added to your LAP membership: Plan members now receive a 25% discount on Legal Advisor online CME modules. You can enroll at www.massmed.org/lap. For questions, call Carolyn Maher at (781) 434-7311, or email lap@massmed.org
Education Programs and Events
Women’s Leadership Forum: Women in Medicine – Competition, Collaboration, and Team Leadership
Thursday, September 26, 2013, 5:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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.
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.
Managing Workplace Conflict
Thursday, October 17, 2013, 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™
Save the Date
Physician Leadership in the Changing Health Care Environment
Jointly sponsored with The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University
Three, two-day certificate programs:
Friday and Saturday, September 20-21, 2013
Friday and Saturday, January 24-25, 2014
Friday and Saturday, May 9-10, 2014
Waltham, MA
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
Steward: Resignation Doesn't Change Plans for Quincy Medical Improvements
The hospital's abrupt change in leadership last week will not alter a $30 million plan to improve Quincy Medical Center.
Saint Anne's Hospital Unveils $30 Million Patient Pavilion
The three-story building offers an additional 60,000 square feet of hospital space.
Study: Some Massachusetts Residents Wait Months For New Doctors
While Massachusetts may provide some of the best healthcare in the country, it can take a long time to access for new patients, according to a new report from the Massachusetts Medical Society.
Mass. Docs Wait, Worry About Meaningful Use Licensing Requirements
Starting in 2015, doctors in Massachusetts will have to show health IT meaningful use proficiency as a condition for medical licensing, leaving some doctors not fully participating or complying with the federal incentive program.
PCP Shortages Forces Groups to Adapt
Dr. Michael Kelleher, Reliant Medical Group's medical director for quality and patient safety and interim chief medical officer, talks about the shortage in adult primary care.
Mass. Gubernatorial Candidate Don Berwick Talks Health Care Reform
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Donald Berwick delivered his prescription to improve Massachusetts's health care system, arguing that the state must move away from a fee-for-service model of delivering health care.
West Nile Virus Detected in Mass. Mosquitoes; No Human Cases Yet Reported
Boston health officials are reporting the summer's first positive test for West Nile Virus in mosquitoes. There have been no reported human cases of mosquito-borne viruses yet.
