Summer Vital Signs now available; MMS and Mass. DPH film youth vaping PSA

News and announcements

Summer Vital Signs now available, highlights 2019 Annual Meeting

Check your mailbox! The summer issue of Vital Signs was mailed this past Friday and should arrive in the next few days. The issue provides an in-depth recap of the 2019 MMS Annual Meeting, where we became the first state medical society to declare that health care is a basic human right. In addition, the summer issue covers the MMS's new strategic plan, which will orient the organization over the next five years on a path toward improved physician advocacy and patient care.

Click on the video thumbnail below to watch Dr. Maryanne Bombaugh, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, talk about the new Vital Signs issue.

MMS and Massachusetts DPH film youth vaping public service announcement

Dr. Monica Bharel, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), together with Dr. Carole Allen and Dr. David Rosman of the Massachusetts Medical Society, filmed a public service announcement about vaping and the importance of talking to young patients about the activity. The video will premiere next week on the MMS social media channels as well on our website, so stay tuned! To subscribe and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube, click on the social media icons at the bottom of the page here . T o read more about the Get Outraged campaign—part of the DPH's tobacco cessation and prevention program—and download educational resources about vaping including a comprehensive toolkit, click here.

Mobilizing Health Care for a Hunger-Free Massachusetts

An event in cooperation with Congressman James P. McGovern, Chairman, House Rules Committee
Last week at UMass Medical School, The Hunger to Health Collaboratory (H2HC) hosted "Mobilizing Health Care for a Hunger-Free Massachusetts," an event that featured experts including Congressman James P. McGovern and MMS President Dr. Maryanne Bombaugh. Dr. Bombaugh, the Whole Person Care panelist, led the breakout session about addressing food insecurity in health care holistically.

MMS Minority Affairs Section – Join us!!

The Massachusetts Medical Society’s Minority Affairs Section (MAS) offers a forum for addressing the unique needs and concerns of underrepresented minority physicians and the delivery of health care to minority patients and communities. The Section’s priorities include the development of policies and initiatives that provide career advancement and leadership opportunities for minority physicians and increases participation and mentorship of underrepresented minority physicians and students in the MMS.

The Section also offers members a chance to participate in organized medicine at both the local (MMS) and national (AMA) levels. Membership in the MAS is open to any MMS member physician or medical student with an interest in minority physicians or minority health issues.

For more information or to become involved, contact Bill Howland via email at bhowland@mms.org.

Join our AMA delegation: The MMS Committee on Nominations is seeking candidates 

The MMS Committee on Nominations is currently considering candidates for nomination as AMA Delegate and Alternate Delegate to the Massachusetts AMA Delegation. The deadline for submission of nomination applications is Friday, August 30. Visit www.massmed.org/amanoms to learn more about the qualifications and submit your application.

Interviews with the Committee on Nominations will be held at MMS Headquarters, Waltham, on Wednesday, October 2, 4:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Applicants should plan to be available on this date. Questions? Please contact Linda Healy at (781) 434-7008 or lhealy@mms.org , or Karen Harrison at (781) 434-7463 or kharrison@mms.org.

Application for MassHealth Provider Access Improvement Grant Program

Earlier this month, MassHealth released the application for the Provider Access Improvement Grant Program, which aims to increase access to health care and improve health outcomes among MassHealth members with disabilities or for whom English is not a primary language, and is one of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Statewide Investments.

The Grant Program will provide funding to selected MassHealth providers to purchase medical diagnostic equipment and other resources that help them better serve these populations. Grant awards of up to $25,000 will be made to selected MassHealth providers, totaling up to $2.07 million for this grant cycle ending December 31, 2019. Applicants must be actively enrolled MassHealth physicians, dentists, or other health care providers working in a medical setting that is not a hospital or owned by a hospital.

For more information about the program, please click here . Proposals are due no later than July 26, 2019. Please direct all questions to the "Contact Us" page on the website.

MMS Individual Claims Consultation Days: Spaces are limited!

The Massachusetts Medical Society is hosting in-person Insurance Claims Consultation (ICC) days. ICC days are designed to allow MMS member physicians and/or their practice staff to schedule 30-minute appointments with health plans to focus on the adjudication of troublesome claims. Available in three locations, representatives from health plans will be on-site to review claims with you to facilitate claims processing.    

Schedule your appointment at massmed.org/ICC2019.

Benefit buzz

Safeguard Your Medical License and Career

Make sure you are not at a disadvantage if you are notified of a Board of Medicine in Registration investigation. The Legal Advisory Plan (LAP), an MMS members-only service, provides expert advice from the Plan’s legal counsel committed to protecting your rights and interests, helping you avoid pitfalls and common mistakes for a successful outcome. Enroll or renew for July 2019 – July 2020 coverage now for a nominal fee $70 - a fraction of the cost of hiring an attorney. You must be enrolled at the initiation of an investigation to avail yourself of plan services. Questions? Email lap@massmed.org or call (781) 434-7311.

Member verdict:
"When I received the Board complaint, I tried to sign up for the LAP. It was too late. It cost me thousands of dollars for an attorney to resolve the issue. Don't wait. The plan is an incredible bargain.” --MMS Member

Adding a new physician to your group or joining a new group? Contact the Physician Practice Resource Center and learn how best to onboard a new provider in an efficient and comprehensive manner including, but not limited to, operations, marketing, and credentialing. We can answer your questions. Our goal is to provide you with the support and information you need to maintain a thriving practice. Feel free to contact us today at (781) 434-7702 or email us at pprc@mms.org.
 

Payer watch

Behavioral Health: Expanded Coverage of MAT – Tufts Health Together

Per MassHealth Managed Care Entity Bulletin 12, and effective July 1, 2019, Tufts Health Plan will expand the list of covered medications administered and dispensed by opioid treatment programs (OTPs), as OTPs are now increasingly able to administer and dispense all FDA-approved medication-assisted treatment including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Drug screening costs are included in the daily administering rate for these medications. For more information, refer to the Opioid Replacement Therapy and Medication Assisted Treatment Payment Policy. This change applies to Tufts Health Together – MassHealth MCO Plan and Accountable Care Partnership Plans.

Stay connected with all your payers’ updates by contacting our Practice Solutions and Medical Economics at (781) 434-7702 or email us at pprc@mms.org.

Educational programs and events

CME education programs & events

Featured NEW online CME course

• Restoring the Fine art of Medicine: The Power of Physician Wellness - The 2019 Education Program
• Future of Care: A Call to Collaboration – The 2019 Shattuck Lecture

Upcoming events and trainings    

July 31: Transitioning Into and Within the Medical Device Industry (Regis College)
This networking event is for anyone seeking to enter or move laterally within the medical device industry. Our panel of industry veterans will talk about their varied experiences with transitions and provide insights to help you in your career. Additionally, several past speakers are invited back as special guests. The event will take place on Wednesday, July 31 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm.

September 7-8: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Providing Evidence-Based Care in the Multidisciplinary Setting Course and Workshops (MMS Headquarters)   Dedicated to addressing topics related to understanding all components of ERAS, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative Phases, the course and workshops consider evidence-based best practices for each component according to the various levels of care across different medical specialties. Participants will learn the value and implications of ERAS as a relatively new holistic approach to patient care.

Quote of the week

"Our medical information is often the most sensitive data there is about us and a lot can be inferred from the questions we ask and the searches we make when we have health concerns."

—  Eva Blum-Dumontet, a researcher at Privacy International, who is concerned about the British government’s decision to team with Amazon’s digital voice tools for health care. (AP)

Tweet of the week

@Gr8BosFoodBank
Last year, GBFB distributed nearly 61 million pounds of nutritious food to people in need across Eastern Massachusetts. http://instagram.com/gr8bosfoodbank

What’s new in health care

Check out the most clicked-on stories from this week's MMS Media Watch. Sign up for daily Massachusetts media roundups by email. Some publications are fully accessible only to their subscribers.

Who gets abortions in Mass.? Here's what the data show (Boston Globe)

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would codify abortion rights in state law and remove barriers that now prevent women in certain circumstances from getting abortions. Women under 18, for example, need a parent's consent or a judicial order to get an abortion — a restriction the bill would remove. The bill would also allow abortion after 24 weeks if a fetus is diagnosed with a fatal anomaly. Abortions are now allowed in Massachusetts after that time only if the mother's life or health is threatened. There were 18,256 abortions in Massachusetts last year, according to the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, which tracks the data. The annual number has dropped dramatically over time, after peaking at 44,044 in 1979.

Mass. must address rural physician shortage (CommonWealth)

Viewed in a national context, the doctor shortage issue will be most dire for Texans. The other extreme is here in Massachusetts, which has the apparent luxury of a projected surplus of primary care doctors. However, regardless of the area of the country, rural regions — such as ours, in the Berkshires — face persistent challenges in attracting and keeping primary care doctors.

Worcester Health Center improving on past violations (WBJ)

An inspection last November found Worcester Health Center allegedly failed to protect each resident from physical, mental or sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect. An inspection last September found 19 deficiencies, compared to a national average of less than eight, according to federal documents. The most recent inspection found just six deficiencies. In one issue soon corrected, inspectors determined the facility failed to ensure it was free from accident hazards and failed to provide adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren files updated gambling addiction bill (MassLive)

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren filed a bill Wednesday that would require the Department of Defense to develop programs to treat active duty service members with gambling addiction. Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat and Sen. Steven David Daines, a Montana Republican, filed a similar bill in 2018 requiring the department to screen service members for gambling disorders in their annual health assessment and the Health Related Behavior Surveys. Language based on that bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which passed