Posted on
January 20, 2012 at 2:46 pm by Erica Noonan
The state Board of Registration in Medicine notified physicians this week of new regulations that require them to complete CME courses in pain management and end of life care during the license renewal or obtaining a new license.
Pain management: Effective Feb. 1, physicians who prescribe controlled substances (Schedules I through VI) must
complete at least three credits of education and training in pain management and opioid education.
MMS and the Boston University School of Medicine offer two courses to help physicians fulfill that requirement:
End-of-life care: Also effective Feb. 1, all physicians seeking a new or renewed license must take two CME credits in end of life care. The credits can qualify as either category 1 or category 2, and may be counted as risk management credits.
The MMS offers three online courses to fulfill this requirement:
The pain management education requirement was created by the Legislature in statute enacted in 2010. In public testimony, the MMS unsuccessfully opposed that requirement.
Mandatory education in end-of-life care was imposed by the Board of Registration in Medicine (BRM) following the recommendation of a special commission. It was not a legislative mandate, and the MMS opposed the inclusion of this condition for licensure based solely on the BRM’s perception of the significance of the issue.
BRM Executive Director Stancel Riley, MD, is scheduled to meet the MMS Board of Trustees in March to discuss these and other new licensing regulations.
Filed under: Board of Medicine, CME, End of Life Care | No Comments »
Posted on
January 12, 2012 at 5:39 pm by Frank Fortin
We learned today that the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine is notifying physicians by email that effective Feb. 1, it will require continuing medical education (CME) credits on two specific clinical topics as a condition of licensure and re-licensure: pain management and end of life care.
It will require three hours of CME credits in pain management for physicians who prescribe controlled substances (Schedules I through VI). These credits qualify as either category 1 or category 2 CME, and may be counted as risk management credits. This requirement was established by the Legislature by statute in 2010.
The MMS recommends two courses to fulfill this requirement:
The Board will also require physicians to take two credits in education about end-of-life care, also effective Feb. 1. The credits qualify as either category 1 or category 2, and may be counted as risk management credits. This is a requirement imposed by the Board very recently, following the recommendations of an expert panel on end of life care that met in 2008.
The MMS online CME center offers three courses that would fulfill this requirement:
The state’s complete CME requirements for licensure and re-licensure are available on the MMS website.
Filed under: CME, End of Life Care, Palliative Care | No Comments »
Posted on
January 6, 2012 at 2:03 pm by Frank Fortin
The Group Insurance Commission this week began notifying physicians about their tier designations for the 2012-2013 benefit year.
We encourage physicians to review this information immediately and contact each of the health plans if they have questions or want to appeal their tier designation.
The deadline to file an appeal of your designation is January 24. If you miss the deadline, you won’t be able to appeal for another year. The plans have said they will notify you of the outcome of your appeal by February 14.
Each health plan, in their communications to physicians, has provided information about who to contact and how to appeal. Keep track of your communications with each plan to make follow-up easier. We are also updating our website with this and additional information at www.massmed.org/tiering.
Filed under: Tiering | No Comments »
Posted on
January 5, 2012 at 9:49 am by Frank Fortin
The AMA reminded physicians yesterday that even though the 27 percent cut in Medicare payments has been blocked for two months, there are still changes coming to some Medicare fees.
Here’s what the AMA said:
The payroll tax extension legislation that was passed by Congress and signed by the President on Dec. 23, 2011 (Public Law 112-078) delayed the 27.4% Medicare pay cut due to the SGR formula for two months. It also extended the floor on the work geographic practice cost index (GPCI) and certain other policies.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has confirmed to the AMA, however, that all of the other changes that were included in the Medicare physician payment final rule for 2012 will still take effect. Physicians should not expect that payment rates will remain unchanged.
As detailed in a memo sent to the Federation on Nov. 4, 2011 following release of the final rule, numerous changes are being made in the relative value units, GPCIs, electronic prescribing and quality reporting programs, and multiple procedure payment rules for 2012. All of these changes will take effect as scheduled for dates of service beginning Jan. 1, 2012.
In addition, although P.L. 112-078 provided for a zero percent update to the Medicare conversion factor, the final rule indicated that there would be a 0.18% increase in the conversion factor for budget neutrality and this change will also be effective Jan. 1, 2012. The budget neutrality increase is due to CMS adoption of the RVS Update Committee recommendations for misvalued codes. The 2011 conversion factor was $33.9764. The 2012 conversion factor will be $34.0376.
CMS also has indicated that because Congress acted so late in 2011 to prevent the SGR cut, claims must still be held for a period of time to allow CMS time to develop the new payment rate files and the Medicare claims administration contractors time to install and test the files. CMS expects that most if not all contractors will be ready to process claims under the revised rates on or before Jan. 18, 2012, which is the end of the 10-business-day claims hold period previously announced, but contractors’ time frames may differ. Contractors are expected to have the new rates posted to their web sites by Jan. 11.
Finally, CMS published in the Jan. 4, 2012, Federal Register a correction notice to the 2012 final rule that modifies the relative values for a number of services. The agency also posted to its web site a revised relative value file reflecting both the corrections and the legislation that stopped the 27.4% cut.
Got that?
Filed under: Medicare | No Comments »
Posted on
December 30, 2011 at 11:00 am by Rick Gulla
While the human body has a natural and wonderful ability to heal from 
wounds or injuries, an estimated eight million Americans suffer from chronic or non-healing wounds. Many of those are patients with diabetes, injuries from radiation, venous disease, and spinal cord injuries, and in many cases these patients require specialized care.
The January edition of the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Physician Focus television program takes an inside look at this specialized care with health care professionals from The Wound Care Center at Harrington, part of Harrington HealthCare System, headquartered in Southbridge, Massachusetts.
Guests for the show are Evan Provisor, M.D. (photo, center), Medical Director of The Wound Care Center, and Susan Proulx, B.S.N., R.N. (right), Program Director. Led in discussion by primary care physician Bruce Karlin, M.D. (left), Dr. Provisor and Nurse Proulx describe the varied conditions that can lead to chronic wounds, how healing is measured, state-of-the-art treatments, and how a wound care center offers a comprehensive approach to the care of chronic wounds.
Physician Focus, entering its eighth year of health care programming in 2012, is available for viewing on public access television stations throughout Massachusetts. To view online, visit www.physicianfocus.org. Physician Focus is also available on iTunes at www.massmed.org/itunes.
Filed under: Physician Focus, Primary Care | No Comments »
Posted on
December 23, 2011 at 10:31 am by Frank Fortin
Under enormous political pressure inside and outside its ranks, House Republicans Friday morning reversed themselves and passed a two-month freeze of the 27 percent cut in Medicare physician fees. The Senate followed suit. The vote also extended a payroll tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits. President Obama signed the bill a few hours later.
In return, Democrats appointed members to a conference committee that will go to work in early January to design a one-year freeze of the SGR formula. As Senate Major Leader Harry Reid said, “Two months is not a long time.”
At his news conference on Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner was still expressing home that the long-term fix would be for two years.
The AMA again urged Congress to end “this sorry cycle of scheduled cuts and short-term patches” and provide long-term stability for Medicare and its patients.
The votes – both by unanimous consent – came after a wild 10-day period:
- First, the House passed a one-year freeze that was unacceptable to Senate Democrats.
- Then, last weekend, the Senate passed a two-month freeze, with the apparent blessing of House Republican leaders.
- But GOP rank and file rebelled the next day, and forced the House to reject the Senate deal, and demand more negotiations.
- The House’s decision to reverse its course surfaced suddenly at mid-afternoon on Thursday; by 5:00 p.m. the two-month deal was announced. It’s almost identical to the bill the House rejected on Tuesday.
Want to learn more?
Filed under: Medicare | No Comments »
Posted on
December 22, 2011 at 4:51 pm by Frank Fortin
UPDATED: 6:17 p.m.
That two-month freeze of physician Medicare rates has returned from the dead.
Late this afternoon, House Speaker John Boehner announced that the House will pass a two-month freeze of the pending 27% Medicare pay cut “before Christmas,” along with extensions of the payroll tax and unemployment benefits.
Barring another last-minute surprise, the vote is expected to come Friday morning on motions for unanimous consent in each chamber.
In return, Senate Major Leader Harry Reid agreed to appoint Democrats to a conference committee that will get to work early in January to negotiate a longer freeze. As Reid noted, “Two months is not a long time.”
We’ll watch the proceedings Friday morning and keep you updated.
Filed under: Medicare | No Comments »
Posted on
December 20, 2011 at 1:57 pm by Frank Fortin
In a bitter, emotional vote today, the U.S. House rejected a Senate bill that would have blocked the 27 percent Medicare reimbursement cut scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. The bill would have also extended a payroll tax cut and extended unemployment benefits for the same two-month period.
The House called on senators to return to Washington and negotiate their differences in a conference committee, but Democratic leaders in the Senate say they’re done for the calendar year, and won’t return until next month. Clearly, each party is gambling that the other will shoulder the blame for the breakdown.
MMS President Lynda Young MD, said, “We’re very disappointed that Congress has failed to act. Today’s vote seriously destabilizes Medicare, and causes anxiety for physicians and seniors who depend on it. The true solution — a full and complete repeal of the Medicare payment formula – is long overdue.
“We also deeply appreciate the fact the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation has supported reforming the payment formula. We look forward to working with them to achieve this goal.”
In a statement this afternoon, the AARP said, “Our members have a clear message for Congress: don’t cut our doctors’ Medicare payments.”
What about physicians? Barring a holiday miracle, the 27 percent cut will take effect on January 1, putting a severe crimp on practices’ finances. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said yesterday that its contractors won’t process any claims for January services until January 17, in the hope that Congress can pull something together. (This processing delay is part of the contractors’ normal business practice.) If there’s no action from Congress, claims will be paid at the lower rate.
We’ll pass along more information as we get it. Check the MMS website’s Medicare page for any updates. Our Twitter feed will also post updates.
Filed under: Medicare | No Comments »
Posted on
December 20, 2011 at 11:51 am by Frank Fortin
Starting Jan. 1, every physician applying to renew or obtain a new Massachusetts license must complete at least three credits of education and training in pain management and opioid education.
According to state regulations, such education includes “but is not limited to, training in how to identify patients at high risk for substance abuse and training in how to counsel patients on the side effects, addictive nature and proper storage and disposal of prescription medicines. These hours may be included among the required 10 hours of risk management credits.” The requirement was outlined in state legislation passed during the summer of 2010.
Several online CME activities fulfill this requirement. The MMS offers an online program, Managing Risk When Prescribing Narcotic Painkillers for Patients, for one credit. It meets the criteria of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine for risk management study. The Boston University School of Medicine also offers a three-credit online course, Safe and Effective Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain.
Visit the MMS website for complete information on CME requirements for Massachusetts licensure.
Future CME Requirements
In 2014, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will require applicants for new and renewed licenses to complete training in end of life care. In 2015, such applicants must also certify their competence in the use of electronic health records.
Filed under: CME, Palliative Care | No Comments »
Posted on
December 19, 2011 at 3:52 pm by Frank Fortin
Starting Tuesday, Dec. 27, users of the MMS member email service, MassMedNET, must change how they access the web interface of the MassMedNET email service.
Starting Tuesday, Dec. 27, our service will no longer accept connections if you type only mail.massmed.org in the address field of your browser. You MUST add https:// before the address to access your email – e.g., https://mail.massmed.org.
If you use a bookmark in your browser, tablet or phone to connect to your MMS email, you should change the address for that bookmark to https://mail.massmed.org.
This change is necessary because of new online security standards implemented by credit card payment industry. All websites and online services that process credit cards must conform to this new standard.
If you have any questions, contact our MassMedNET support desk at (781) 434-7321, starting 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27.
Filed under: website | No Comments »
