"News You Can Use" <> January 9, 2015 January 9, 2015 SDCMS Measles 0 CONTENTS Join Your Fellow South Bay Physicians on Jan. 23 for a Networking Event and Social Attend SDCMS’s FREE “Preparing to Practice” Workshop on January 31 Your Member Services Quiz Two Measles Cases Diagnosed in San Diego Read the Jan. 7 San Diego County Influenza Report Report Your Patients’ Blood Pressure Readings as Part of Friday, February 13 Love Your Heart Day Can You Help Spread the Message of Health by Making a Brief Presentation in Your Community? CMS to Hold Medicare Claims for First Two Weeks of January MACs Continuing to Require Physicians to Revalidate Their Medicare Enrollments Medi-Cal Rate Reductions Cal MediConnect Physician FAQs Significant New California Laws of Interest to Physicians for 2015 Get Insights on Patient Safety Delivered to Your Inbox Verifying Your Patients’ Eligibility and Benefits in 2015 May Save Your Practice Thousands of Dollars Covered California Enrollment Information and Deadlines Covered California Physician Resources ABOVE THE FOLD Join Your Fellow South Bay Physicians on Jan. 23 for a Networking Event and Social: Friday, January 23, 6pm–9pm. RSVP to JOhmstede@SDCMS.org for the address and details. Attend SDCMS’s FREE “Preparing to Practice” Workshop on January 31: At the Moores Cancer Center from 8:00am to 4:00pm — continental breakfast and lunch provided. Click here for details, including topics covered and how to register. TOP YOUR MEMBER SERVICES QUIZ Question: I was told that beginning January 2015, Medicare would start paying physicians a monthly fee to coordinate the care of beneficiaries with chronic illnesses. Is this true? What information is available to begin billing for this? Click Here for the Answer TOP MEDICAL Two Measles Cases Diagnosed in San Diego: Click Here Read the Jan. 7 San Diego County Influenza Report: Click Here TOP LOCAL Report Your Patients’ Blood Pressure Readings as Part of Friday, February 13 Love Your Heart Day: The SDCMS Foundation is partnering with the County of San Diego HHSA to show the power of physicians. A simple score sheet will tally the number you measure and BP ranges. Click here for the form; email your interest in participating to Ana.Seda@SDCMS.org. This year’s goal: 25,000 BPs in one day countywide. Can You Help Spread the Message of Health by Making a Brief Presentation in Your Community? The SDCMS Foundation is partnering with the County of San Diego to educate community members on how to improve their lives and take charge of their health by launching a Live Well Physicians’ Speakers Bureau. Contact Barbara.Mandel@SDCMS.org to say YES, you will volunteer just one or two times a year, quarterly, or however your schedule allows. TOP FEDERAL CMS to Hold Medicare Claims for First Two Weeks of January: Click Here Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) Continuing to Require Physicians to Revalidate Their Medicare Enrollments: Revalidation notices have been sent out and will continue to be sent out until March 23, 2015. Click Here for Further Information TOP STATE Medi-Cal Rate Reductions: On January 1, 2015, the ACA provision temporarily setting primary care reimbursement rates at Medicare levels expired AND a 10% state reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursements for primary care providers went into effect. Will Twin Medi-Cal Cuts Affect Access? Click Here Cal MediConnect Physician FAQs: Click Here Significant New California Laws of Interest to Physicians for 2015: Click here for highlights on particular topics, or click here to download CMA’s “Significant New California Laws of Interest to Physicians for 2015." TOP BENEFITS / PRACTICE MANAGEMENT Get Insights on Patient Safety Delivered to Your Inbox: Click here to sign up for The Doctor’s Practice, The Doctors Company’s complimentary monthly newsletter featuring a new article or video in a simple, one-click email. TOP COVERED CALIFORNIA Verifying Your Patients’ Eligibility and Benefits in 2015 May Save Your Practice Thousands of Dollars: Click Here Enrollment Information and Deadlines: Open enrollment for new coverage or change in plan runs Nov. 15, 2014, to Feb. 15, 2015. Current enrollees will be automatically re-enrolled in their plans (even if there has been a change in the premium rate) if they are making no changes (either tier level or plan). Current enrollees who do want to make changes to their plans must do so by January 15 for the newly updated coverage to go into effect on February 1, 2015. All changes must be made by February 15, 2015, for this enrollment period. Medi-Cal enrollees don’t need to renew until they hear from Medi-Cal about next steps. TOP Physician Resources: New Tip Sheet From CMA: “Surviving Covered California: Preparing for Changes in 2015”: Click Here for Details Covered California Insurer Contacts Covered California Qualified Health Plan Insurance Carriers — Plan Year 2015 Office Placard Open Enrollment One Sheet Understanding the Grace Period Plan Names, ID Card, and Provider Directory Reference Guide Insurance Company Network Contacts Know Your Participation Status FAQs for Patients in English and Spanish TOP “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” — Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) Comments are closed.