E-Newsletter

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"News You Can Use" — June 4, 2013

June 10, 2013 E-prescribing, Public Health, TRICARE E-prescribing, Hepatitis A, Medi-Cal, TRICARE 0

CONTENTS:

ABOVE THE FOLD

<> Click Here if You're at a Computer for a 10-minute Video Update From SDCMS President Sherry Franklin, MD, and SDCMS CEO Tom Gehring. Click here if you're on a smartphone or tablet.

<> New TRICARE Contract Might Create Gap in Medical Malpractice Coverage: A broad "indemnification" clause in the UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services (UMVS) TRICARE provider contract is causing concern. CMA strongly recommends that physicians contact their medical professional liability carriers directly regarding the indemnification provision in the TRICARE contract and obtain information from them on what the clause means in terms of liability insurance coverage and exclusions from coverage. Click here for details. In broad terms:

  • If Patient Has TRICARE Prime: Physician clearly impacted and contracted providers need to follow CMA advice to contact their carriers.
  • If Patient Has TRICARE for Life: No impact on doctor. Although administered by United, is an entirely separate and noncontracted product that is paid by non-United entity.
  • If Patient Has Standard TRICARE: Administered through United. Most but not all Standard patients have out-of-network (OON) benefits that are not impacted by a United contract: Doctor providing OON services has TRICARE Prime contract — physician clearly impacted; Doctor providing OON services has no contract with TRICARE Prime — no impact on doctor; If the patient does not have OON benefits, then the provider who is not contracted may not be paid; If the patient does have OON benefits, patient out of pocket may be higher than if they saw a contracted provider. 

<> Executive Director Comment: CMA had held off the 10% Medi-Cal cut in the courts for multiple years, but the judicial process is now exhausted. We are now working to solve this problem through the legislative budget process. Our biggest concern is that the Medi-Cal reimbursement clawback (the state's asking for 10% of past Medi-Cal reimbursements back) be limited or eliminated.

<> Ninth Circuit Denies Request to Rehear Medi-Cal 10% Rate Cut Case: Click here for details. Meanwhile, a new poll shows voters overwhelmingly support Medi-Cal and oppose cuts: 88% believe Medi-Cal is important compared to other state spending priorities, and 62% oppose cuts to Medi-Cal provider payments.

<> Please Take SDCMS' 2-Question Medi-Cal Survey: If (and only if) you take Medi-Cal, please CLICK HERE to take our two-question, multiple choice survey so that we can get some data to our legislators. Thank you!

<> Executive Director Comment: Two great members-only trainings (directly below) to hone your skills -- for free!!!

<> SDCMS Media Training, Saturday, July 13, 8:30am-11:30am: Our crack team of mentors will give you near-real opportunities to practice your newspaper, radio, standup TV interview, and TV panel media skills. A great way for physicians to practice in a safe environment, or, as Churchill said, "Better to sweat in peace than bleed in war." Please let me know at Gehring@SDCMS.org if you plan on attending or need further information. 

<> "Financial and Legal Literacy for Doctors" Workshop, Saturday, June 22: 8:00am-12:00pm, at SDCMS's offices on Ruffin Road. Click here for details. Email me at Gehring@SDCMS.org to reserve your spot.

MEDICAL

<> Two San Diego Cases of Hepatitis A Associated With Frozen Berry Blend Sold at Costco:

STATE

<> Covered California Unveils Qualified Health Plans, Expected Premiums: Click Here 

FEDERAL

<> To Avoid the 2% E-prescribing Penalty in 2014: You must report e-prescribing activity using measure code G8553 with at least 10 fee schedule services between January 1 and June 30, 2013 [even if already reporting through an electronic health record (EHR) system] no later than June 30, 2013. Click Here 

LOCAL

<> Coordinating Physician Health Activities in California: A Workshop for Physician Health Committees: Saturday, July 13, 2013, 9:00am to 12 noon, at the UCSD Hillcrest Campus, Multipurpose Facility, 402 Dickinson Street, 4th Floor Conference Room, Ste. 450, San Diego 92103. Attendance is limited. There is no fee, but advance reservation is required. For further information and to register, click here. For information about California Public Protection and Physician Health (CPPPH), click here.

<> Sign up to Attend Our June 22 "Financial and Legal Literacy for Doctors" Workshop: This three-hour SDCMS members-only workshop is a must-attend for financially and legally challenged physicians. This will be a very, very practical and user-focused vendor / brand-agnostic workshop where physicians will learn the right questions to ask and how to spot the wrong answers; you will leave the workshop with the top 10 questions to ask / wrong answers to spot in each of the following topics: financial, legal, real estate, taxes and accounting, time vs. money, insurance, picking your advisors. Saturday, June 22, 2013, 8:00am-12:00pm, at SDCMS's offices on Ruffin Road. Email me at Gehring@SDCMS.org to reserve your spot.

<> Sign up to Attend Our July 20 "Taming Microsoft Outlook" Workshop: This three-and-a-half hour SDCMS members-only workshop is a must-attend for those busy physicians looking to make Microsoft Outlook their servant and not their master. This will be a very, very practical and user-focused workshop. Physicians will come away from this workshop with a greater understanding of Microsoft Outlook and its versatility as a desktop information manager. As well, you will have a new appreciation for a system that enables you to be more efficient, productive, and in control. We will cover the following topics: important names, addresses, phone numbers, to-do lists, meetings, projects, oh, and all those emails. Saturday, July 20, 2013, 8:00am-12:00pm, at SDCMS's office on Ruffin Road. Email me at Gehring@SDCMS.org.

BENEFITS / PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

<> Follow SDCMS' Twitter Feed and Get a Treasure Trove of Healthcare News Delivered Daily to Your Smartphone: Click Here

<> Is Your Office Manager / Practice Administrator Using SDCMS' Online Forum? Click Here to Join

"I consider it a mark of great prudence in a man to abstain from threats or any contemptuous expressions, for neither of these weaken the enemy, but threats make him more cautious, and the other excites his hatred, and a desire to revenge himself." -- Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

 



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