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IN THIS ISSUE


8/9 CME Webinar on Value Based Models


MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Tuesday, July 24
Practice Management Update: Telehealth 101

Thursday, August 9
CME Webinar: Value Based Models

Wednesday, October 17 
Compliance Conference & General Membership Meeting
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The MCMS mission is to be  the foremost physician organization to advocate for and serve physicians, their medical practices, and their patients in Montgomery County, Maryland.
PLAYING VACCINE CATCH-UP THIS SUMMER

Summer vacation often gives students of all ages a break from homework and classes. But, for
healthcare professionals, summer appointments present an opportunity to educate young
patients and parents about their recommended vaccine schedule.
CMS Releases Physician Fee Schedule Rule for 2019 feeschedule
On July 12, CMS published its proposed  Physician Fee Schedule Rule for 2019, including provisions for the Quality Payment Program. The AMA is preparing comments, which are due on September 10, 2018.

Further Reading:
7/24 Practice Management Update: Telehealth 101 telehealth
Please join us on Tuesday, July 24  at 8 AM for a Practice Management Update on the topic of Telehealth and breakfast. Details & RSVP

Why Attend?
As healthcare continues to embrace the digital age, more and more clinicians are using telemedicine as a tactic to provide care in an innovative way. We will discuss how to successfully implement virtual visits by:
  • learning to identify patients that would best benefit from telemedicine,
  • understanding billing and documentation requirements,
  • and acquiring strategies for how clinicians can adjust their style of practice for delivering care virtually rather than in person.
Presenter:
Rob Warlick is the marketing director for PEAKE Technology Partners, a healthcare IT consultancy and all-inclusive MSP for medical groups in and around the D.C. metro area. Rob also serves as the managing partner for PEAKE's sister company, SimpleVisit, a hosted telemedicine service delivering secure virtual visits compatible with common video applications including FaceTime, Skype, and Google Hangouts. Read More...
CME Webinar: Value Based Models - Maryland's Primary Care Program webinar
Please join the Maryland Health Care Commission and the University of Maryland's Learning Collaborative on Thursday, August 9 from 
12-1 PM for a no cost, CME webinar on value based models. Register to attend. 
Download the Evaluation Form.

Why Attend?
Interested in improving health, enhancing patient experience, and increasing payments? Attend this webinar to assess whether the Maryland Primary Care Program's model will benefit your practice and to learn about eligibility and the application process.

Presenter:
Chad Perman, MPP, Project Manager, Program Management Office for the Primary Care Program, Public Health Services Office, Maryland Department of Health

Accreditation Statement: 
This Live activity, Maryland Learning Collaborative Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative, from 07/01/2018 - 07/01/2019, has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 2.00 Prescribed credit(s) by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™ toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed, not as Category 1.

Please Complete This Survey to Help Us Understand Your Practice's Preparation for Alternative Payment Models APMSurvey
MedChi and the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) would like to gain a better understanding as to how physician practices are progressing in practice transformation. The MHCC is an independent regulatory agency with broad responsibility in health care; one of its tasks is to advance innovative care delivery. MedChi and MHCC are asking for your assistance to complete a brief online survey regarding practice transformation. The survey questions center on team-based care, clinical quality and performance measurement, health IT, professional satisfaction, practice organization and finance. 

The survey should take about five minutes to complete and can be accessed at the following link:  

MedChi and MHCC plan to use the findings to identify innovative care delivery strategies to help physician practices meet the care delivery requirements under emerging alternative payment models. MedChi encourages all physicians to complete the survey, which will be available online through June 30th.

The MHCC will share the results of the survey with MedChi. The results will be anonymized and findings presented at a statewide level.  Please feel free to contact Melanie Cavaliere with MHCC at  melanie.cavaliere@maryland.gov or 410-764-3282 with any questions.

Important Compliance Updates & Deadlines: PDMP, Records Fees & Morecompliance
Updated Medical Records Fees, as of January 2018
In Maryland, how much practices may charge for medical records copying fees is tied to the Consumer Price Index. Please note:  Federal HIPAA regulations do not allow a charge for a preparation fee for records provided directly to the patient.   Click here to download our update guidance regarding copying fees. 

New Medicare Cards Started Arriving April 1, 2018
The new Medicare card is a result of MACRA's requirement that CMS issue Medicare cards that do not display Social Security Numbers to address the risk of beneficiary identity theft.  New Medicare cards were issued beginning in April 2018 and physician offices must be prepared to accept the new Medicare identification number at that time. T he new Medicare cards will significantly impact physician practices' workflows.

Resources:
Maryland's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Querying Requirements Began July 1, 2018
Beginning July 1, 2018 a prescriber must:
  • request at least the prior 4 months of a patient's prescription monitoring data before initiating a course of treatment for the patient that includes prescribing or dispensing an opioid or benzodiazepine;  
  • request a patient's prescription monitoring data at least every 90 days until the course of treatment that includes an opioid or benzodiazepine has ended; 
  • assess the prescription monitoring data before deciding whether to prescribe or dispense or continue to prescribe or dispense an opioid or benzodiazepine;
  • document in the patient's medical record that the prescription monitoring data was requested and assessed. 
Exceptions of when you do NOT need to query:
  • If you are prescribing for 3 days or less
  • If you prescribe for 14 days or less to treat or prevent acute pain from a surgical procedure, bone fracture, significant trauma, or childbirth
  • For cancer treatment or cancer related pain
  • For a patient who is receiving treatment in an inpatient unit of a hospital, who is part of a hospice program, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness, or resides in a nursing home, long-term care, developmental disability, or assisted living facility
PDMP Guides

Access Online CME & Info Sessions
MedChi offers a free, online CME on the PDMP in their  web catalog.
CRISP has released an  on-demand webinar on the PDMP.

Utilize MedChi's PDMP Call Center
MedChi has opened a PDMP Call Center to answer general questions about the PDMP at 410-878-9688or at pdmp@medchi.org. PDMP Call Center was created in partnership between MedChi, Maryland Department of Health, and CRISP to help prescribers meet the July 1, 2018 state-mandated deadline to use the PDMP. (Call Center is open Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, encourages members to consider DrFirst's PDMP workflow tool, which provides faster access and help with compliance. Find out more.
Montgomery County Medical Society    |   info@montgomerymedicine.org  |    301.921.4300