December 13, 2019 | View as Webpage
FEATURE NEWS
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan announced on December 11 that it has reached new value-based, performance-based, risk-based payment contracts with seven hospital systems and physician groups in southeast Michigan. Beginning January 1, ‘Blueprint for Affordability’ participants must meet agreed-upon annual cost targets or pay penalties. The five-year contracts aim to contain healthcare costs and improve quality of care. 
MAFP NEWS
MAFP Legislative Liaison  Matt Black  testified before the Michigan House Judiciary Committee on December 10 in opposition to legislation that, if passed, would establish new regulations for prescribing emotional support animals and punishments for failing to adhere to the regulations. As currently written, the bill includes a broad definition of healthcare providers who are authorized to prescribe emotional support animals; requires that a healthcare provider deliver a notarized statement, when requested, to the landlord of a patient for whom an emotional support animal is prescribed; and makes violating the bill's provisions a misdemeanor punishable by jail, fine, and/or community service.


MAFP Holiday Office Hours
MAFP Headquarters will be closed for the holidays beginning on Tuesday, December 24 through Wednesday, January 1. Staff will periodically monitor voicemail and email during this time and return urgent messages as soon as possible.


Thanks in part to grants and contributions from organizations and individual donors , Family Medicine Foundation of Michigan expended $151,000 in 2019 to further its work of advancing family medicine in Michigan. Among the initiatives FMFM invests in each year are:

  • Medical student clinical/research externship (funded by a matching grant from AAFP Foundation)
  • Family Medicine Interest Groups at Michigan’s medical schools
  • Increasing awareness of the Academy among residents through presentations given during residency program didactics
  • Student and resident event scholarships
  • National Conference of Family Medicine Residents & Medical Students ‘Michigan Aisle’ in the Expo Hall, Michigan Reception, and student and resident delegates' participation in their respective congress
  • Hosting CME and professional development events

If you would like to contribute to FMFM’s work, click here to make a tax-deductible donation. Together we can continue to advance family medicine in Michigan!


“People are looking at the health care system as broken … and this is one of those cases-in-point,” said MAFP Legislative Liaison Matt Black when talking with Bridge Magazine about the current prior authorization process. Matt has been meeting with lawmakers and their staff in Lansing to increase awareness of the need for insurers to add transparency and time limits to their prior authorization requirements as outlined in state legislation (Senate Bill 612) introduced this fall by Senator Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington). Do you have patients whose health has been negatively impacted by treatment or medication delays as the result of prior authorization requirements? Encourage them to share their stories at www.healthcantwait.org.


Atlantic Health Partners Offers Additional Vaccine Savings for Members
Atlantic Health Partners has always been a strong resource for MAFP members’ immunization efforts by offering favorable vaccine prices, terms, and purchasing support. Atlantic has now expanded its program with the addition of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) vaccines. This include options for practices interested in the GSK portfolio or for those practices just interested in using Bexsero (Meningitis B vaccine). Atlantic now offers MAFP members the full array of vaccine options to best meet individual practice needs, including:
  • Favorable pricing for Sanofi, Merck, GSK, and Dynavax vaccines
  • A comprehensive flu program that includes Sanofi, GSK, and Seqirus products
  • Meningoccocal B vaccine options that include both Trumenba or Bexsero
  • No minimum quantity requirements to always receive most favorable pricing and terms
  • Excellent and timely customer service including reimbursement support and advocacy

For information, contact Jeff or Cindy at 800.741.2044 or info@atlantichealthpartners.com     
Do you have news to share about yourself, your practice, or a colleague? Please email Dana Lawrence, MAFP Director of Communications, at dlawrence@mafp.com.
STATE & NATIONAL NEWS
Last week’s tentative fiscal year 2019-2020 state budget agreement between legislative leaders and Governor Gretchen Whitmer was finalized this week. Included in the supplemental appropriations bill approved overwhelmingly by the Legislature on December 10 is the reappropriation of $573.5 million in funding that was line-item vetoed by the Governor in late September. Of particular importance to MAFP and family physicians is restored funding for critical access hospitals, rural hospitals, and the MIDOCS program.


O nce again, family medicine is the most in-demand specialty, followed by emergency medicine, psychiatry, and obstetrics/gynecology, according to Doximity’s 2019 U.S. Physician Employment Report. “Our data shows that the demand for physicians has been increasing year-over-year for the past three years; which is good news for physicians working today, but also represents a concern as patient demand increases and physician shortages worsen,” wrote the study’s authors.


Beginning January 1, the home health unit of payment will change from the current 60 days to 30 days under Medicare’s Patient-Driven Groupings model. While this won’t directly impact payment to family physicians, it has implications for how physicians order home health services, according to an AAFP News article. Physicians are encouraged to use the most definitive diagnosis coding possible when ordering home health for Medicare beneficiaries.


Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has developed a survey to gather information about the various aspects of connection to and application of Health Information Exchange (HIE) within the diverse settings that serve Michiganders across the continuum of care. Recognizing that the perceptions and opinions of the use and application of information from HIE may vary across roles within healthcare organizations, each organization responding to the survey is encouraged to submit multiple surveys that capture the perspective of direct care providers and administrative and information technology personnel. The survey closes January 17 at 5 pm.  If you have questions regarding this survey, please contact the MDHHS State Innovation Model (SIM) team at MDHHS-SIM@michigan.gov.


The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports that this year’s flu season is off to an early start and is likely to also peak earlier. Flu activity is elevated in the U.S. and increasing, while it remains local in Michigan as of the week ending November 30. Nationally, influenza B/Victoria viruses continue to be most commonly reported, followed by influenza A/H1N1 viruses and influenza A/H3N2. Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported across the country thus far in the 2019-2020 flu season; none in Michigan.


Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) sent letters to more than 238,000 Healthy Michigan Plan (HMP) beneficiaries this week explaining what they need to do to comply with the new work requirements that go into effect January 1 . HMP beneficiaries who are not exempt must report work or other activities, such as job training approved by MDHHS or searching for a job, to MDHHS every month at www.Michigan.gov/MiBridges or by calling 833.895.4355. Changes to premium payments and a yearly risk assessment are scheduled for later in 2020.


MPRO  (MI Peer Review Organization) is the federally-designated healthcare Quality Improvement Organization in Michigan. In addition to its long-standing contracts with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Michigan Medicaid program, MPRO also contracts with various entities for independent medical reviews. MPRO’s physician review panel currently consists of around 150 specialists, plus 40 others in various healthcare fields. Being on the panel entails reviewing approximately 3-4 cases per year where there is concern about the quality of care, or where the medical necessity for a device, drug, procedure, test, or hospital admission is challenged. Reviews can be done electronically at the physician’s home or office. Compensation is currently $100/hour, but the true value is the satisfaction physicians receive in supporting the integrity of their specialty by doing medically legitimate peer review. If you are interested in serving on MPRO’s physician review panel, please contact  James Mitchiner, MD, MPH,  MPRO Medical Director, at  248.465.7313  or  jmitchin@mpro.org.  
STUDENT & RESIDENT NEWS
Family Medicine Foundation of Michigan is accepting applications from MAFP resident and student members interested in representing Michigan as a delegate or alternate delegate at AAFP’s   2020 National Conference of Family Medicine Residents & Medical Students, July 30-August 1, in Kansas City, MO. The selected delegates will receive an FMFM scholarship of up to $1,000 to help cover conference registration, travel, hotel, and meal costs. Applications are due by April 1.


Are you looking for a venue where you can present your research or work on a project via poster presentation? New on MAFP’s website is a listing of four opportunities already announced for 2020. Check back as more calls for poster presentation abstracts are added.


Last Chance: Applications Due Dec. 15
AAFP is accepting applications from student and resident members interested in receiving a scholarship to attend the  2020 Family Medicine Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, on May 18-19. Scholarships will be given to two students and two residents. FMAS provides opportunities for learning about political issues that impact family medicine and best practices for effective advocacy.
RESOURCES
A new Michigan Automated Prescription System (MAPS) poster is now available that illustrates your use of MAPS as a prescriber and provides a visual display to patients who intend to fraudulently obtain controlled substances. There are two options available for download: the standard MAPS poster and one with the ability to customize by adding your own facility’s logo. 
MARK YOUR CALENDAR

February 25
Downtown Lansing

May 1
Okemos, MI

SAVE THE DATE
August 6-9
Detroit Marriott, Troy

business_people3.jpg
OTHER EVENTS

December 17, 3-4 pm
For all healthcare providers to learn about the new Healthy Michigan Plan work, healthy behavior, and cost-sharing requirements that go into effect January 1
Host: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Offers information, solutions, and inspiration for the whole residency team
April 3-7
Kansas City, MO
Host: AAFP

May 13-14
Grand Rapids, MI
Host: Michigan Center for Rural Health
Presentation proposals accepted until January 10
news_tablet.jpg