CMA publishes COVID-19 Toolkit for Physician Employers
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a profound economic impact nationwide, many physicians are facing important questions related to their practices and their roles as small business employers. In recent weeks, new laws have been quickly enacted at the federal, state, county and city level that have expanded unemployment benefits, sick leave provisions, and family medical leave laws to help both employers and employees affected by this public health crisis. More...
FREE CMA webinar provides latest updates on financial assistance for practices impacted by COVID-19
Please join the California Medical Association (CMA) for a free webinar to hear the latest on the financial assistance programs available to physician practices resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar—Latest Updates on Financial Assistance Available to Practices Impacted by COVID-19—will be presented on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at 12:15 pm and is free to all interested parties. More...
Tell the legislature to protect physician practices in 20-21 state budget
The California Medical Association (CMA) estimates that, statewide, more than 13 million people could lose access to their physician absent financial assistance to maintain the financial viability of physician practices. According to CMA’s statewide survey of physicians over the past week, 76% of physicians are extremely or very worried about their practices’ financial health due to the financial stress they are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Virtually all practices (98%) report a substantial decrease in patient volume. More...
HHS opens attestation portal for providers who received initial $30 billion in CARES grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has opened the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal. Physicians who have been allocated a payment from the initial $30 billion general distribution must sign an attestation confirming receipt of the funds and agree to the terms and conditions within 30 days of payment. More...
Paycheck Protection Program funding update
As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Congress created the Small Business Association Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This program allows small businesses of less than 500 employees to apply for forgivable, zero-fee loans of up to $10 million to cover approximately 8 weeks of payroll and other operating expenses. The PPP loans are forgivable if 75% of the loan is dedicated to payroll expenses. More...
UnitedHealthcare delays rollout of ED professional coding policy
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the implementation date for UnitedHealthcare’s new Medicare Advantage Emergency Department Professional Evaluation & Management (E/M) Coding Policy has been delayed until August 1, 2020. The policy was originally set to take effect on May 1, 2020. More...
OptumRx suspends policy requiring e-prescribing for controlled substances due to COVID-19
OptumRx—the pharmacy benefit provider for UnitedHealthcare—has temporarily suspended its mandatory e-prescribing policy for controlled substances. During the COVID-19 national emergency, OptumRx home delivery pharmacy will fill any controlled substance prescription it receives, as long as the prescription meets federal and state regulatory requirements. More...
Amwell offering live demos of its “Private Practice” telehealth platform
California Medical Association (CMA) Physician Services’ telehealth partner Amwell is providing live demos of its Private Practice platform at numerous times over the next few weeks. More...
