The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented threat to the viability of physician practices. The California Medical Association (CMA) today released the results of its  COVID-19 Physician Financial Health Survey , which found that 95% of physician practices are worried about their financial health due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Practice revenue has declined by 64% since March 1, 2020, with 75% of practices experiencing a revenue decline of 50% or greater. The results highlight the immediate need for financial assistance. More...

The California Medical Association (CMA)  issued guidelines and recommendations for reopening the health care system . The document was developed by a taskforce of practicing physicians from different parts of the state and different sized practices, and speaks to both policy makers and practicing physicians. More...

On April 23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan “Interim Economic Relief” agreement that contains $485 billion in new COVID-19 pandemic funding assistance. The bill already passed the U.S. Senate and now goes to President Trump for his signature. During Thursday’s White House press briefing, Trump said he expects to sign the bill as soon as this evening. More...

In this webinar, Noridian Medical Director Arthur N. Lurvey, M.D., will discuss Medicare financial updates related to COVID-19, types of telemedicine covered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and many private insurance companies, suspension of some Medicare audits and waivers, and a brief look at eases in documentation and E&M changes.

 

April 28, 2020 - 12:15pm to 1:15pm

 

Registration and Information  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a process for allocating approximately $10 billion of the $100 billion Public Health and Emergency Fund enacted as part of the CARES Act to cover treatment of uninsured patients diagnosed with COVID-19. In addition, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act appropriated $1 billion to reimburse providers for conducting coronavirus testing for the uninsured. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will begin distributing funds on April 27, 2020. More...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a $20 billion second wave of funding for providers from the $100 billion  CARES Act Provider Relief Fund . These payments do not need to be repaid. More...

SACRAMENTO and LOS ANGELES – The California Medical Association’s Wellness Program (CMA Wellness) and  Mercury Insurance  April 23 announced a partnership on a new initiative, Care 4 Caregivers Now, that provides frontline health care workers with mental and emotional wellness support and coaching. Care 4 Caregivers Now will train and connect volunteer physicians, nurses and health care workers to provide peer-to-peer coaching to assist those serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. More...

Physicians who plan to report on 2019 measures for the  Medicare Quality Reporting Program  (QPP) must do so by April 30, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, reporting for 2019 measures is optional. Clinicians who have not submitted any Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) data by April 30, 2020, will qualify for the automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy and will receive a neutral payment adjustment for the 2021 MIPS payment year. Physicians do not need to take any additional action to qualify for the automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy. More...

The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) is committed to providing California physicians and medical practices with the most up-to-date information, resources, and best practices for meeting the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are pleased to offer you access to our COVID-19 resource page, which is continually updated with the latest information covering the following areas:

For more than 40 years, CAP has protected our physician members with trustworthy medical malpractice coverage bolstered by thoughtful, personalized guidance on risk management and practice management issues. To learn more about our affordable medical malpractice coverage options as well as the benefits we offer to our physicians, like guaranteed issue life and disability insurance programs*, please call 800-356-5672 or email [email protected].

*Exclusions Apply

Kern County   ( Kern County Public Health )

Total Resident Cases - 699

Non-Resident Cases - 9

Recovered Residents - 327

Kern Resident Deaths - 4

California ( California Department of Public Health )

Co nfirmed Cases - 37,369

Deaths - 1,469

United States ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention )

Confirmed Cases - 828,441

Deaths - 46,379

World ( World Health Organization )

Confirmed Cases - 2,549,632

Deaths - 175,825

All of these numbers were pulled from the respective websites 4/23/20, 8:30PM.