When Community Really Matters
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Challenging times have a way of bringing clarity. For me, part of this clarity has come in the form of realizing the power of community and better understanding what our organization can do to best support our members across the state. We will aim to not duplicate messaging that we know you are already receiving from other senders, and will post as much information as possible on both our member-specific and public websites for easy access.
Our community is strong and Wyoming will land on the other side of this healthcare crisis stronger and wiser than ever before. In these fast-changing times in which everyone is doing their best to navigate uncharted territory, please remember to assume the best in others and never forget that you have an advocate and ally in WMS. We are here to support you, connect you with colleagues, provide resources and sing your praises as you lead your patients and communities. Together, now more than ever, we are stronger!
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Telemedicine - Proving To Be A Critical Tool
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Telemedicine will undoubtedly play an invaluable role in addressing the growing challenges presented by COVID-19 . Below is an attempt to focus on varying aspects of telemedicine from reimbursement and policy changes to statewide resources designed to provide support.
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WMS is working closely with state public health and elected officials as this pandemic persists. Understanding the impact you're seeing in your practice and knowing what resources are available statewide is critical in coordinating planning and response efforts. Please take a moment to complete this brief survey, designed in partnership with WyTN, regarding COVID-19 impact and telemedicine availability as soon as possible.
Thank you to the University of Wyoming and WyTN for your partnership in this endeavor.
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Effective immediately, BCBS of WY will allow for telephonic and telemedicine visits at the patient's home as part of their telemedicine coverage. For more information, and to read the full operations update, please
CLICK HERE.
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Effective immediately, UnitedHealthcare is expanding policies around telehealth services. UHC is waiving the CMS originating site restrictions through April 30, 2020, but reserving the right to extend beyond that date if necessary. For more information
CLICK HERE
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Federal Actions in Telehealth
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New CPT code to report COVID-19 test
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The American Medical Association (AMA) approved a new CPT code set that will help streamline data-driven resource and allocation planning in this battle against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise in the U.S. To learn more visit the AMA website or
CLICK HERE
.
For quick reference, the new Category I CPT code and long descriptor are:
87635: Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), amplified probe technique
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The
Wyoming Telehealth Network
(WyTN) supports healthcare entities, providers, and specialists increase access to care and improve health outcomes for Wyoming residents, through professional development, collaboration, and leveraging telecommunications technology.
The resources available to physicians and PAs through WyTN are invaluable to the state's pursuits of telemedicine. If you're new to telehealth and want to learn more start with their
Provider Toolkit
where you can learn about WY telehealth regulations and guidelines, licensure, billing, scheduling resources and so much more.
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Physicians and PAs who enroll with WyTN have access to
FREE
Zoom, HIPAA-compliant, videoconferencing technology. Learn more by contacting WyTN at 307-766-2948 or emailing wy-telehealth@uwyo.edu
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Enrolling with WyTN avails members of the opportunity to be included in the
statewide telehealth provider directory.
The directory is an invaluable tool in which patients and fellow healthcare providers can search by specialty, location, or insurance accepted to identify and connect with other telehealth providers across the state. Whether you are a provider or you're looking to find a provider for a patient, you'll want to learn more about this important directory.
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In the spirit of community, WMS will be facilitating weekly calls for members who are available to meet virtually to share stories, talk about lessons learned and ask questions. These weekly calls will aim to provide physicians and PAs the opportunity to talk with each other about what is working, what isn't working, what we wish we would have known sooner or what we would have potentially done differently.
Join us every Tuesday at noon via conference call. Nothing formal, just an opportunity for WMS to play our part in supporting communication within one of our state's most valuable communities.
Join Us Every Tuesday Starting 3/24/20 at 12:00 MST
Dial: 1-800-944-8766
Code: 41778#
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Call for Help!
As part of our effort to support our members through this challenging space, WMS is interested in hosting educational webinars covering topics of timely relevance. One request has been to identify a pulmonologist or critical care physician who can provide guidance to physicians who may be asked to care for patients requiring ventilation, but don't do so in their current daily practice. Our members across the state are wanting to prepare as much as possible for what may come and realize they may be placed in positions to deliver care outside of their specialty area or comfort. If you are a critical care physician, pulmonologist, or other specialist who would be willing to provide this service, please contact Sheila Bush or Whitney Harmon (307-635-2424, sheila@wyomed.org, or Whitney@wyomed.org) at your earliest convenience.
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