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January 20, 2021
Celebrating 229 Years
1792 - 2021
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HCMA - BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE
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Connecticut's New Laws
With 2020 Coming to an end, you should be aware of new policies affecting Connecticut taxpayers and businesses taking effect on January 1, 2021.
New legislation effective dates are typically January 1st, July 1st, and October 1st throughout the calendar year. These new laws may have an impact on you, your family, or your medical practice.
These changes include:
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Pensions and Annuities – The percent of pension and annuity payments exempt from the income tax is set to increase from 28 to 42 percent.
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Teacher Pensions – The percent of teacher pension payments exempt from the income tax will be doubled from 25 to 50 percent.
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Payroll Tax – Employers must begin collecting a 0.5% payroll tax to contribute to the FMLI Trust Fund.
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Capital Base Tax – The Capital Base Tax on Connecticut businesses begins a four-year phase-out until it is eliminated in 2024.
An Act Concerning Diabetes and High Deductible Health Plans
This new law establishes a price cap for certain diabetes-related prescriptions and expands the prescription drug monitoring program to include them.
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Lawmakers are Preparing for Another Push to Eliminate CT's Religious Exemption From Vaccines.
Last February, in the early weeks of Connecticut’s legislative session, lawmakers intent on erasing the state’s religious exemption from mandatory vaccinations quickly rolled out a draft of their proposal, called a public hearing and voted the bill out of committee with a goal of making it one of the first to arrive on the House floor.
The session was suspended a short time later as coronavirus saturated the state. But proponents of the measure say it will again be a priority as they prepare for the legislature that reconvened on Jan. 6.
(CT Mirror)
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County Medical Association Requests the Governor Let Medical Assistants Administer Vaccines
The Association recently sent a letter to Governor Ned Lamont asking that he issue an Executive Order that would allow medical assistants to administer the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines under the direct supervision of a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner.
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Message from Community Health Network / CT Husky
A lot has changed during the pandemic, but one thing is for sure: CHNCT’s Provider Engagement Services Representatives continue to support the HUSKY Medicaid physicians. The Provider Representatives want you to know that although they are not making office visits at this time, they are outreaching via emails and phone calls to help with any issues that physicians may have. Access to care is especially important during these times, your service to the entire community is critical and appreciated. If you are not enrolled in HUSKY Medicaid and would like to learn more about the program, please feel free to contact your local representative.
Provider Engagement Services Representatives contact information by territory below:
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Region 1 (Fairfield County)
Region 2 (New Haven County)
Region 3 (Middlesex/Windham/New London County)
Region 4 (Greater Hartford County)
Region 5 (Waterbury/Litchfield County
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Katherine Miles Sullivan
Nancy Esposito
Jennie Pinette
Kimberly Martin
David Miller
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(203) 949-4064
(203) 949-4163
(203) 949-6140
(203) 949-4106
(203) 949-4141
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Important CT Husky Update
- January 2021 Quarterly HIPAA Compliant Updates - Physician-Office and Outpatient and Surgical Fee Schedules
- Prolonged Service 99417
- 2021 Evaluation and Management Service Updates
- Physician Administered Drug Reimbursement Updates
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Price Transparency Rule Will Go Into Effect on Schedule
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a bid by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and others to invalidate the Trump Administration’s new hospital price transparency requirements. The rule requires nearly all hospitals to publicly post their gross charges, discounted cash prices, payer-specific privately negotiated payment rates, and de-identified minimum and maximum negotiated rates. In addition, the rule requires hospitals to provide information on a list of 300 “shoppable” services or access to an Internet-based price-estimator tool for patients.
AHA argued that disclosure of privately negotiated rates will potentially confuse or even mislead patients trying to understand and anticipate the costs of services. AHA also argued that the rule will likely accelerate anti competitive behavior among commercial health insurers and impose an undue burden on hospital’s pandemic-stretched staffs.
However, the judicial panel ruled that the Trump Administration’s reporting requirements were aligned with the intent Congress laid out in the Affordable Care Act to increase price transparency and bring down the costs of health coverage.
It’s unclear how the Biden Administration might adjust its approach to pricing transparency.
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Focus Remains on Appointments for Individuals Older Than 75; Individuals 65+ Will Be Next, Followed by Individuals With a High-Risk Condition and Front-line Essential Workers; Vaccine Clinics in Congregate Settings Will Occur Throughout.
Governor Ned Lamont announced that he is directing the Connecticut Department of Public Health to proceed through the remaining groups in the phase with a tiered approach based on risk of adverse health outcomes from the virus. The governor is directing the implementation be done in an equitable way, with vaccine distribution points focused in areas where residents and communities have barriers to access and care.
The tiered approach to Phase 1b will proceed as follows:
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Scheduling now: Individuals over the age of 75
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Scheduling next (likely early February): Individuals between the ages of 65 and 74
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Scheduling soon (likely late February or early March): Front-line essential workers and individuals with underlying medical conditions who have an increased risk for severe illness
The roll-out of the vaccine to staff and residents of congregate living settings will be phased in throughout Phase 1b.
More information about the definitions of front-line essential workers and the list of eligible underlying medical conditions will be made available in the next several weeks.
Also, the Department of Public Health sent a communication to all school districts, local health departments, and vaccine providers requesting that anyone who has an appointment for Friday of this week or later cancel these appointments unless they are over the age of 75 or if they were eligible to receive vaccine as part of Phase 1a. Similarly, vaccine providers with clinics scheduled past this Thursday that are not devoted to individuals 75 and over or eligible in Phase 1a are being asked to cancel those clinics. This is being done in order to ensure that Connecticut’s focus on individuals over the age of 75 is maintained.
As of Sunday, January 17, approximately 221,000 doses of vaccine have been administered in Connecticut since the vaccine program’s inception, including 196,000 first doses. Connecticut has administered 71 percent of the total doses it has received from the federal government, including 92 percent of doses allocated for all healthcare organizations and local health departments, placing the state in the top five of states for administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 vaccination distribution plans in Connecticut, visit ct.gov/covidvaccine.
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Watch Out for COVID -19 Vaccine Scams
As the country begins to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, there's no doubt scammers are already scheming.
Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine, so there is no cost to the patient. If anyone asks you to share your Medicare Number or pay for access to the vaccine, you can bet it's a scam.
Here's what to know:
- You can't pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.
- You can't pay to get early access to a vaccine.
- Don't share your personal or financial information if someone calls, texts, or emails you promising access to the vaccine for a fee.
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Ellume USA’s rapid at-home test was developed through the NIH RADx Initiative.
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Investigational Treatment of COVID-19
The pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck is working on a new investigational therapeutic for hospitalized patients with severe or critical COVID-19, with the support of the federal government. The therapeutic, called MK-7110, is a protein and immune modulator that works to minimize the damaging effects of an overactive immune response to COVID-19. According to the announcement, this overactive immune response can contribute to the severity of the illness.
Interim analysis of a Phase 3 clinical trial in September indicated that patients who received a single dose of the therapeutic had a 60% greater chance of clinical recovery than those who received a placebo, as well as a 50% reduced chance of respiratory failure or death. The study is ongoing, but Merck and the federal government are targeting distribution of the drug in the first half of 2021.
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Shortened Quarantine May Pose Transmission Risk, CDC Finds
About 19 percent of people who were exposed to COVID-19 and remained negative or asymptomatic through the first week developed an infection by the end of the 14-day quarantine period, according to the CDC’s Jan. 1 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In an effort to get more people to comply, the CDC trimmed its quarantine recommendations in December to 10 days without symptoms or seven days without symptoms and a negative test result.
In this latest report, researchers concluded the original 14-day quarantine period is the most effective way to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
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FDA Warns Against Changes to Authorized Dosing Schedules of COVID-19 Vaccines
FDA officials recommend all health care professionals should continue to administer 2 full doses of the 2 COVID-19 vaccines currently available.
In a new statement, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended all health care professionals should continue to administer 2 full doses of the 2 vaccines currently available against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The statement comes after discussions, including reports in the media, about altering the dosing schedule in order to immunize more individuals against COVID-19. Proposed alternatives include reducing the number of doses, extending the length of time between doses, changing the dose, or mixing and matching vaccines, according to the FDA.
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MIPS Low-Volume Threshold Criteria for 2020 and Participating Through the Opt-In or Voluntary Reporting Options
Clinicians and groups are excluded from the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for 2020 if they:
- Billed $90,000 or less in Medicare Part B allowed charges for covered professional services during either of the 2 determination periods (October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2019 or October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020); OR
- Provided care to 200 or fewer Part B-enrolled patients during either of the 2 determination periods; OR
- Provided 200 or fewer covered professional services professional services to Part B patients during either of the 2 determination periods.
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