November 3, 2025

The 133rd IMA Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates was a great success! The Delegates considered numerous resolutions and adopted IMA policy on a variety of important healthcare issues.

Outgoing IMA President Richard Nathan, DO of Idaho Falls, was honored with an award for his dedicated year of service.

Delegates also heard from:

• Juliet Charron, Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare provided an update on Medicaid and rural health.
• Lisa Egbert, MD, Speaker to the AMA House of Delegates presented "The Physicians' Powerful Ally in Patient Care".

Through the generosity of meeting participants, over $6,000 was raised to support the IMA Foundation, the 501c3 charitable arm of the IMA. It's not too late to contribute and it's easy! Just text the word "Donate" to 208-996-8776 to make a tax-deductible donation today.

An enormous thank you to everyone who made this meeting a success including the Delegates, the Board of Trustees, our sponsors, and IMA staff. We will see you next year in Sun Valley on Oct. 2-4, 2026.

Megan Kasper, MD Inaugurated as New IMA President

Megan Kasper, MD of Nampa accepted the gavel as the Idaho Medical Association's President for 2025-2026 during the IMA Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates on Oct 11.

Dr. Kasper was born and raised in Oregon, where she obtained her undergraduate degree at University of Oregon and developed a lifelong loyalty to Ducks athletics. She stayed in Oregon for medical school at OHSU, then went to the University of New Mexico for her OB/GYN residency, where she served as the administrative chief resident.

Early in residency, Dr. Kasper met her now husband, Eric, an Idaho dairy farmer. They relocated to Nampa in 2015, where Dr. Kasper worked with Saltzer before establishing her own independent practice in 2024. Her clinical focus is on minimally-invasive care, family-centered maternity care, and community-based care models over the large, mixed rural and suburban IMA District III.

Dr. Kasper has been involved with IMA since 2018 in various roles, first as the Young Physician Representative, then as District III Trustee. When she is not working, Dr. Kasper enjoys needlework and spending time with her family on their farm.

Dr. Kasper looks forward to serving as IMA President – We wish her all the best!

2025 House of Delegates Resolutions Overview with Actions Taken

Reference Committee A

RES 101 - Addressing the Rising Misuse of Schedule II Stimulants – ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 102 - Supporting Safe Compounding Practices, Physician Education, and Quality Standards for Compounded Medications in Idaho – ADOPTED

RES 103 - New Idaho Medical Association Mission Statement – REFERRED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

RES 104 - Abortion Restrictions – ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 105 - Support for Citizens' Rights to Bring Healthcare Ballot Measures – ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 106 - Nondiscrimination in Ethical Patient Care – NOT ADOPTED

RES 107 - Upholding Professional Responsibility to Treat Without Prejudice – ADOPTED

RES 108 - Restore Idaho's Family Personal Care Services Program – ADOPTED

RES 109 - Support of Healthcare for Indigent and Uninsured Idahoans – ADOPTED

Reference Committee B

RES 201 - Exception to Student Loan Debt Limit for Advanced Degrees in Medical Field – ADOPTED

RES 202 - Undergraduate Medical Education and WWAMI – WITHDRAWN PRIOR TO PRESENTING

RES 203 - Protecting Evidence-Based Gender-Affirming Care for Adults – ADOPTED

RES 204 - Protecting Patients from Private Equity Interference in Healthcare – ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 205 - Recognition of the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) – REFERRED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

RES 206 - Safeguarding Access and Research of mRNA Vaccines – ADOPTED

RES 207 - Preserve Idahoans' Access to Services Provided by Public Health Districts – ADOPTED

RES 208 - Reducing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Consumption – NOT ADOPTED

RES 209 - Protecting Undocumented Persons' Access to Healthcare – ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 210 - Supporting Local Control of Fluoride in Drinking Water Supply – WITHDRAWN PRIOR TO HOD

As a means to provide guidance to the IMA Board of Trustees on the management of 2025-2026 IMA issues as adopted by the House of Delegates, please complete the IMA Resolution Prioritization Survey below linked below by November 15, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact IMA CEO Susie Keller at susie@idmed.org.

Thank you for your time. Your opinion matters to IMA!

Medicare Telehealth Policy: Update to the Waiver Expiration

As of October 1, 2025, Medicare telehealth services have reverted to permanent statutory law following the expiration of the temporary waivers first established during the COVID-19 pandemic. Until the shutdown ends, Medicare's telehealth coverage is again limited to patients located in rural areas and those receiving services in approved medical facilities rather than from home, except in certain limited situations. We highly recommend providers verify location eligibility using the HRSA data base found HERE. Additionally, several practitioner types such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists are no longer authorized to furnish reimbursable telehealth services under Medicare. For mental health services, an in-person visit is now required within six months prior to an additional telehealth encounter and at least annually thereafter, unless an exception applies.

Since the shutdown, CMS issued 3 special notices, the latest on October 21, directing Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to release the hold on certain claims. This includes services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, ground ambulance transport, federally qualified health centers (FQHC) and telehealth claims that CMS can confirm are definitively for behavioral and mental health services. CMS directed all MACs to continue a temporary hold on claims for other telehealth services (i.e. those that CMS cannot confirm are definitively for behavioral and mental health services) and for acute hospital care at home claims. Note, it is not unusual for CMS to take this administrative step when statutory payment provisions are scheduled to expire as this allows them to avoid reprocessing large numbers of claims if Congress restores coverage. CMS advises that providers delivering services not currently eligible for payment may consider issuing an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) to inform patients of their potential financial responsibility.

During this interim period, we recommend providers take action to ensure proper claim submission and compliance with new rules. The Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) has reported that some practices are delaying claim submissions or rescheduling telehealth visits, while others are shifting appointments to in-person settings or continuing virtual services at their own financial risk. Many organizations remain optimistic that Congress will soon reinstate the full waivers given the recent communication. To review the most current CMS press releases, see https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-for-service-providers.

Medicaid Managed Care Listening Sessions

Save the Dates!

AMA Discounted 2026 Medical Coding Books: Order Yours Today!

The Idaho Medical Association is pleased to offer substantial discounts on resource materials for AMA and Optum360° books for your office. Order your CPT®, HCPCS, ICD-10, Code of Medical Ethics and other resource materials today! The discounted Coder's Bundle includes the 2026 CPT Professional Edition and the 2026 ICD-10-CM manual for one discounted price.

The 2026 Essential Reference Guide order form with the most popular choices is available HERE for your convenience.

Please note there is a $9.00 shipping and handling fee per book. We also offer a 20% shipping discount for orders of five or more books. Sales tax is calculated on merchandise only and prior to adding shipping fees.

Books will be shipped or hand delivered to you as soon as they are available. ICD-10 and CPT books are now on-hand and can be sent to your office today! Contact Rebecca (rebecca@idmed.org) at the IMA with any questions or call (208) 344-7888x101.

CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.