KCMS PULSE - AB 890, PPE, Medicare Cuts, MIPS, CALPAC, Webinars (Diabetic CME, Therapeutics CME, Telehealth) and More...

PULSE is our electronic publication emailed weekly to keep physicians' practices up to date with time sensitive information.

October 1, 2020

CMA president issues statement in response to Gov. Newsom's signing of AB 890

California Medical Association (CMA) President Peter N. Bretan, Jr., M.D., issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom's signing of AB 890 on September 29:

"We are deeply disappointed that Gov. Newsom signed AB 890. We strongly believe that physician-based care is the model that ensures the greatest patient safety and highest quality care for all Californians, regardless of income. And while proponents of AB 890 have said this legislation will help increase access to care, the data we have seen from other states that have eased supervision of nurse practitioners has not shown any meaningful improvement in access to care in underserved communities. California still has a critical shortage of health care providers – including physicians – and AB 890 will do nothing to change the need for California to educate and train more physicians, nurses and other medical professionals. CMA will continue to fight to ensure that every California patient – regardless of race, economic or regional background – has access to a physician. More...

AB 890 FACT SHEET

Are You Still in Need of PPE?

If your practice needs PPE, please contact us at cmuchow@kms.org as soon as possible to let us know what types of PPE you need. As you may recall, KCMS, in partnership with the California Medical Association, Altais, State of California and the Governor’s Office, recently held a hugely successful PPE distribution event for small and medium sized physician practices. Local practices received 2 months of free PPE, worth over $1 million. We may be able to procure a limited amount of PPE to provide to your practice if you qualify.

Tell Congress to oppose cutting Medicare payments during a pandemic

As the country’s physicians continue to fight on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is scheduled to cut Medicare payments by double digits starting January 1, 2021. The California Medical Association (CMA) is urging all physicians to contact their members of Congress to tell them that this is unacceptable. Payment cuts of this magnitude will surely strain a health care system that is already stressed by the COVID-19 pandemic and could jeopardize patient access to medically necessary services. More...

CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TODAY!

Virtual Meeting of the Local AAPC Chapter: Talk to the Hand - Coding for Hand Surgeries

The local chapter of AAPC is hosting a virtual meeting: Talk to the Hand - Coding for Hand Surgeries on October 7, 2020 from 6:00-7:15PM. The presentation is worth 1 CEU.

For further information and registration email Kandi Knudsen, Chapter President.

Local Doctor Looking to Share Space

John B. Schlaerth, MD has office space available at 2011 19th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301.

The office is 1730 square feet. There are 2 exam rooms, 2 doctors offices, 2 file rooms, a laboratory, a break room, 2 bathrooms and a small waiting room. We are looking for someone who would like to share the costs, office times flexible (2 1/2 to 4 days per week and/or Saturdays & Sundays).

If interested, please contact Louise Denning at 661-326-1401, 661-932-7974 or jbs_pgs@yahoo.com for more information.

Deadline to request a 2019 MIPS targeted review is Oct. 5

If you participated in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2019, your performance feedback and final MIPS score are now available for review on the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website. The payment adjustment you will receive in 2021 is based on this final score. A positive, negative or neutral payment adjustment will be applied to the Medicare paid amount for covered professional services furnished under the Medicare physician fee schedule in 2021. More...

Gov. Newsom signs legislation to support small businesses

Earlier this month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed two California Medical Association (CMA)-supported bills aimed to help small businesses as they recover from financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Physician practices may be eligible for these tax credit and tax forgiveness provisions if they scaled employment down and up in response to COVID-19 or if they received support from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. CMA recommends you consult your tax professional if you believe your practice may qualify. More...

CALPAC launches virtual fundraising program during COVID-19

Historically, the annual meeting of the CMA House of Delegates (HOD) had served as the largest in-person fundraising event for the CMA Political Action Committee (CALPAC). Bringing together more than 800 physicians for three-plus days of meetings, HOD served as the perfect opportunity for CALPAC Board members to discuss the importance of CALPAC’s work with their colleagues and help fundraise for future activity. More...

CMA issues statement in response to Gov. Newsom's order to protect public health officials from harassment

On Wednesday, September 23, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to protect local health officers and other public health officials on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. The order permits these individuals to participate in the Secretary of State’s address-confidentiality program, to reduce the kind of harassment many public health officials have been subject to – often in their own homes and in front of their families – in recent months. More...

Risk Management and the Pandemic: Tips for Managing Medical Liability Risk

The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) is pleased to offer you free access to our latest on-demand webcast, Risk Management and the Pandemic: Tips for Managing Medical Liability Risk. In this one-hour webcast, a panel of CAP’s risk management experts discuss strategies for navigating the unique challenges resulting from the pandemic, such as developing new in-office procedures, implementing telehealth visits, and keeping up with ever-changing regulations.

View the Webcast

Discussion topics address important issues such as how to:

Identify common areas of liability and the steps your practice can take to reduce patient error and risk in those areas
Set up safe and regulatory compliant in-office visits for an optimal patient experience
Establish best practices for telemedicine visits
Develop tools to adapt office practices to the ongoing COVID-19 issues

CAP’s experienced team of risk management and patient safety professionals offer a robust menu of exclusive risk reduction programs, such as these webinars, to help minimize professional liability exposure. These free services are just one of the many benefits included with CAP membership.

To learn more about becoming a CAP member, please contact Les Fujimoto at 213-473-8789 or via email at LFujimoto@CAPphysicians.com. Request an Instant Quote today to learn how much you can save on medical malpractice coverage with CAP.