PULSE is our electronic publication emailed weekly to keep physicians' practices up to date with time sensitive information.
October 8, 2020
Submit Your Nomination for Outstanding Physician!
KCMS is seeking nominations for its 2020 Outstanding Physician Award which will be presented at our virtual Annual Meeting and Installation on November 19, 2020. Be on the lookout for more information about the event!

All nominees must be a KCMS member. Criteria for this award should include one or more of the following:

  1. Has gone beyond the call of duty to devote time and participate in one or more activities of the Medical Society.
  2. Has devoted time to a special project or service that served to promote the welfare and/or healthcare of the community.
  3. Has made unique contributions by donating services and efforts towards the advancement of medicine.

Please indicate which of the above criteria the nominee has met as well as information about how they met the criteria and any other information you feel is pertinent to the nomination when submitting your nomination.

Submit nominations by emailing cmuchow@kms.org on or before November 6, 2020.
Virtual Meeting of the Local AAPC Chapter: The Simplicity of Complex ED Coding
The local chapter of AAPC is hosting a virtual meeting: The Simplicity of Complex ED Coding on October 21, 2020 at 6:00PM. The presentation is worth 1.25 CEUs.

For further information and registration email Kandi Knudsen, Chapter President.
CMA submits comments on proposed 2021 Medicare physician fee schedule
The California Medical Association (CMA) on Friday submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2021 Medicare physician fee schedule. More...


KCMS/CMA urges all physicians to contact their Members of Congress to stop the Medicare payment cuts!
HHS announces $20 billion in new phase 3 provider relief funding
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced $20 billion in new funding for providers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Providers that have already received Provider Relief Fund payments can now apply for additional funding beyond the 2% of annual revenue previously allowed to account for revenue losses and changes in operating expenses attributed to coronavirus. Previously ineligible providers, such as behavioral health providers and those who began practicing in 2020, will also be eligible to receive funding from this new $20 billion tranche.

Providers have until November 6, 2020, to apply for this Phase 3 General Distribution funding. More...
Congress reforms Medicare Advance Payment Program, extends repayment deadline
In September, Congress passed a “continuing resolution” to keep the federal government funded through December 11, 2020. Included in the resolution were reforms to the Medicare Advance Payment Program, which provides up to three months of advance Medicare payments to physicians to help sustain their practices during the pandemic. More...
CMA opposes attempt to expand Medicare definition of physician to include psychologists
The California Medical Association joined the American Medical Association and 30 other health care organizations to oppose the “Medicare Mental Health Access Act” (HR 884/S 2772), which would change the definition of “physician” under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. More...
22k physicians nationwide have not received their 5% APM incentive payments
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act provides annual incentive payments equal to 5% of the physician's Medicare claims for physicians who participate in Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). The payments are made two years after the physician participates in the APM, so physicians who qualified as APM participants in 2018 are due to receive their 5% incentive payments this year. More...
UnitedHealthcare further delays rollout of ED professional coding policy
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) announced in its October 2020 Network Bulletin that it will further delay the implementation date of its new Commercial and Medicare Advantage Emergency Department (ED) Professional Evaluation & Management (E/M) Coding Policies until the second quarter of 2021. The Medicare Advantage policy, originally to be effective on May 1, 2020, was initially delayed until August 1, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the commercial policy was originally set to take effect on April 1, 2020, it, too, will not be implemented until 2021. More...
New Prescribing and Reporting Rules for Controlled Substances Coming January 1, 2021
Prescribers of controlled substances should be aware of these two upcoming requirements in state law:
  • Updated Prescription Pad Security Requirements
  • Revised Reporting Requirements for Controlled Substances
MORE EVENTS
Physician and Health Professional Well-Being Course
This course, led by Liana Lianov, MD, MPH, FACLM, FACPM, DipABLM, and funded through the generous support of the Ardmore Institute of Health, was created to describe and apply approaches that support health professionals in achieving and sustaining a total healthy lifestyle, including eating a whole food plant-based diet, being physically active, and engaging in mindfulness and positive psychology activities. The course offers exercises to harness personal strengths and leadership skills for improving workplace culture/systems and to engage in effective, positive health care team and patient interactions. Learners will also conduct a well-being assessment and develop a personal action plan.
Upcoming FREE CMA Webinars
Virtual Grand Rounds: COVID-19 Updates in Therapeutics *CME Available

October 13, 2020 | 12:00PM - 1:30PM


Telehealth Series for Small and Medium Sized Practices: (Pt. 5) Selecting the Right Telehealth Platform for Your Practice

October 14, 2020 | 12:15PM - 1:15PM


Lung Cancer and COVID-19 in the Outpatient Setting: What Clinicians Need to Know *CME Available

October 15, 2020 | 4:00PM - 5:00PM