Wyoming Leaders in Medicine
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Wyoming Policy and Advocacy Updates
Wyoming's HIE (WYFI) is working to identify best ways to fairly establish a fee structure for future sustainability. WMS will be negotiating clinic fees on behalf of our members.

Any member wanting to engage in this discussion, or who has ideas for how to best create this structure should contact Sheila Bush in the WMS office prior to July 1, 2021.
The joint legislative committee tasked with debating health and labor policies (JLHSS) met this past week in Riverton. Agenda items of interest to WMS members included; updates on the Governor's Healthcare Task Force, on which WMS sits, regarding their work on costs of healthcare, priorities for American Rescue Plan funding, vaccination requirement limitations, pharmacy technician scope of practice, and regulation of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Wyoming.

WMS continues to listen closely and engage in discussion with legislators to educate and provide unique physician perspectives to Wyoming's policy discussions.
Anesthesia Care in Wyoming
42 CFR 482.52 specifies the federal conditions for participation (CoP) for anesthesia services under CMS. Paragraph (C) allows states to opt-out of the requirement that Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) be supervised by a physician in hospital settings.

WY advocacy groups have initiated the request process for Governor Gordon to consider this for Wyoming. The WMS Executive Committee is working diligently on your behalf in concert with the AMA Advocacy Resource Center and other key stakeholders to study the issue in-depth and present meaningful recommendations to the WMS Board at the upcoming summer meeting.

Any member wanting to submit comments or feedback for the purpose of further informing the board's conversation should send them to Sheila Bush no later than June 30 for inclusion in the Summer Board Packet.

Wyoming Facts and Points of Interest
  • 22 Wyoming hospitals provide surgery services in their facilities
  • 10 of those 22 hospitals provide anesthesia services by CRNAs only
  • 19 states have opted out of physician supervision of CRNAs
  • President Trump, through emergency rule, waived the CRNA supervision rules in April of 2020 which effectively opted every state out of CRNA supervision requirements throughout the pandemic health emergency
  • In 2013, Wyoming debated the safety of opting out which was ultimately not pursued by Governor Mead. One outcome of the 2013 discussion was a commitment from the WY Society of Anesthesiologists to facilitate training and education programs for physicians and surgeons placed in supervisory positions of CRNAs.
  • Some rural states, including Colorado, have opted out of the CRNA supervision requirements using a compromise position. This compromise, in varying forms, allows for the removal of the physician supervision requirements only in Critical Access Hospitals or specifically defined rural areas. If Wyoming were to entertain this option specific to Critical Access Hospitals, it would remove supervision requirements in 16 WY hospitals, three of which have physician anesthesiologists and nine of which are staffed by only CRNA providers.
  • WMS deeply values our close working relationship with Governor Gordon and his policy office. We have confirmation that a decision will not be made on this issue without WMS input and will not be taking action prior to the WMS July 15 Board of Trustees meeting.
WyTN Update
If you hold a WyTN Zoom license you must re-enroll to continue your service.
WyTN Zoom License Re-Enrollment 

If you were enrolled to receive a no-cost, HIPAA-secure Zoom license for providing telehealth from the Wyoming Telehealth Network (WyTN), you must re-enroll in the program. The reason for re-enrollment is to decrease the amount of providers, facilities and students who, for whatever reason, no longer need access to their license for providing telehealth. The re-enrollment provides the WyTN with a due diligence process and ensures proper usage of the Zoom® licenses for quality assurance purposes.


Re-Enrollment Deadline: September 1, 2021
Anyone who does not re-enroll will be unlinked from the WyTN's Zoom account

For more information, please visit our website:
HRSA Update
Wyoming receives $2.1 million in funding for Rural Health Clinics.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provided $424.7 million in funding to over 4,200 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) for COVID-19 testing and mitigation. Later this summer, HRSA will issue up to $35.3 million in additional funding to RHCs that meet eligibility requirements.
 
HRSA is funding RHCs based on the number of certified clinic sites they operate, providing $100,000 per clinic site. RHCs will use the funds to maintain and increase COVID-19 testing, expand access to testing for rural residents, and broaden efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus in ways tailored to their local communities. Rural Health Clinics are key health care access points and trusted community resources.
COVID-19 Immunization Data
Click image to view full sized PDF.
To view the latest COVID-19 vaccine information in WY visit the Wyoming Department of Health's Provider Information Page.

Here you will find:
  • Vaccine program provider enrollment
  • Required training for COVID-19 vaccine coordinators
  • COVID-19 vaccine resources and information
  • COVID-19 vaccination program templates and forms
  • CDC's V-Safe After Vaccination Health Checker
  • Wyoming Immunization Registry (WyIR) Resources
Webinar: Successful COVID-19 Messaging in Rural Communities
In this webinar, Dr. Ayne Amjad, commissioner and state health officer for West Virginia, and Dr. LIsa Costello, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at West Virginia University School of Medicine, presented insights from their research and successful vaccine outreach campaign to communities in West Virginia. Dr. Lauren Smith, Chief Health Equity and Strategy Officer for CDC Foundation, moderated the conversation and an audience Q&A with Drs. Amjad and Costello.
For more education opportunities visit the
A Message from BCBSWY
Upcoming Webinar – Prior Authorizations 

Beginning September 1st, 2021 all prior authorizations for outpatient or professional services for BCBSWY members should be submitted through the Availity portal. To assist our providers with this transition, BCBSWY will be offering training sessions over the summer. Our first training will be on June 17th at 11:00 am. To register please click on this link, or follow the instructions below. For more information on prior authorization requirements please visit: https://www.bcbswy.com/providers/preadmin/. 

To enroll in the live webinar on June 17, 2021 at 11:00 MT, follow these steps: 
  1. Login to Availity Portal. 
  2. From the top navigation bar, select Help & Training > Get Trained. 
  3. The Availity Learning Center will open in a new tab. Navigate to the Sessions tab at the top middle of the page, then locate the webinar titled “BCBSWY Outpatient Authorization Submissions and Follow-up”. 
  4. Click View Course, then Enroll. 
 
Or, follow this link, login to Availity Portal, then on the new tab that opens, click Enroll. 
Thank you 2021 Friends of WMS!
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