November 3, 2026 Issue 246

Urge Congress to Support Medicare Physician Payment Reform Before Year-End

As Congress prepares to return for its post-election session, physicians have a critical opportunity to advocate for substantive Medicare payment reform before the end of the year.

The bipartisan Patients First Act (H.R. 9693) would help establish a more stable and predictable Medicare physician payment system, protecting physician practices and patients' access to care.

Key provisions of the Patients First Act include:

• Providing a permanent annual payment update tied to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) to better reflect increases in practice costs.
• Modernizing budget neutrality policies.
• Creating a physician-led process for developing simplified, clinically relevant quality measures.
• Expanding opportunities for physicians to participate in alternative payment models.

Physician advocacy is essential to ensuring lawmakers understand the importance of sustainable Medicare reimbursement and its impact on patient care.

Click here to urge your member of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 9693.

KMA In the News: Kentucky Physicians Make Their Mark on Medical Innovation

Last week, The Courier Journal published “How pioneering Louisville doctors changed modern medicine,” highlighting several remarkable contributions to medical innovation and the physicians whose work helped shape the history of medicine.

KMA is proud to see several members featured throughout the story, including Dr. Christopher Jones, Dr. Mark Slaughter and Dr. Siddharth Pahwa—all graduates of the Kentucky Physicians Leadership Institute (KPLI).

The story is an example of what the Your KMA campaign celebrates: the people, accomplishments and leadership that make Kentucky medicine stronger. From groundbreaking medical advances to the everyday work of caring for patients and communities, KMA members are making a meaningful impact across the Commonwealth and beyond. Through Your KMA, KMA is highlighting the resources, programs and opportunities that support physicians throughout their careers, as well as the individual physicians who are making a difference.

Read the full story from The Courier Journal here.

Rep. Matt Koch Receives KMA Advocacy Award

Congratulations to Rep. Matt Koch, recipient of the Kentucky Medical Association’s 2026 Advocacy Award!

KMA recognized Rep. Koch for his support of KMA’s legislative priorities and for his longstanding support of the practice of medicine.

KMA members Dr. Don Swikert and Dr. Leslie Asbury, KMA Director of Health Policy Cody Hunt, and Centerpoint Health Paris CEO Tommy Haggard joined in recognizing Rep. Koch at Centerpoint Health in Paris.

Thank you, Rep. Koch, for your continued support of Kentucky physicians and the patients they serve!

Your KMA: In the Spotlight highlights the KMA member physicians who are making a difference in their communities, celebrating accomplishments, and leading positive change across Kentucky.

Kuhl Highlights Growing Impact of Asthma in Kentucky

KMA member Dr. Evan Kuhl, medical director of UofL Jewish Hospital’s emergency department, warns that rising asthma-related emergency visits, poor air quality and limited access to affordable inhalers are making a manageable chronic condition life-threatening for some Kentuckians. A recent Courier Journal report highlights opportunities to improve asthma care through stronger school health programs, public health interventions and efforts to reduce environmental triggers.

KMA’s “CME Guarantee” program allows member physicians to receive access to at least 30 hours of Category I Continuing Medical Education credit each three-year cycle at no cost. Members will be able to see the latest course offerings, upcoming sessions, and those that may be expiring soon in this new recurring section of Kentucky Health eNews. Physicians can also access a list of CME offerings by visiting https://kyma.org/education-cme/ and clicking on "CME Guarantee" on the sidebar menu. Members can access this page only after logging into the website. If you need assistance with your login and password, click here. For more information on the CME Guarantee program, contact Miranda Mosley, mosley@kyma.org.

Current Enduring Course Offerings:

Learn With Me: Exploring Hospice and Palliative Care

(Expires: November 2026)

Faculty: Rebecca Chatham, M.D. and Monalisa Tailor, M.D.

Trending Toward Trouble: Popular Health Fads Harming Your Heart
(Expires February 2027)
Faculty: John Higgins, M.D. and Jiapeng Huang, M.D.

Learn With Me: Blood Disorders
(Expires March 2027)
Faculty: Carolyn Burns, M.D., and Monalisa Tailor, M.D.

Lexington Clinic Grand Rounds: Chronic Tendinitis
(Expires December 2026)
Faculty: Theresa Wolfe, M.D.

Lexington Clinic Grand Rounds: Margins Matter: A Review of Mohs Micrographic Surgery
(Expires December 2026)
Faculty: Maheera Farsi-Morgan, D.O.

Lexington Clinic Grand Rounds: Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism 
(Expires December 2026)
Faculty: Bruce Bradley, M.D.

Learn With Me: Emerging Trends in Tick-Borne Diseases
(Expires April 2027)
Faculty: Mark Burns, M.D. and Monalisa Tailor, M.D.

Epilepsy Identification, Diagnosis, and Management Of: A Kentucky Perspective Zoom Webinar
(Expires May 2027)
Faculty: Julie Youssefi, M.D., Joseph Neimat, M.D., Vinay Puri, M.B.B.S., FAAN

Lexington Clinic Grand Rounds: Clinical Considerations of Anaphylaxis
(Expires December 2026)
Faculty: Gregory Osetinsky, M.D., FACS 

Learn With Me: Clinical Considerations of Psychiatry
(Expires June 2027)
Faculty: Eric Lydon, M.D., and Allison Yoder, M.D.

Lexington Clinic Grand Rounds: COPD: Update on Diagnostic and Therapeutic Interventions
(Expires December 2026)
Faculty: Carlos Ramirez-Icaza, M.D.

Learn With Me: Brain Awareness
(Expires July 2027)
Faculty: Greg Cooper, M.D. and Monalisa Tailor, M.D.

Lexington Clinic Grand Rounds: Beyond the Joints: Recognizing and Managing Interstitial Lung Disease in Rheumatologic Diseases
(Expires December 2026)
Faculty: Andrew Schneider, M.D. 

Lexington Clinic Grand Rounds: Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Arthritis 
(Expires December 2026)
Faculty: Brandon Devers, M.D.

Learn With Me: All Things Billing

(Expires October 2027)
Faculty: Yvette Cua, M.D. and Monalisa Tailor, M.D.

Lexington Clinic Grand Rounds: Statin-Associated Musculoskeletal Symptoms & Myopathy
(Expires December 2026)
Faculty: Syed Haider Abbas, M.D.