Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It | |
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X-Waiver Rescinded
As of Jan 1, X-waiver is no longer required per federal law to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Going forward, all prescriptions for buprenorphine only require a standard DEA registration number. Additionally, there are no longer any limits or patient caps on the number of patients a prescriber may treat for opioid use disorder with buprenorphine. The DEA will also be adding training requirements for all DEA applications and renewals, but the AMA sent a letter to the DEA pointing out that this requirement will create more barriers for patients seeking treatment. Learn more about the benefits of buprenorphine in this recorded webinar.
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CMA Sponsors Bill to Reform Prior Authorization
SB 598, authored by Senator Nancy Skinner, would require plans to create exemption programs that allow physicians who are practicing within the plan's criteria 90% of the time to receive a one-year exemption from the plan's PA requirements. Additionally, the legislation will give a treating physician the right to have an appeal of a PA denial conducted by a physician peer of the same or similar specialty. This will help to streamline the appeal process, and make certain that patients are receiving timely access to medically appropriate care.
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Data Exchange Changes Coming
Learn about why data exchange matters and how to prepare for the Data Exchange Framework changes to come in the next few years in CMA’s Data Exchange Explainer Series webinars. The first session is available on demand and the next session will take place on Thursday, April 13 addressing legal and policy issues surrounding data exchange. Learn more here.
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The End of the PHE, Updated Guidance from CDPH
The public health emergency is coming to an end soon. CMA created a guide to help you understand how the end of the PHE impacts your practice including changes to waivers and telehealth, and reflects CDPH's updated guidance on masking, vaccination for health care workers, and isolation after infection.
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Apply for Additional GME Slots
The application cycle for the 200 FY 2024 slots is currently open and will remain open until March 31, 2023. In order to be eligible for these additional FTE resident cap slots, a hospital must qualify in at least one of the following four categories:
- Hospitals in rural areas (or treated as being located in a rural area under the law)
- Hospitals training a number of residents in excess of their GME cap
- Hospitals in states with new medical schools or branch campuses
- Hospitals that serve areas designated as health professional shortage areas (HPSAs)
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Medi-Cal Rx to Reinstate Prior Authorization for Some Drugs on March 24
DHCS will initiate the first of a series of Medi-Cal Rx transition policy lifts for beneficiaries 22 years of age and older starting March 24. To see which standard therapeutic classes will be impacted by the first transition lift, click here. Questions about the Medi-Cal Rx reinstatement? DHCS is hosting live webinars via Zoom every Friday at 12 pm. No registration is required.
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CMA Statement Following President Biden’s New Action to Reduce Gun Violence
In response to President Joe Biden’s visit to Monterey Park, California to announce an Executive Order to increase background checks on gun sales, Donaldo Hernandez, MD, CMA President, issued the following statement: “CMA applauds President Joe Biden’s executive order to increase the number of background checks on gun sales and bring the country closer to the widely supported goal of universal background checks. This action, taken by the President builds upon the law he signed last year, which was the most significant gun safety legislation in decades”. Click here to read the full statement.
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Bipartisan Conrad 30 Legislation Introduced in Senate
On March 6, S. 665 (the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act) was introduced in the Senate, aiming to address the ongoing shortage of physicians, especially in rural and underserved areas. Under the Conrad 30 program, each state is granted 30 waivers to allocate to physicians permitting them to forgo the requirement to return to their country of origin so long as they are willing to work in a medically underserved community for three years.
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CLASSIFIED
ENT Update: Doctors Joyce Colton House and G. Lois Montague are thrilled to announce the launch of Napa Valley ENT, a new division of BASS. We are pleased to welcome two new ENT physicians, Doctors Fissenden and Pingree. For more information, please visit www.napavalleyent.com.
Contact: [email protected]. Ph 707-251-3608 Fax 707-251-1727
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The Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health’s Annual Meeting
Sunday, March 19 and Monday, March 20
Virtual or in-person
Join leaders in climate policy and health equity as they provide their perspectives on the opportunities ahead. This year’s Annual Meeting theme is Seize the Moment for Climate Action: Building the Climate and Health Movement. The historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and other recent regional, state, and local climate policy present important new opportunities, but also new challenges, to achieving the goals of their Policy Action Agenda. We need to ensure every medical professional who is willing is empowered and prepared to advocate on the local, state, and federal levels to ensure that these dollars are best spent on climate, health, and equity.
Register here.
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How Prior Authorization Disrupts Patient Care – And How We Can Fix It
Thursday, March 23 | 9:00 to 10:00 am
AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., MD, will dig further into the current state of prior authorization, and how the AMA is working to fix it. Heather McComas, PharmD, Director, Administrative Simplification Initiatives, AMA, and Emily Carroll, JD, Senior Legislative Attorney, Advocacy Resource Center, AMA, will join Dr. Resneck to talk about the latest reform efforts and how you can get involved. You’ll also hear about results of the AMA’s latest prior authorization survey conducted at the end of 2022.
Register here.
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Guided Nature Hike
Saturday March 25, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Join us for a hike on Saturday, March 25, at 10 a.m. and see sweeping views of Solano County and beyond. Open to all physicians and their families at no cost, the hike will be easy to moderate in difficulty, 4-6 miles total and led by Solano Land Trust docents. The hike will take place near Rockville Rd. and Suisun Valley Rd. Free for NSMS members + 3 Guests.
Register here.
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Key Strategies for Addressing Violence in the Medical Practice
Thursday, March 30 | 12:00 to 1:00 pm
Hosted by the Cooperative of American Physicians (CAP)
Healthcare workers experience the highest rates of injuries caused by workplace violence.* This free webinar will address essential strategies for implementing a workplace violence prevention program in your practice. CAP’s team of risk management and patient safety specialists will teach you and your staff how to avoid and prepare for dangerous scenarios, ranging from verbal attacks to physical assaults, or worse. The discussion will be followed by audience Q&A. Register now to receive the recording and slides once they are available.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics. Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities. 2018. https://www.bls.gov/iif/factsheets/workplace-violence-healthcare-2018.htm
Register here.
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Leadership Reading and Discussion Group
Wednesday, April 5 | 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Join Dr. Hilary Worthen, Program Director of the Physician Leadership Program, and fellow physicians for a rich discussion on creating psychological safety in the workplace. Reading the book of the month is not required to join the discussion, however you can access the book to read on your downtime or download the free audiobook (with the 3-month Audible trial) here.
RSVP here.
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Leading the Charge: Embedding Health Equity into the Forefront of Value Based Care
Thursday, April 6 | 12:15 to 1:15 pm
Despite the successes demonstrated by accountable care organizations (ACOs) over the last decade, health disparities remain a critical and ever-growing challenge. ACOs have the potential to advance health equity, but without intentionality and guardrails in place, they are also in a position to worsen existing health disparities. For ACOs to truly succeed in improving patient health outcomes for all, it's imperative that health equity is kept at the forefront of value-based care efforts.
Click here to register.
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NSMS Movie Night featuring The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Friday, April 7
Century Napa Valley & XD
Bring the family along for a private screening of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Arrive before showtime to play a Super Mario Bros. quiz and win prizes! This event is free for members +3 guests. Tickets will be reserved on a first-come first-served basis. A waiting list will be generated once all tickets are claimed.
Reserve your spot.
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End of the X-Waiver: A New Frontier in Addiction Treatment
Wednesday, April 19 | 10:00 to 11:00 am
Hosted by the National Overdose Prevention Network
The recent elimination of the X-Waiver, a burdensome requirement for clinicians to prescribe addiction treatment, is now gone ... what’s next? Dr. Roneet Lev, an emergency and addiction physician who served as the first Chief Medical Officer of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy joins us for a conversation breaking down the new legislative move, what it means for providers, and steps you can take to get more clinicians to prescribe addiction treatment in your community.
Register here.
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The 2023 NSMS Awards Gala & Casino Night
Friday, May 19 | 6:00 to 9:30 pm
Eagle Vines Golf Club, American Canyon
Join over a hundred physicians, health care leaders and special guests for an evening of entertainment as we celebrate the following individuals:
- Haroon Mojaddidi, M.D. - Physician of the Year (Solano)
- Colleen Townsend, M.D. - Physician of the Year (Napa)
- Karen Relucio, M.D. - Professor Emeritus
- Eugene Eisenberg, M.D. - Lifetime Achievement
Stay after the awards ceremony to try your hand at blackjack, poker, craps and more. Gamble with complimentary chips, then turn them into raffle tickets for a shot at great prizes. Past raffle prizes have included hot air balloon rides, SF Giants and Golden State Warriors memorabilia, wine train dinners, golf rounds, and more. This event is free for NSMS members +1 guest.
Register here.
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Health IT: Powering Value-Based Care
Monday, May 22 | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sacramento, CA | Free for CMA members
Save the date for CMA’s first annual healt IT conference. The conference will bring together thought leaders from across California and the nation to explore the intersection of technology and payment reform. CMA expects a diverse set of attendees that will include physicians, medical groups and IPAs, health plans, health information organizations (HIOs) and others who will take the learnings from this conference to change how care is delivered in this state.
Register here.
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Please contact NSMS at [email protected] or (707) 255-3622 with any questions or concerns you have. | | | | |
