Weekly Roundup: In Case You Missed It
February 11, 2022
COVID-19 Updates

  • California will lift universal indoor mask mandate starting February 16, most counties to follow.

  • California Department of Public Health extends deadline for health care workers to get booster shot to March 1.

  • Contra Costa County reports that 80.4% of the total population is fully vaccinated, and 49.1% have received a booster as of February 11. 

  • Alameda County reports that 82% of the total population is fully vaccinated, and 58.7% have received a booster as of February 11. 
Medi-Cal Rx Removes Prior Authorization Requirements for Most Drugs 

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) revised the Medi-Cal Rx prior authorization policy in order to minimize disruptions in patient access to prescription medications during the Medi-Cal Rx transition. Prior authorization requirement is temporarily removed for all medications except: psychostimulants, opioid analgesics, ataractics, and certain excluded products and for children under the age of 21. 
All CURES Reporting Now Goes to Bamboo Health 

Effective Wednesday, February 9, Bamboo Health took over prescription data collection services for the Controlled Substance Utilization and Evaluation System (CURES). All reporting must now go through Bamboo Health. Reach out to Bamboo Health at (855) 502-0999 or access their website for support.
CMA Seeking Physician Nominations

  • CMA is seeking physician members to serve on its Governance Reform Technical Advisory Committee (GTAC). Technical Advisory Committees (TAC) provide key input to the Board of Trustees to guide the association as it sets new policies. Complete the nomination form or click here for more information on what it means to serve on the TAC.

  • CMA is seeking nominations for physicians to serve as at-large delegates and alternates to the American Medical Association House of Delegates. Complete the nomination form or click here for more information.
Free Sustainability Practice Management Resources 

ACCMA has partnered with My Green Doctor to offer members access to money-saving and sustainability resources. My Green Doctor is a practice management program that helps practices become environmentally sustainable and create healthier communities. Learn more about how your practice can “go green” by using discount code MGDACCMA to save $60 on practice management resources for your entire practice. Access the new website here.
WEBINARS & EVENTS
Thursday, February 24 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm 
FREE | Presented by CAP 
 
Staying compliant with California’s annual employment law updates can be overwhelming, especially with ever-changing pandemic-related guidelines and mandates. Join the Cooperative of American Physicians (CAP) for a free one-hour webinar sharing essential insights on the 2022 employment laws and COVID-19 workplace regulations that medical practices need to know for proper implementation and compliance. To learn more about becoming a CAP member, please contact Al Malasig at 650-543-2185 or via email at [email protected]. 

Register here.
Thursday, February 24 | 9:00 – 10:00 am | FREE
 
Dr. Mark Greenawald launched the nationally acclaimed PeerRxMed program last year to help healthcare professionals support each other as they move away from distress and toward thriving. The tag line for the PeerRxMed program is "No One Cares Alone," which captures Dr. Greenawald’s mission in his work toward advancing professional well-being. Join the AMA to revisit Dr. Greenawald's webinar. A live Q&A session with Dr. Greenawald will follow the presentation. 
 
Register here. 
Thursday, February 24 | 12:15 –1:15 pm 
Members – FREE | Non-members $99 

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was first enacted in 1996. Although 25 years have passed since the enactment of the regulations, many challenges to compliance still exist. This CMA-hosted webinar will discuss both the privacy and security measures required by HIPAA. You will learn how to assess your clinic for risks of privacy and security incidents and what steps to take to minimize those risks. Lastly, the webinar will provide an overview of a HIPAA breach and the required steps of a breach analysis. 

For more information and to register, click here. 
Wednesday, March 23 | SAFE Credit Union Convention Center 
Registration fee $349 | 20% Discount for CMA Members 
 
The 2022 Northern California State of Reform Health Policy Conference convenes 350 senior health care executives and health policy leaders to address the most pressing health care policy issues. For more information, access the event flyer here. This is an in-person event held in Sacramento. Secure your spot by registering here or call (425) 361-2118 if you are having trouble registering. Save 20% with promo code CMA20. 
Leadership Reading and Discussion Group 
Wednesday, April 6 | 6:00 to 7:30 pm  
Free | CME Available | Online  
  
Physicians are free to join any meeting of the Leadership Reading and Discussion Group; reading the book is not required. Doctor Hilary Worthen, course director of the Physician Leadership Program, facilitates the discussion group that is held on Zoom. Our next group meets on April 6 to talk about “The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life,” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. This book, published in 2000, is by a family therapist and her husband, a noted orchestral conductor and professor at the New England Conservatory of Music. It is an exuberant guide to a set of practices they feel can make life and relationships bloom. Check out Ben Zander's TED Talks to get a sense of his remarkable style.

Email Mae Lum, Deputy Director, at [email protected] to get the Zoom/videoconference link. 
ACCMA's On-Demand Library

To access all on-demand programs, go to https://www.pathlms.com/medical-society/courses 
 
QUESTIONS/CONCERNS?
Please contact ACCMA at 510-654-5383 or [email protected] with any questions or concerns you have.