FW: AAFP News Now, June 30, 2010

July 1, 2010

Here is the latest AAFP News Now put out by the AAFP. This one

is chalk full of information about medicare and what is going on with payments.

For a wonderful example of one of the many problems with the current payment

system, I encourage you to read the HHS OIG Issues Statement. Could there be a

better example of pure nonsense than higher ups in the government sending a

memo to docs that they wonâ€™t sue us under the anti-kickback regulation if we

decide not to go after patients to collect the extra 2.2% of their co-pay if

the claim had already been processed. Letâ€™s see, that means for a $100/visit

reimbursement, the patientâ€™s portion was $20. With a 2.2% increase, the overall

amount would be $102.20. The patientâ€™s part would go up to $20.44. Therefore

the difference is 44 cents. Good to know that the government will not sue me if

I decide not to shake down grandma for the extra 44 cents that she actually

owes me. I will sleep better tonight.

From: AAFP News Now

Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2010 2:30 AM

To: drbrady@...

Subject: AAFP News Now, June 30, 2010

AAFP News Now

Encouraging Healthy

Lifestyles: A Special Report on Overweight and Obesity

FPs Play Key Role

in Preventing, Treating Obesity

Federal Initiatives

Aim to Halt Obesity Epidemic

More

Government &

Medicine

Senate Delay Could

Result in Medicaid Cuts to Physicians

CMS Extends

Medicare Participation Deadline

More

Practice Management

HHS OIG Says

Physicians Can Waive Medicare Coinsurance

July 6 Is Deadline

to Enroll in PECOS

More

Clinical Care &

Research

ACIP Ponders

Changing Its Recommendation Process

One-third of FPs

Did Not Follow Interim Hib Vaccine Recs

More

Health of the

Public

FDA to Report on

Safety Monitoring Activities

AAFP Recruiting

Practices for Smoking Cessation Pilot

More

Resident &

Student Focus

Carnegie Report

Calls for Key Innovations in Medical Education

Medical Schools

Vary in Fulfilling 'Social Mission'

More

CME & Lifelong

Learning

AAFP Offers Free

CME Webinars on Nutrition

AAFP to Test New

'Translation to Practice' CME

More

News in Brief

News Briefs: Week

of June 28-July 2

News Briefs: Week

of June 21-25

More

As We See It:

Voices From the AAFP

Editorial: Health

Care Reform Coverage Statistics Are Impressive

Editorial: AFP

Reaches 60 Years and Counting

More

Professional Issues

AMA Delegates Back

New Medicare Payment Option

AMA Delegates Adopt

Measures to Promote Primary Care, Rural Practice

More

Inside AAFP

People in the News

-- June

FP Elected to AMA

Board of Trustees

More

In Memoriam

Top News:

Congress

Approves Medicare Payment Patch, Provides 2.2 Percent Update

CMS Issues

New Guidance to Medicare Contractors

(06/25/2010)

-- Congress has passed and President Obama has signed a physician

payment measure that will rescind a 21.3 percent reduction in the Medicare

payment rate and provide a 2.2 percent increase in Medicare payments until

Nov. 30. The Senate passed the payment measure as part of a stand-alone bill

on June 18, and the House followed suit on June 24, approving a measure that

rescinds the reduction in the Medicare payment rate. More

CMS

Will Allow Nonparticipating Physicians to Start Participating in Medicare

July 16 Is

Last Day to Change Status

(06/28/2010)

-- Physicians who are not currently participating in Medicare

have an opportunity to take part in the program and to change their status

from nonparticipating to participating, according to CMS. The offer, which

only applies to physicians whose current status is nonparticipating, is

available through July 16. More

HHS

Office of Inspector General Issues Statement

Physicians Can

Waive Medicare Coinsurance Relative to 2.2 Percent Pay Increase

(06/30/2010)

-- The federal government has waived a Medicare regulation that

would require physicians and other Medicare providers to bill patients for

additional coinsurance, also known as cost-sharing amounts, relative to the

recently passed 2.2 percent Medicare physician payment increase. More

Senate

Delay Could Result in Medicaid Cuts to Physicians

(06/29/2010)

-- The U.S. Senate is delaying efforts to pass a bill to provide

$16 billion in Medicaid assistance to states for the first six months of

2011, a move that could result in Medicaid cutting payments to physicians.

The funding in the bill is designed to assist states with projected increases

in their Medicaid populations that are likely because of a faltering economy

and federal coverage requirements in the recently enacted health care reform

legislation. More

CMS

Sets July 6 Deadline for Medicare Participating Physicians to Enroll in PECOS

Docs Who

Delay Could be Dropped

(06/24/2010)

-- CMS is sending Medicare participating physicians a

not-so-gentle reminder: If you haven't enrolled in the program's Provider

Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System, or PECOS, you have until July 6 to do

so. If you want to continue to order or refer items or services for Medicare

beneficiaries, that is. More

ACIP

Ponders Changing Its Recommendation Process

AAFP Voices

Support for Evidence-based, Graded System

(06/30/2010)

-- The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or

ACIP, is considering adopting an evidence-based recommendation process

similar to that used by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF.

The AAFP, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of

Physicians voiced support for such a change June 23 during the ACIP's meeting

in Atlanta. More

More News:

Carnegie

Report Calls for Key Innovations in Medical Education

Better

Integration of Formal Knowledge, Clinical Experience Needed

FDA

to Report on Safety Monitoring of Recently Approved Drugs, Biologics

Patients,

Docs Could Benefit From Release of Postmarketing Surveillance Info

U.S.

Medical Schools Vary Widely in Satisfying Medical Education's 'Social

Mission'

Morehouse,

Meharry, Score as Top Three

People

in the News -- June

News in Brief:

News

Briefs: Week of June 28-July 2

(06/30/2010)

-- This roundup includes the following news briefs: There's Still

Time to Earn PQRI Dollars in 2010; FDA Committees to Discuss Safety of

Avandia; H1N1 Public Health Emergency Expires; Adult Obesity Rates Continue

to Climb; P & G Recalls Nasal Spray; Recalled Children's Meds Won't Return

in 2010; FDA Attempting to Reduce Antibiotic Use in Food-producing Animals;

and Colorado Enacts Transparency Law for Physicians. More

About the Monthly

News Recap:

The June 2010 AAFP News Now PDF (16-page PDF; About

PDFs ) is available for downloading.

Archived PDF issues also are

available.

About This Weekly

E-Mail:

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FW: AAFP News Now, June 30, 2010

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