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STATE LEGISLATION DAY - MARCH 19-20 (January 2012)

Message from MSSNY President, Paul Hamlin, MD

Colleagues:
Your presence is needed in Albany on March 19-20 for MSSNY’s Physicians’ Capital Forum.

Last year, with the help of available technology, MSSNY changed the format of our State Legislation Day to a new format that contained both a webconferenced presentation and Q&A with key healthcare policymakers as well as a lobby day for physician leaders.  In 2011, whether in Albany or by teleconference, over 1000 physicians, residents and medical students participated in this exciting format!

Similar to last year, Physicians have options for participation for the evening of March 19:

Attend a Q & A session with our state legislators in Albany on March 19 (5-7 pm) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel; and either stay over that night or come to Albany the next day (Tuesday, March 20) and see your legislators to talk to them about physician issues.

After very brief presentations from the invitees (not yet finalized), you will have an opportunity to send in your question in real time to the forum or you can send them in beforehand to be read.

However, we need you in Albany on March 20!

To newcomers who feel unfamiliar with MSSNY’s legislative issues, do not worry. You will have an early morning briefing by our Governmental Affairs division on a multitude of health care policy issues that are under consideration by our State Legislature including Medical Liability, Managed Care, Scope of Practice and important Public Health issues (i.e. IStop and hydrofracking).

After the briefing, there will be transportation to Capitol Hill for one-on-one meetings with your local legislators that will be set up by your county executives.

Please participate in Physicians’ Capital Forum. We owe it to our profession. 

Paul Hamlin, MD

President, MSSNY

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New York Wage Theft Protection Act: What It Means for Employers (January 2012)

BREAKFAST AT THE BAR WITH THE MEDICAL SOCIETY

SEMINAR SERIES - JANUARY 25, 2012

7:30 - 9:00 AM

Erie County Medical Society Conference Center

1317 Harlem Road, Buffalo, NY 14206

 “THE NEW YORK WAGE THEFT PROTECTION ACT: 

WHAT IT MEANS FOR EMPLOYERS"

Presented by:

JOHN M. GODWIN, ESQ.

Hodgson Russ LLP

Mr. Godwin will present information on this new legislation which mandates new notice

 and recordkeeping requirements, whistleblower protections, and has significant liability

provisions for all employers

Reservations Required, Space is Limited

RSVP by Friday, January 20, 2012

716-852-2930 (fax), or Lindsay@eriemds.org

1317 Harlem Road, Buffalo, NY 14206

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Online Point & Insurance Reduction Program Now Available! (December 2011)

Online 6-Hour Safe Driving Accident Prevention Program:

You now have the flexibility to log on and off the program at your convenience - you do not have to complete the course in one sitting; the course remembers the section you last completed and puts you right back where you left off. This course is sponsored by ASI, Inc.#28 and you can register by clicking this REGISTRATION LINK.

If you have already registered and are returning to complete the course, you must click the returning student link below to get back to where you left off.

RETURNING STUDENT LINK

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Supercommittee failure leaves 27 percent Medicare payment cut in place (November 2011)

With the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction failing to reach agreement on a deficit-reduction proposal, physicians still face a 27 percent cut in Medicare physician payments scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. Congress has missed an opportunity to address the nation's fiscal problems, stabilize the Medicare program and permanently repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.

"The deficit committee had a unique opportunity to stabilize the Medicare program for America's seniors now and for generations to come," AMA President Peter W. Carmel, MD, said in a statement. "Once again, Congress failed to stop the charade of scheduled annual physician payment cuts and short-term patches that spend more taxpayer money to perpetuate a policy all agree is fatally flawed. A decade of uncertainty and repeated threats of steep cuts threaten access to care for seniors and military families who rely on the Medicare and TRICARE programs."

Proposals to repeal the SGR fell victim to disagreement over fundamental principles for achieving deficit reduction. Sharp partisan division over the mix of entitlement cuts and tax hikes prevented the supercommittee from reaching any agreement on a deficit-reduction package.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Sen. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) were among the leading advocates for SGR repeal in the supercommittee negotiations. Earlier this year, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) had also offered a deficit-reduction package that included SGR repeal.

Congressional action expected to avert 27 percent cut on Jan. 1

Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress have publicly stated their commitment to take action this year to avert the 27 percent cut. Options for SGR relief outside of the supercommittee process have ranged from short-term patches of a year or two to longer-term relief that provides for transition to a new Medicare physician payment system.

The scope of the next SGR intervention will not come into better focus until Congress returns from its Thanksgiving break. Congress has a number of items of unfinished business that require action before departing for the Christmas holidays. Stay tuned for future updates via the Physicians' Grassroots Network and other AMA communications.

Medicare participation/nonparticipation status

Medicare carriers have distributed information to determine if physicians want to modify their status as participating or nonparticipating physicians. The AMA has developed the "Know your options: Medicare participation guide"* to help physicians evaluate their options and choose the direction that is suitable for their practice.

The kit contains a detailed explanation of physician options, a calculator and various sample materials for communicating with patients. Given the current level of uncertainty, physicians may want to defer making a decision on their participating/nonparticipating status for a few weeks. Physicians have until Dec. 31 to modify their status.

What can you do at this juncture?

Register your strong concerns with your members of Congress that yet another SGR deadline is approaching and Congress has yet to act. Call the AMA grassroots hotline at (800) 833-6354 and ask your representatives and senators what specific steps they will take to end the annual SGR fiasco.  If they tell you that they are "with you," remind them about the multiple missed deadlines in 2010. Physicians and their patients need action rather than vague expressions of support

Thanks for past grassroots efforts; frustration, fatigue understandable

AMA elected leadership and management thank all of you who have responded to our calls to action. Your hard work has helped us generate a massive grassroots outcry from both physicians and patients on behalf of SGR repeal, with more than 250,000 email and phone call contacts to Congress on this issue in just a few months.

Everyone in the medical community is tired and frustrated with the annual Medicare payment battle. Responsibility for the current situation rests squarely with one group: Congress. Medicine should not beg or plead for short-term relief that grows the problem. It is up to our elected leaders to carry out commitments made to physicians and patients.

Sequestration cuts

Current law stipulated that across-the-board cuts totaling $1.2 trillion will be imposed in 2013 if the supercommittee fails to achieve this targeted amount. This spending reduction is to be equally divided between defense and non-defense programs.

Medicare cuts are limited to a 2 percent reduction in provider payments. This sequestration cut would be separate or on top of any potential SGR reduction. Given the severe cuts that sequestration would impose on defense and other programs, there has been extensive discussion by members of Congress regarding passage of new legislation to prevent sequestration from being implemented in 2013.

 

Educational Opportunities”

 

  1. The AMA’s Know Your Options:  Medicare Participation Guide can be

           downloaded at ama-assn.org/go/medicare options

 



Erie County Medical Society Elects New Officers (June 2011)

Mark J. Lema, M.D., Ph.D. Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and  Medical Director of Roswell Park's Surgical Services , is the new president of the Medical Society of the County of Erie.  He was installed at the Society’s annual meeting at Templeton Landing, on Wednesday evening, May 11, 2011.  He succeeds Eugene J. Kalmuk Jr, M.D.

A native of Buffalo, Doctor Lema received his medical training at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center followed by an internship at Staten Island Hospital, and residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.  In addition, he holds a Ph.D. in Physiology from the University at Buffalo.    He is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners, and is a member of the American Medical Association, the Medical Society of the State of New York, the International Anesthesia Research Society, the American Pain Society, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and the NYS Society of Anesthesiologists.

Dr. Lema has served as the Medical Society of the County of Erie’s secretary-treasurer, vice-president and president-elect. 

Other officers installed at the Medical Society’s annual meeting include: Raymond V. Paolini, M.D., president-elect; Thomas A. Lombardo, M.D. , vice president; and John B. Wiles, M.D., secretary-treasurer. All will serve a one-year term.

Also elected for one-year terms are the chairs of the Society’s standing committees. They are Paul M. Anain, M.D., Economics/Workers Compensation;   Edward K. Bartels, MD, Delegates to the Medical Society of the State of New York;  Joseph Rusnak, M.D. Legislation;  Charles E. Wiles, M.D., Medical Services;   Paul J. Mason, M.D. Membership;  Stephen P. Scrivani, M.D. Public Health;  Thomas R. Elmer, M.D. , Young Physician Section.

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CMS Launches a Dedicated Web Page for Medicare FFS Providers (April 2011)

On March 31, 2011, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the Federal Register proposed rule CMS-1345-P, Medicare Program; Medicare Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations that implements the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) and establishes the requirements for Accountable Care Organizations. CMS has launched a dedicated web page at www.cms.gov/sharedsavingsprogram for Medicare FFS providers and other providers of services and suppliers. Bookmark the web page and check back often, as CMS continues to add information on the program.

 

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Congratulations to the UB AMA-MSS! (March 2011)

From the SUNY Buffalo AMA Chapter - Medical Student Section

Thursday, March 17, 2011

We are proud to announce that on March 12th, the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) awarded the UB American Medical Association Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS) two honorable awards: Chapter of the Year and the Recruitment Award for NY State!

It is officially the tenth consecutive year for our chapter to receive the Recruitment Award! On average we recruit over 75% of the incoming first year medical class to join the AMA - a number that is significantly higher than other NY medical schools. The Chapter of the Year award was a great achievement. The past e-board, led by co-presidents Joanna Lim and Gaurav Rao, successfully held a full year of events. Some of the most notable accomplishments include a Halloween for Children with Diabetes Party, Miles for a Healthier Life Style, and passing a student-written resolution to decrease the price disparity between healthy and unhealthy foods (which is currently being lobbied for in Washington, D.C.).

A new e-board was recently elected and has taken off with a promising start. For example, Linda Wong is leading a Worldscopes Project, CJ Cancino was recently elected to state recruitment chair, and Laura Gluck is serving as an Alternate Delegate on the state level. We have many new goals set. We plan to focus more on state policy, keeping an updated website, addressing minority issues (such as human trafficking), and simply filling the big shoes left by our predecessors. Several new e-board positions were created to help our more widespread goals for the next year, including Minority Issues Community Liaison, Worldscopes Project Leader, and AMA Student Advisor. There are several upcoming events planned in April so check the website frequently to keep yourself updated!

Please read the recent article about our UB AMA-MSS chapter on the SMBS website: http://medicine.buffalo.edu/news_and_events.host.html/content/shared/smbs/news/2011/03/ama-mss-awards.detail.html

 

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(February 2011)

2011 Annual Meeting and Dinner

Save the Date!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Templeton Landing

2 Templeton Terrace, Buffalo, New York

5:45 p.m. – Cocktail Reception

7:00 p.m.  – Meeting and Dinner

Guest Speaker

Nirav R. Shah., M.D., M.P.H.

New York State Commissioner of Health

2011-2012 County Society Officers will be installed

 

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FSA's, HSA's and Over-the-Counter Reimbursement: New Rules and New Requirements (January 2011)

Michael J. Schoppmann, Esq. 

Kern Augustine Conroy & Schoppmann, P.C.

As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, patients can now seek reimbursement for the cost of certain over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and drugs. The rule affects reimbursements under employer-sponsored health plans, health flexible spending arrangements (health FSAs), and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), as well as health savings accounts (HSAs) and Archer medical savings accounts (Archer MSAs).

Presently, the cost of OTC medicines and drugs are deemed “medical expenses” that are eligible for reimbursement from group health plans (and are “qualified medical expenses” eligible for distribution from HSAs and Archer MSAs). However, these new changes amend the definition of what is considered a “medical expense” and restrict the reimbursement of funds used to purchase OTC medicine and drugs going forward after December 31, 2010.

As of January 1, 2011, reimbursement for medicines and drugs as permissible medical expenses can only be obtained if the medicine or drug requires a prescription; is available without a prescription (i.e., an OTC medicine or drug) and the individual obtains a prescription; or is insulin.

As patients seek to utilize these reimbursement vehicles, physicians are increasingly being asked to provide the documentation required to do so.  While the patient simply needs to obtain a receipt of payment, according to the IRS, the documentation that a physician would be required to provide (other than for insulin) is nothing short of an actual prescription (regardless of the fact that the medications might be available over the counter and medically, do not require a prescription). Under these new changes, “a distribution from an FSA, HRA, HSA or an Archer MSA for a medicine or drug is a tax-free qualified medical expense only if (1) the medicine or drug requires a prescription, (2) is an over-the-counter medicine or drug and the individual obtains a prescription, or (3) is insulin. (Affordable Care Act § 106(f), § 223(d)(2)(A) and new § 220(d)(2)(A)).

 

Moreover, in responding to recent requests for clarification from the physician community, the IRS has posted a specific response to this very “FAQ” on its website:

If your employer’s health FSA or HRA reimburses these expenses, you would provide the prescription (or a copy of the prescription or another item showing that a prescription for the item has been issued) and the customer receipt (or similar third-party documentation showing the date of the sale and the amount of the charge). For example, documentation could consist of a customer receipt issued by a pharmacy that reflects the date of sale and the amount of the charge, along with a copy of the prescription; or it could consist of a customer receipt that identifies the name of the purchaser (or the name of the person for whom the prescription applies), the date and amount of the purchase and an Rx number.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article

For purposes of the new rule, a prescription means “a written or electronic order for a medicine or drug that meets the legal requirements of a prescription in the state in which the medical expense is incurred and that is issued by an individual who is legally authorized to issue a prescription in that state.”

It should be noted that the new rule is inapplicable to items that are not medicines or drugs, including equipment (e.g., crutches), supplies (e.g., bandages), and diagnostic devices (e.g., blood sugar test kits).  These items will continue to qualify if they otherwise meet the definition of medical care, which includes expenses for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or for the purpose of affecting any structure or function of the body.

In light of these new requirements, patients are certain to be increasingly seeking reimbursement for over the counter medications and thereby, physicians should be prepared for a dramatic increase in the number of “prescriptions” they are asked to issue.  However, before simply issuing such documents as “claim documents” or “reimbursement forms,” physicians and medical practices should consider the liability concerns for issuing what will still be a prescription – and thereby intended to treat a known medical condition - without having first fully examined the patient and properly documenting the propriety and medical necessity of that “prescription.”  Further, an additional problem may well arise when an established patient seeks numerous “OTC prescriptions” to be written and yet is also already taking other medications.  Such a situation clearly requires the prescribing physician to assess the possible interaction of all the drugs (both OTC and non-OTC) which the physician is now "prescribing" for the patient.

 

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Kern Augustine Conroy & Schoppmann, P.C., Attorneys to Health Professionals, www.drlaw.com has offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois. The firm’s practice is solely devoted to the representation of health care professionals. Mr. Schoppmann may be contacted at 1‐800‐445‐0954 or via email ‐ schoppmann@drlaw.com.

 



National Government Services Gateway Security Enhancements (October 2010)

Attention Electronic Submitters in the state of New York,

 

As a result of a Security Audit of the National Government Services Gateway (M2), the following modifications will be effective on October 4, 2010.

Password Reset Policy

Current Password Reset Policy: 90-day expiration

New Password Reset Policy:              60-day expiration

 With this new policy, passwords used with the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Gateway user IDs will need to be reset every 60 days as of October 4, 2010. This will impact existing passwords at that time that are in the 60-90 time period. These passwords will need to be changed upon log in as of October 4, 2010.

Suspension of Submitter (Sender) ID for Inactivity

Current policy:     365 days

New policy:        90 days

 With this new policy, a Submitter (Sender) ID that is not used for 90 days will suspend for inactivity. The user will need to contact the EDI Help Desk to reactivate the Submitter (Sender) ID.

 

Banner Page Implementation for File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Users

The following banner page will be presented to all submitters connecting to the National Government Services Gateway. This may impact submitters that have developed scripts for batch file transfers.

 

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES GATEWAY

Warning: You are accessing a U.S. Government information system. Unauthorized use is prohibited and subject to criminal and civil penalties. All users must adhere to the Information Security Policies, Standards and Procedures of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Your usage will be monitored, recorded, and audited. Your use of this information system establishes your understanding of, and consent to, the foregoing terms and conditions. CMS and its contractors maintain ownership and responsibility for their computer systems.

 

SFTP Implementation:  September 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010

Security policies require that all FTP active to the National Government Services gateway be supported via the Secure File Transfer protocol (SFTP). Trading Partners currently using a National Government Services Network Service Vendor (NSV), will be contacted by your NSV with their migration plans.

As our direct dial-up trading partners migrate to connections provided by the National Government Services approved Network Service Vendors (NSV), the NSV will provide this support. Note:  For more information regarding the Network Service Vendor mandate, please see the June 7, 2010, article posted on the National Government Services Web site.

For those current trading partners who are NSV clients and are using their own FTP client server software, you will need to migrate to an SFTP client server package by December 31, 2010. We encourage you to move to an SFTP product as quickly as possible after September 1, 2010, to avoid any impact to your ability to submit Medicare claims.

 

Please direct any questions or concerns regarding any of these National Government Services EDI Gateway enhancements as follows:

EDI Help Desk: 877-273-4334

For Medicare Part A and Home Health and Hospice Electronic Submitters: NGS_EDI_PartA@wellpoint.com

For Medicare Part B Electronic Submitters: NGS_EDI_PartB@wellpoint.com



AMA REACTION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ADDRESS ON HEALTH-SYSTEM REFORM (September 2009)

Physicians Agree that Medical Liability Reform is Needed  

“It is clear that the status quo is unacceptable. The AMA will continue to work for reform that makes the system work better for patients and physicians. We must seize this opportunity this year to achieve meaningful health reform for America’s patients and physicians.

“The President outlined three essential goals that are vital to reform efforts in this country, including: ensuring the current system remains secure and stable for those who already have insurance coverage and are happy with it; making insurance coverage affordable and accessible to those who need it; and reducing unnecessary costs and waste in the current system.

 “The AMA believes these core goals are ones that the majority of the American people can and do support, and we urge Congress to find common ground in achieving them.

“President Obama recognized what physicians have long known – that medical liability reform is needed to bring down the cost of health care, and he is directing the Department of Health and Human Services to take action now. Recognizing the critical need for medical liability reform is an important step toward reducing unnecessary costs. Everyday physicians across the country are forced to consider the broken medical liability system when making decisions, resulting in defensive medicine that adds to unnecessary health costs. We cannot ignore this problem if health-system reform is going to address the growing cost of care.

“Just yesterday, the AMA sent a letter to President Obama and Congress urging them to reach agreement on health reform that includes seven critical elements. Health coverage for all Americans, insurance market reforms that expand choice and eliminate denials for pre-existing conditions, assurance that medical decisions will remain between the patient and physician, medical liability reforms to reduce the cost of defensive medicine, and repeal of the broken Medicare physicians payment formula that threatens seniors’ access to care are among them.

“We have a historic opportunity to implement needed reforms to address shortcomings in the current system, while keeping in tact all that is working well. We will stay constructively engaged in the legislative process to ensure the final bill improves the health system for patients and the dedicated physicians who care for them.”

J. James Rohack, M.D.
President, American Medical Association



“Medical Student UB updates” (September 2009)

From the E-board

Once again, fresh faces have arrived at the medical school and, with their arrival, our e-board has been working extremely hard to recruit the new students to our vibrant chapter.  With a strong focus on increasing our organization’s membership, we were able to recruit over 80% of the first-year students into MSSNY and the AMA by the second day of their arrival, a percentage that was achieved by mid-school year in 2008.  As we all know, membership dues are a vital part of MSSNY, and they are extremely important for the success of our local chapter as well.  Our annual budget for our local AMA-MSS and MSSNY-MSS chapter depends heavily on our successful recruiting and membership.  Having achieved our recruitment goals, we can now shift our focus to meeting specific goals of bolstering our involvement at all of the Medical Society’s levels.  Two of the ways we plan to do this are elaborated below, by a few of our active members.  Additionally, there is a short list of some of our upcoming events, some of which are new, and some of which can now be deemed as “traditional AMA events” at UB.

Medical Students Work to Improve the Diet of Erie County

The University at Buffalo’s Medical Student Section has taken an interest in the effects of nutrition on the health of Erie County.  We have chosen to take two approaches, one of which focuses on change at a local level, and the other focusing on a larger scale.  Locally, we have been actively working with the medical school’s administration to increase practical nutrition education in the Medical School’s curriculum.  This will empower all future medical students graduating from UB with the information and tools to address our patient population’s diet more effectively in an effort to tackle the ubiquitous scourge of obesity and related metabolic syndromes.  We have also been working on a larger scale to gather and disseminate information in order to push for legislative change to make healthier, nutrition-dense (ND) foods more economically competitive with calorie-dense nutrition-poor (CDNP) foods.  Over the past generation, the cost of ND foods has risen more rapidly than the cost of CDNP foods.  This has resulted in many families eating more CDNP foods as a matter of short-term economic responsibility; individuals of lower income are suffering from obesity and related sequelae at higher rates than those with higher income, and presumably, better access to healthy foods.  Though the cause of this is multifactorial, one factor is certainly due to government’s farm and food policy.  This cost increase is, in turn, a factor in the rising rates of obesity.  By working to support innovative and pre-existing strategies to lower the cost of nutrition-dense foods, our efforts may save Erie County residents money on healthy food, as well as help them enjoy an increase in quality of life.  This will decrease preventable health care costs associated with greater consumption of these desirable foods.

--Daniel Donovan, MS II, VP of Membership, AMA-MSS Chapter at UB, dsd8@buffalo.edu

--Angela Sandell, MS I, Member, AMA-MSS Chapter at UB

MSSNY-MSS Health Care Reform Task Force Chair

Katie Brewer is a second year medical student at the University at Buffalo and was elected to serve as the Healthcare Reform Task Force Chair at the MSSNY Medical Student Section conference in February of 2009.  She also attended the national meeting in Chicago where she was able to participate in several seminars and learn how other states across the nation are reforming their health system policies and the role of the AMA organization.  With her position, she has joined the MSSNY Subcomittee on Health System Reform as a medical student representative under the direction of Dr. Robert Scher and took part in her first meeting on July 23, 2009.  The task of this subcommittee is to study the current obstacles for health coverage and then to develop, evaluate, and recommend proposals for achieving universal coverage.  The role of the subcommittee is to examine at least three models for universal healthcare coverage: one based on existing private and public health coverage mechanisms; a second that supports publicly sponsored and financed health coverage model; and a third that is a combination of both mechanisms.  The next conference call she will be participating in is scheduled for the end of August 2009. 

--Katie Brewer, MS II, Healthcare Reform Task Force Chair, MSSNY-MSS,  kbrewer@buffalo.edu

For any questions or comments for our SUNY at Buffalo Chapter of the AMA E-board or members, please contact: Rob Doiron, co-president, MS II, sunybuffaloama@gmail.com.

 



American Medical Association Advocacy report for July 31st, 2009 (July 2009)

House Energy and Commerce Committee mark up resumes.

Senate Finance Committee mark up postponed untill fall.  Physicians groups need to work Senate offices on Medicare physician payment issue.

The full PDF Version is available on on the Member Resources Section under Documents and Downloads.



CME COURSES ONLINE (July 2009)

The Medical Society of the County of Erie joins the Medical Society of the State of New York in presenting online Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses.   Current and future Enduring CME programs will be available from your computer in the office or at home.

The library of online CME courses can be found at http://medicaleducationny.com/

Two of the AMA Foundation’s educational resources—the health literacy toolkit and the patient safety monograph—have recently been re-approved to provide continuing medical education (CME) credit for physicians through May 2012. Both resources are designed as self-study CME activities, and physicians can earn a maximum of 2.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for each activity.  New instructions for claiming credit will be included with each purchase of these resources from the AMA Bookstore. If you already own hard copies, you can print out the new instructions.

View CME information for the health literacy toolkit.

View CME information for the patient safety monograph.

Visit the AMA Foundation Web site to download electronic versions of both resources at no charge.



ASSEMBLY PASSES LEGISLATION TO PERMIT NO-FAULT PAYMENT FOR EMERGENCY CARE TO INTOXICATED DRIVERS (May 2009)

Legislation (A.6843, Dinowitz) passed the Assembly this week that would assure that physicians are appropriately reimbursed for providing necessary emergency care to an intoxicated person in a general hospital. 

Identical legislation (S.3554, Breslin) has been referred to the Senate Insurance Committee. MSSNY supports this legislation, and urges physicians to contact their legislators to convey their support. The legislation would address an anomaly in the law well-known to physicians who provide emergency care. Under current “no-fault” insurance law, injuries to intoxicated motorists are not covered by their motor vehicle insurance. Yet, at the same time, the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requires health care providers to provide emergency medical services to persons in need of such care. 

As a result, physicians often do not receive payment for providing this necessary, often life-saving, care. This bill, put forward by the New York State Insurance Department and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Service, seeks to address concerns articulated by Governor Paterson when he vetoed similar, but broader, legislation passed by the State Legislature in 2008. In his veto message on that bill Governor Paterson noted that, while the goals of the bill were sound, it was drafted so expansively that it would have required coverage far in excess of emergency care. The Governor's veto message instructed his staff and interested parties to “help enact a new bill that accomplishes the intended purpose... in a manner that will protect the interests of the health service providers, injured patients and the public.” The bill narrows the scope of the bill to necessary emergency care provided to an intoxicated driver in a general hospital. Please call your senator (518-455-2800) to urge their support for this measure, and a send a letter to your legislators from the MSSNY website by clicking here.