CMS Extends Deadlines for Attesting for Meaningful Use in EHR Incentive Program The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the 2013 meaningful use attestation deadline for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program from February 28 to March 31. However, the criteria still must have been met by Dec. 31, 2013, the end of the reporting period, to qualify for the incentive payments. The deadline extension applies only to the Medicare incentive program, and does not apply to the state Medicaid incentive programs or the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System. The deadline was extended because the attestation system ... March 12, 2014 Meaningful Use Meaningful Use 0 0 Comment Read More »
DON’T PATCH IT, REPEAL IT! Call Congress Now! (800) 833-6354 (Takes 2 Min.) Dear Physicians, CMA needs all physicians to call Congress and tell them to FIX THE MEDICARE SGR NOW! The deadline is March 31, 2014, and Congress is starting to schedule floor votes. To overcome the opposition and political brinksmanship going on in Congress right now, we need a massive number of physicians to call and email Congress. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST GRASSROOTS CALL TO ACTION Here’s the latest from Washington, DC. Later this week, the House Republican leadership has scheduled a vote on the SGR repeal and Medicare payment reform ... March 12, 2014 Medicare, SGR SGR 0 0 Comment Read More »
Participate in Medicare ICD-10 Testing The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that they will conduct end-to-end testing with a limited number of healthcare providers of varying sizes and types, including physician practices. The testing will take place July 21–25. Testing will be done on the full claims process from submission of the claim to Medicare through to receipt of the remittance advice by the physician. The following are details you need to know to register to participate in this testing: Interested physicians need to register with their Medicare ... March 11, 2014 ICD-10 ICD-10 0 0 Comment Read More »
Two More Measles Cases Confirmed in San Diego Date: March 6, 2014 Two more San Diego residents were confirmed today to have measles after exposure to an ill individual who returned from a recent trip to the Philippines. The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) issued a press release today notifying the public about potential exposures at the following locations: Pettit Kohn law offices, 11622 El Camino Real, Suite 300, San Diego, on Feb. 28 from 8am to 7pm and March 3 from 8am to 10am; Naval Base ... March 7, 2014 Public Health Measles 0 0 Comment Read More »
2014–15 SDCMS Board of Directors Elections SDCMS Member Physicians: SDCMS’s board of directors (BOD) 2014–15 election will be held April 9 through May 6, 2014. Below please find the candidates' statements. Note that "Inc." in parentheses after the candidate's name indicates he or she is an incumbent, and the number in parentheses after the candidate's name indicates his or her term length in years. OFFICERS: President: J. Steven Poceta, MD (1): I plan to be president of the San Diego County Medical Society for the upcoming year. I have been a member of SDCMS since I came ... February 25, 2014 SDCMS Membership Board of Directors 0 0 Comment Read More »
SGR Repeal Act FAQs by AMA SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014 — H.R. 4015/S. 2000 © 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Frequently Asked Questions What are some of the key features of the legislation? Many features of this bill represent improvements over current law. Some of the most important include the following: The SGR is permanently repealed, effective immediately. Positive, if modest, payment updates of 0.5 percent are provided for five years, from 2014 to 2018. Physicians in alternative payment models (APMs) receive ... February 24, 2014 SGR SGR 0 0 Comment Read More »
Measles Case Confirmed in San Diego Click Here to Download This February 14 CAHAN Health Alert in PDF Along With a Health Advisory Published on FEbruary 19 California Health Alert Network Date: February 21, 2014 Measles Case Confirmed in San Diego A San Diego resident was confirmed today to have measles after returning from a recent trip to the Philippines. This is the first case diagnosed in San Diego since July 2013. There is an ongoing measles outbreak in the Philippines where over 1,700 cases and 21 deaths were noted in 2013. The individual may have exposed others at Branch ... February 24, 2014 Public Health Measles, Public Health, Vaccinations 0 0 Comment Read More »
Medical Student’s Idea Sparks Bill That Calls for Warning Labels on All Sugary Drinks He got the idea for a bill that would mandate a warning label for sugary drinks from the students he taught in his high school science class. Teaching in a low-income public school in San Jose, Tom Gaither, now a first-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, said students were allowed to bring drinks to class — and many of them brought sugar-laden sodas and energy drinks. “So many of the kids didn’t know how bad surgery beverages were for them,” says Gaither. ... February 20, 2014 Medical Students, Public Health Medical Students, Obesity, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Legislation Calls for Safety Warning Labels to Highlight Health Risks of Sugary Drinks By the California Medical Association Contact James Noonan at (916) 551-2870 Sacramento — Armed with overwhelming research linking soda and sugary drink consumption to skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay, the nation’s first legislation requiring safety warning labels on sugary drinks sold in California was introduced today by State Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel). “When the science is this conclusive, the state of California has a responsibility to take steps to protect consumers,” stated Senator Monning. “As with tobacco and alcohol warnings, this legislation will give Californians essential information they need ... February 13, 2014 Public Health Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
House, Senate Leaders Introduce SGR Replacement Bill House, Senate Leaders Introduce SGR Replacement Bill Bipartisan, Bicameral Proposal Ends the Cycle of Annual ‘Doc Fix’ Crises, Shifting Medicare to Reward Quality, Efficiency, and Innovation February 6, 2014 By the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee WASHINGTON — House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-Mich.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), and House Energy and ... February 7, 2014 GPCI, Medicare, SGR GPCI, Medicare, SGR 0 0 Comment Read More »