Ronald M. Davis, MD
Making health care greener
Did you know that seven of every 10 Americans die each year of a chronic disease? A number of diseases such as asthma, non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma, and breast cancer are on the rise, and many conditions are linked to toxic pollutants.
A 2005 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that we're making progress on decreasing Americans' exposure to 148 potentially toxic chemicals that are prevalent in the environment. But our ongoing exposure to these toxins remains a serious health concern.
Our health care system does a good job in diagnosing and treating illness and alleviating pain and suffering. But, like other sectors of society, its actions in regards to the environment have a ways to go. Medical waste incinerators, used by many hospitals to burn garbage ranging from reception-area trash to operating-room waste, are a major producer of dioxin, a particularly potent carcinogen. In the mid-1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found medical waste incinerators to be the leading source of dioxin and responsible for 10 percent of mercury emissions in the United States. A 2006 report by the AMA Council on Science and Public Health spells out the dangers of mercury.
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Please send comments, questions, and replies to amaprez@ama-assn.org.
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AMA eVoice is your regular update on the most important health care issues and recent AMA activities.
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Your news interests
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Faculty practice physician issues
1) Call for papers for JAMA theme issue on health of the nation
2) JAMA’s “Author in the room” series features study on diabetes
Group practice physician issues
1) Journal: Tectonic shifts in the health information economy
2) CMS announces Medicaid grants to 20 states
International medical graduate issues
1) Your vote matters in the AMA-IMG Section Governing Council election
2) In Virtual Mentor: Ethical challenges and U.S. immigrant health care
Medical school news
1) AMA-SMS Governing Council nominations deadline fast approaching
2) Examples of innovative faculty development programs requested
3) In AMNews: Resident work-hour violations are up
4) In Medical Education Online: Impact of professionalism scenarios on school admissions process
Medical student issues
1) Chapter of the Week: Mayo Medical School’s insurance assistance program
2) Mark your calendar: 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting deadlines
3) Reserve your hotel room now for the 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting
4) Have you taken the Step 2 CS exam?
5) AMA Alliance offers resources for partners of physicians in training
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
1) The polls are open; cast your vote in the AMA-MAC Governing Council election today
2) Study: Physician diversity in California
3) AAIP’s Cross Cultural Medicine Workshop taking place
4) Doctors Back to School event planned for Chicago
Organized medical staff issues
1) 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting hotel and flight information available
2) Registration now live for 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting
3) Webcast investigates health information transformation
4) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
5) Check out most recent webcast on economic credentialing
6) Webcast explores future of health care
7) AMA-OMSS gearing up for its 2008–2010 governing council election
8) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
9) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online
Resident and fellow issues
1) Register for AMA-RFS Annual Assembly Meeting
2) AMA-RFS is looking for leaders
3) In Surgical Rounds: ACGME policy changes for resident and fellow benefits
4) Cover the Uninsured Week is April 27–May 3
Senior physicians issues
1) AMA-SPG: 90,000 members strong
2) AMA calls for more physician training in aging care as IOM releases report
Women physician and women's health issues
1) AMA-WPC election: Access to online voting just a click away
2) In AMNews: Curbing adolescent girls’ high STD rates
Young physician issues
1) Join AMA-YPS in Chicago
2) AMA-YPS gears up for its 2008 governing council elections
3) 2008 Community Service Award nominations due May 1
4) Michigan physicians: Tell us what’s on your mind
5) Important NPI date approaching for claims and cash flow
General AMA news:
1) Payout to doctors pending in BCBS settlement
2) Specialty hospitals measure rightly removed from farm bill
3) Physicians: Enroll today in HCNN Drug Alert Network
4) AMA Web conference to cover financing EMR systems
5) Cover the Uninsured Week to kick off April 27
6) AMA physician outreach recruiters deserve a big thanks
7) On Sermo: Newly launched jobs board enables physician-to-physician networking
8) In JAMA: Not understanding Medicare Part D still an issue; limited knowledge of cost-sharing requirements may effect drug adherence
Your news interests
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Faculty practice physician issues
1) Call for papers for JAMA theme issue on health of the nation
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is inviting authors to submit manuscripts on any topic relevant to the issue of the nation’s health for its theme issue publication in October. To receive highest priority, submissions should be original research papers and present new scientific information and solid data. Topics of interest could include finding solutions to improving the nation’s health care or studies improving national health based on health systems in other countries. Manuscripts received by June 1 will have the best chance of consideration.
Visit the Web site for further information and guidelines on submission.
2) JAMA's “Author in the room” series features study on diabetes
Join the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in presenting May’s “Author in the room” series from 2 to 3 p.m. EST on May 21, featuring Barbara V. Howard, author of “Blood pressure and LDL cholesterol targets and atherosclerosis in diabetes.”
Preview Howard’s study.
Sign up in advance for the series. This program is a collaboration between IHI and JAMA.
IHI’s Donald Berwick, MD, and JAMA editor Catherine D. DeAngelis, MD, co-authored a JAMA editorial on the subject. Preview this editorial.
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Group practice physician issues
1) Journal: Tectonic shifts in the health information economy
Both Microsoft Corporation and Google have begun offering Web-based online health records, raising the issue of privacy and control of patient information. Consumers are now able to tell physicians or other providers what information to put into their personal records, allowing them “stewardship” in managing their medical records.
Per an April 17 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, a few companies could hold the nation’s largest, most up-to-date health care databases—more than any clinical research center. In the article, authors suggested a mix of federal regulation and extension of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to help extend the privacy of online patient record hosts.
2) CMS announces Medicaid grants to 20 states
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced grants of $50 million to improve access to primary medical care and avoid costly hospital visits for Medicaid beneficiaries. The grants will provide new programs and services based on the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. April’s award of $26 million will fund 29 programs in 20 states, with the remaining $24 million available to grantees beginning in the year 2009. Funds can be used toward establishing new community health centers, extending the hours of operation of a clinic and educating beneficiaries about new services and/or providing for electronic health information exchange between facilities for better coordination of care.
View the April 17 press release.
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International medical graduate issues
1) Your vote matters in the AMA-IMG Section Governing Council election
Visit the Web site to help choose the newest members of the AMA-IMG Section Governing Council by voting today. The AMA-IMG Section Governing Council election is taking place now through May 14. IMG physicians who are AMA members should be on the lookout for a postcard in the mail containing their pass code and voting instructions. Please note that you must be an AMA member to vote in the election.
2) In Virtual Mentor: Ethical challenges and U.S. immigrant health care
With 37.9 million immigrants in the United States, every physician will likely treat a member of this population segment at one time or another. Immigration trends pose a number of ethical challenges with regards to health care.
Should physicians be aware of their patients’ citizenship status? Is it ethical to offer scarce medical resources and services to so-called “medical tourists” who come to our country for “miracle” procedures? Is it fair to accept labor (and donated organs) from immigrants and not provide them the medical care they need?
View the April issue of Virtual Mentor, the AMA’s online ethics journal, to explore these questions and others, as well as a number of cases and scenarios in which ethical dilemmas arise.
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Medical school news
(Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools)
1) AMA-SMS Governing Council nominations deadline fast approaching
Applications are due May 5 for several positions on the 2008–2009 AMA-SMS Governing Council, including chair-elect, three at-large members, delegate and alternate delegate. Elections will be held at the June AMA-SMS meeting.
Learn more about these leadership positions and download an application form.
2) Examples of innovative faculty development programs requested
The AMA-SMS will hold its 32nd annual meeting June 13–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The focus of the joint educational session with the AMA Councils on Medical Education and Science and Public Health will be the challenges facing the faculty. To continue the dialogue from the educational session, mini-presentations on innovative faculty development programs will be offered.
Send an e-mail to Jackie Drake if you plan to attend the June AMA-SMS meeting and would like to share highlights of your school’s novel faculty development programs.
3) In AMNews: Resident work-hour violations are up
The April 21 issue of American Medical News (AMNews) highlights some Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty hours data. The ACGME says the rise in work-hour violations is due to improved consistency in tracking violations, not an increase in the number of incidents.
View the data.
View (PDF, 41KB) ACGME’s 2006–2007 summary of duty hours achievements.
4) In Medical Education Online: Impact of professionalism scenarios on school admissions process
A recent study conducted at the University of Toledo College of Medicine found that professionalism scenarios can be a valuable tool for use in the admissions process and had a positive influence on the interview experience.
View (PDF, 409KB) the study.
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Medical student issues
1) Chapter of the Week: Mayo Medical School’s insurance assistance program
As part of Cover the Uninsured Week (CTUW) last spring, medical students at Mayo Medical School launched an insurance assistance program at the local Salvation Army free clinic. The program screens patients for health insurance status and assists eligible patients in applying for free and low-cost state health insurance coverage. Prior to the program’s launch, students were trained by a social worker to help patients complete the necessary paperwork.
Send an e-mail to Adam Ware for more information about this project.
What is your chapter doing for CTUW, April 27–May 3? The 30-day deadline to apply for Chapter Involvement Grant (CIG) funding for CTUW events has been temporarily waived for chapters applying by April 30 for CTUW events occurring no later than May 15.
Learn how to get involved and plan an event for your chapter.
2) Mark your calendar: 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting deadlines
The 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting will be held June 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The AMA-MSS will also hold its annual medical specialty showcase, where physicians from specialty societies represented in the AMA House of Delegates will provide comprehensive information on medical specialties before entering the residency selection process.
Stay tuned for more information on educational sessions, featured speakers and the AMA-MSS National Service Project, “Covering the uninsured and protecting access to care.”
Please keep the following AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting dates and deadlines in mind:
- Resolutions and resolution checklists due April 25
- Chapter of the Year Award applications due April 30
- Meeting registration due May 8
- Governing council position applications due May 18
Visit the Web site for more information and meeting applications.
3) Reserve your hotel room now for the 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting
The AMA has reserved a block of rooms for AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting attendees at the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Downtown at a discounted rate of $189 per night. Rooms are sure to go fast, so make your hotel reservation by May 16. In addition, the AMA has teamed up with United Airlines to offer annual meeting attendees a special discount of 5 percent on airfare.
Register for the meeting and learn more about hotel and airfare discounts. We hope to see you in Chicago.
4) Have you taken the Step 2 CS exam?
As part of its efforts to monitor the Clinical Skills (CS) Assessment Exam and advocate for improved testing conditions, the AMA-MSS is administering a Step 2 Clinical Skills survey to gauge medical student perceptions and experiences with the exam. The results of the AMA-MSS survey have the potential to influence the opinions of key stakeholders such as medical school administrators and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
If you have already taken the Step 2 CS exam, complete the AMA-MSS survey and ask your classmates to do the same. The more students that complete this survey, the greater the impact the AMA can have. It only takes a few minutes to make a big difference.
Visit the Web site for more information on the clinical skills exam and an overview of AMA policy on this important issue.
5) AMA Alliance offers resources for partners of physicians in training
Everyone knows that medical school and residency are stressful for young physicians. The AMA Alliance knows that training years can be just as challenging for spouses, and has organized some resources to provide specific support for partners of physicians in training, as well as assistance in finding an alliance in your area.
Visit the Web site for more information.
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Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
(brought to you by the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium)
1) The polls are open; cast your vote in the AMA-MAC Governing Council election today
The 2008 AMA-MAC Governing Council online election polls are open now through May 14. All AMA-MAC members were sent a postcard with voting instructions and pass code information via mail in order to take part in the election. Please note that AMA membership is required to vote in this election.
Access the election ballot link and view the candidate profiles.
Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox with questions.
2) Study: Physician diversity in California
Recently released data on California physicians confirms that there is vast ethnic disparity in the state’s physician work force when compared to the state’s population, particularly among Latinos and African Americans.
View the report released by the Center for California Health Workforce Studies at the University of California, San Francisco.
3) AAIP’s Cross Cultural Medicine Workshop taking place
The Association of American Indian Physician’s (AAIP) Cross Cultural Medicine Workshop is taking place April 24–27 in Santa Fe, N.M. The workshop aims to improve understanding of the role of traditional healers, identify strategies to improve communication among American Indian and Alaska Native patients and health professionals, and much more.
Learn more about this workshop and the AAIP’s Annual Conference, July 24–29 in Worley, Idaho.
4) Doctors Back to School event planned for Chicago
The AMA-MAC invites all physicians to participate in a Doctors Back to School visit from 8:30 to 10 a.m., May 16, at the Ted Lenart Regional Gifted Center in Chicago.
Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox if you would like to take part in this Doctors Back to School visit or more information on setting up a visit in your community.
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Organized medical staff issues
1) 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting hotel and flight information available
Book your hotel and flight reservations now for the 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting, June 12–14, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Book your reservations. Make your reservation by the cutoff date of May 12 to ensure your requirements are met. Room availability cannot be guaranteed after this date.
2) Registration now live for 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting
The 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting will be held June 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Register online today.
3) Webcast investigates health information transformation
In light of the current national enthusiasm for electronic health records (EHR), the AMA-OMSS created a webcast that will help physicians identify their individual electronic record requirements. This webcast analyzes the strengths and possible pitfalls of current electronic history and physical designs and functionality, as well as offering potential remedies for identified problems. It also provides measures and benchmarks for evaluating a system’s ability to meet medical practice needs for quality care, compliance, usability, efficiency, data integrity and productivity. Finally, it provides a protocol and assesses the realistic manpower needs for the EHR transformation.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
4) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
The AMA-OMSS launched a new webcast on revised Standard MS.1.20 that addresses how medical staffs can successfully implement the revised Joint Commission Medical Staff Bylaws Standard MS.1.20 and provides an overview of the recently adopted revisions. Compliance with this standard by July 2009 is critical to preserving medical staff self-governance.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
5) Check out most recent webcast on economic credentialing
Learn how to implement strategies to address the potential implementation of economic credentialing with the newest webcast from the AMA-OMSS. In addition, this webcast assists medical staffs in understanding legal issues involving economic credentialing policies and accessing physician/hospital rights and remedies and developing other methods for addressing physician/hospital disputes.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
6) Webcast explores future of health care
What is the fundamental driving force affecting value in health care? A new webcast launched by the AMA-OMSS discusses and defines this question by exploring trends in their component parts (cost, access, quality and security of benefits) and describes future scenarios for health care, examining the implications for all health care stakeholders, including hospitals, physicians and local communities.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
7) AMA-OMSS gearing up for its 2008–2010 governing council election
Interested in holding a leadership position within the AMA-OMSS? The AMA-OMSS Governing Council election for the 2008–2010 term will be held at the 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting in June.
Download an application. Applications are due May 14 to the attention of Kathleen Cole. Send an e-mail to Kathleen Cole or a fax to (312) 464-5845 with your application in order to be included in the online version of the 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting handbook. The online handbook will be available May 22; hard copies will be passed out at the meeting.
Visit the Web site for more information on AMA-OMSS Governing Council leadership opportunities and responsibilities.
8) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
Because medical staff bylaws are considered a contract and are legally binding in most states, it is extremely important that they are well-designed and well-written. The fourth edition of the “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws” contains practical guidance on bylaws development, model bylaw language, information on emerging issues, and recent trends in medical staff re-engineering. The guide will be especially helpful to medical staffs as they update their bylaws to align with the revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20.
AMA members can view (PDF, 996KB) the guide at no charge. Non-AMA members will be able to purchase the guide in the coming weeks.
9) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online
A printable version of the “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship,” developed by the AMA-OMSS and adopted by the AMA House of Delegates, is now available online.
View (PDF, 90KB) and download this resource. These principles are designed to improve the working relationship between physicians and hospitals, and ultimately foster better patient care and increase patient safety.
Send an e-mail to order a poster of the principles to post in your medical staff lounge.
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Resident and fellow issues
1) Register for AMA-RFS Annual Assembly Meeting
Online registration is available for the AMA-RFS Annual Assembly Meeting June 12–14 in Chicago. Join other AMA-RFS members to participate in educational and policymaking sessions, and network with physicians from across the country. Important deadlines for the AMA-RFS Annual Assembly Meeting include:
- Resolution submissions due May 1
- Convention committee applications due May 1
- Pre-registration due May 8
- Hotel special rate reservations due May 12
- Applications for AMA-RFS Governing Council due May 15
Visit the Web site for an application, tentative agenda and additional information on the AMA-RFS Annual Assembly Meeting.
2) AMA-RFS is looking for leaders
The AMA-RFS offers several opportunities for its members to get involved in leadership, and is currently seeking applications for the following:
- AMA-RFS member on the AMA Political Action Committee (AMPAC); applications due May 1
- AMA-RFS member on the AMA Surgical Caucus Executive Committee; applications due May 1
- Resident physician on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; applications due June 2
Learn more about these leadership opportunities and apply.
3) In Surgical Rounds: ACGME policy changes for resident and fellow benefits
An article in the April issue of Surgical Rounds is proof that one resident can make a difference—and did so by identifying a problem and submitting a resolution to the AMA. This resolution asked that discrepancies between graduate medical education (GME) training institutions in the provision of health care, dental care, vision care and life and disability insurance be eliminated. Although the majority of GME training institutions provided benefits to physician trainees on the first day of employment, some institutions imposed a 60- to 90-day waiting period. After the resolution was considered and adopted, the AMA worked with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to amend institutional requirements so that benefits now start on the first day for all residents and their families. This is one example of how an AMA resident member made a difference to improve the quality of life for thousands of current and future physicians in training.
Read the article from Surgical Rounds.
4) Cover the Uninsured Week is April 27–May 3
The AMA is a national partner in Cover the Uninsured Week, the nation’s largest mobilization on behalf of America’s 47 million uninsured, which this year is set for April 27–May 3. Since 2003, the week has brought together business owners, union members, educators, students, patients, hospital staff, physicians, nurses, faith leaders and their congregants and many others to speak out on behalf of the uninsured and demand that our national leaders make the issue of the uninsured a top priority.
Learn more about the week and how you can get involved.
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Senior Physicians issues
1) AMA-SPG: 90,000 members strong
The AMA Board of Trustees recently met and approved a proposal set forth by the AMA-SPG Governing Council. Previously, any AMA member 55 years and older could join the AMA-SPG at an annual fee of $30. Now there is no annual fee and all AMA members 65 years and older are considered members of the AMA-SPG. “We appreciate the support from the board of trustees and look forward to the growth and development of the Senior Physicians Group as an active player within the AMA,” said AMA-SPG Governing Council Chair William E. Jacott, MD. The AMA-SPG now includes 90,000 physicians—the largest group of senior physicians in the country.
2) AMA calls for more physician training in aging care as IOM releases report
The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) new report on caring for the nation’s aging highlights the AMA’s concern that the current health care work force will not be able to meet the growing health care needs of the expanding senior population. The 242-page IOM publication underscores the need for health care institutions to rapidly increase training in geriatric care to ward off an impending crisis. In 12 years, there will be more than 70 million seniors in the U.S. Patients around the country are beginning to feel the effects of physician and nursing shortages, and it will be impossible to train the anticipated 36,000 geriatricians needed to care for seniors and aging baby boomers. The AMA, in collaboration with other organizations, is working to increase physician knowledge and skills for medical students and practicing physicians to address this growing need.
View the AMA press release on the IOM report.
Learn more about the IOM report.
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Women physician and women's health issues
(brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress)
1) AMA-WPC election: Access to online voting just a click away
The 2008 AMA-WPC Governing Council election polls are open for voting now through May 14. All AMA-WPC members were sent a postcard with voting instructions and pass code information via mail. Please note that AMA membership is required to vote in this election.
View a list of candidates and their profiles, and access the link to the online ballot. Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox with questions.
2) In AMNews: Curbing adolescent girls’ high STD rates
According to a recent survey, 3.2 million or approximately 25.7 percent of young women in the United States had at least one sexually transmitted infection. The human papillomavirus was the most common, with 18.3 percent affected.
Read the April 14 American Medical News (AMNews) article that looks at possible plans to help curb teen girls’ high sexually transmitted disease (STD) rate and the significant barriers that block the way.
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Young physician issues
1) Join AMA-YPS in Chicago
Make plans now to attend the 2008 AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting June 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. This meeting is the ideal venue for young physicians to make themselves heard and become more active in shaping medicine’s future.
Register for the meeting online.
Read more about the meeting schedule, hotel and travel discounts and meeting service opportunities for AMA-YPS delegates.
Keep the following meeting deadlines in mind:
- Resolutions to AMA-YPS due May 2
- Pre-registration to be included on the meeting roster due May 12
- Last day to volunteer for a convention committee is May 12
2) AMA-YPS gears up for its 2008 governing council elections
View candidates who have submitted applications for the 2008 AMA-YPS Governing Council elections on June 13.
View (Word, 73KB) profiles of candidates for chair-elect, speaker and delegate on the Web site as nomination forms are received.
Nominations will be accepted by fax or e-mail to the AMA-YPS until June 2, but after this date, nominations will only be accepted from the floor at the AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting June 13.
3) 2008 Community Service Award nominations due May 1
Through its annual Community Service Award, the AMA-YPS strives to not only recognize excellence in community service activities carried out by young physicians but to also encourage similar efforts by other doctors. Nomination forms for the 2008 Community Service Award are due May 1. Award recipients will be selected by the AMA-YPS Governing Council and honored for their work during the AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting June 13.
Learn more and download an award nomination form.
4) Michigan physicians: Tell us what’s on your mind
The AMA invites you to a Member Connect Roundtable event held for all physicians attending the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) Annual Meeting in Dearborn, Mich. Always engaging, these lively forums allow you to:
- Exchange ideas directly with AMA leadership and your peers in a small, interactive setting.
- Learn what the AMA is doing to reform Medicare physician payment, medical liability and other issues affecting physicians in Michigan.
- Be heard and get involved by asking questions and sharing opinions about the AMA’s agenda, activities and opportunities.
The roundtable will take place from 11 a.m. to noon May 3 at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn. Refreshments will be served. AMA members are encouraged to bring nonmember colleagues to this event.
Learn more about this event.
R.S.V.P. by sending an e-mail and inserting “MSMS roundtable” as the subject line, or by calling (800) 262–3211.
5) Important NPI date approaching for claims and cash flow
Pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), old legacy numbers will not be accepted on any electronic claims after May 23. Claims will only be accepted with a National Provider Identification (NPI) number. It is important to note that this deadline applies to all payers, both public and commercial.
Physicians are strongly urged to test sending their claims with just their NPI as soon as possible to avert claims processing and cash flow interruptions that could occur after May 23. Physicians should also ensure all of their information in the NPI database is up to date as this can affect a payer’s ability to identify a physician and pay his or her claims.
Physicians can change or update their information by visiting the Web site or calling (800) 465–3203.
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General AMA news
1) Payout to doctors pending in BCBS settlement
Several provisions in the national Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) settlement took effect April 21, after a final order was filed by the federal court in Miami. The development brings eligible physicians one step closer to the $128 million payout and allows the AMA to commence enforcement of the national BCBS settlement as an additional signatory medical society. The AMA joins 27 other participating medical societies that are able to provide direct assistance to physicians when a BCBS plan or subsidiary has failed to honor its commitments under the settlement.
The final order comes almost a year after 23 BCBS plans settled a class action lawsuit brought by 90,000 physicians against the BCBS Association and more than 30 affiliated plans and subsidiaries. The settlements are designed to curb contentious business practices that have long frustrated physicians and jeopardized the delivery of quality patient care. If a BCBS plan chooses not to uphold its end of the bargain, physicians have a free, simple enforcement process that can resolve the matter.
There are special provisions in the settlements that are specific to particular states. Access the AMA’s online interactive map, which lists which BCBS plans and subsidiaries have settled, the state-specific provisions of the agreement and the dates the various provisions take effect.
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2) Specialty hospitals measure rightly removed from farm bill
After vocal objection from the AMA, federal lawmakers abandoned a proposal to insert a provision into already-passed agriculture legislation that would ban physicians’ referrals to specialty hospitals in which they have invested.
The AMA has strong policy opposing limits on specialty hospitals because they offer an innovative way to provide patients with high-quality care, and because patients consistently report high satisfaction with the care provided at these hospitals. “Access to care for Medicare patients is already at risk because of looming Medicare physician payment cuts,” said AMA Immediate Past President William G. Plested III, MD. “Taking away a venue in which patients receive high-quality care is antithetical to the goal of improving seniors’ access to care. Keep the farm bill for the farmers—and let’s have an open discussion about access to health care and the importance of specialty hospitals in the light of day.”
Further attempts to enact limits on specialty hospitals are expected in this Congress, and the AMA will continue to oppose such limits.
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3) Physicians: Enroll today in HCNN Drug Alert Network
The AMA actively supports the new e-mail drug safety alert system, the Health Care Notification Network (HCNN). The HCNN was created to immediately relay drug and medical device recalls and safety notices to physicians. Visit the Web site to enroll. It’s free and takes only a few minutes.
Developed by Medem in cooperation with AMA, the HCNN improves patient safety by efficiently delivering safety notices that traditionally have been sent on paper via the U.S. Postal Service.
The HCNN has the following benefits:
- It’s free to physicians and is only used for patient safety notices. It includes no advertising or other use of physician information.
- It’s much faster and more efficient than the current paper-based patient safety alerts. Delays in delivery of alerts can increase liability risk.
- Physicians can designate office staff members to receive HCNN alerts in order to facilitate patient follow up when needed.
- Physicians can opt out at any time.
More than 90 percent of U.S. physicians surveyed said they would prefer receiving drug safety alerts via e-mail. The majority of U.S. liability insurance carriers are actively promoting the HCNN to their insured physicians.
The AMA supports the HCNN by encouraging physicians to register, and by providing assistance for physicians who need help with the online enrollment process. Contact us:
- By phone: (800) 621-8335
- By fax: (312) 464-5831
- By e-mail: ama-subs@ama-assn.org
The HCNN can be used to deliver FDA-mandated patient safety notices on behalf of pharmaceutical and device manufacturers or the FDA. The use of HCNN is governed by the iHealth Alliance, a not-for-profit organization.
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4) AMA Web conference to cover financing EMR systems
In August 2006 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) passed federal rules making it possible for hospitals, health systems and health plans to donate health information technology (HIT) to physician practices. Given this recent trend, it’s important for physicians and practice managers to understand the details associated with HIT donation agreements and Stark law and anti-kickback statute requirements. That’s why the AMA is hosting the Web conference, “Financing electronic health record (EHR/EMR) systems: Should your practice accept a donation?”
All physicians and practice staff are invited to participate in this live, hour-long session from 1 to 2 p.m. CST on May 14. The program—featuring Heidi Echols of McDermott Will & Emery and Physician Health Partners’ Jay Want, MD, and Jeff Archambeau—is designed to help physicians comply with subsidized EHR and electronic prescribing technology regulations, recognize regular components of donation agreements and general information technology contracts, and prepare more effectively for any HIT selection. In addition, the program is open for all physicians and their staff and offers continuing medical education credit.
Registration is $95 for AMA members and $150 for nonmembers.
Learn more and register.
Accreditation statement
The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Designation statement
The American Medical Association designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
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5) Cover the Uninsured Week to kick off April 27
Fully 47 million Americans are living without health care coverage today. That’s why next week, April 27–May 3, hundreds of AMA members will join forces to do something about it.
As a national supporter of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Cover the Uninsured Week, the AMA Medical Student Section (MSS) will participate in activities across the country to spotlight an issue that affects everyone. In the past year alone, nearly 100 AMA-MSS chapters have planned events for this week, including health fairs, “volunteer days” at local student-run free clinics, benefit concerts and a panel to educate students on presidential candidates’ plans for health care reform. In addition, the AMA-MSS recently elected to continue its National Service Project, “Covering the uninsured and protecting access to care,” through 2010.
The AMA is a national partner in Cover the Uninsured Week, and in collaboration with its national “Voice for the Uninsured” campaign, launched in September 2007, it has been working to spread its message for nearly seven months now—at college football stadiums, state fairs and political events and national advertising on cable TV, news Web sites and in news publications.
Learn more about the AMA’s “Voice for the Uninsured” campaign and how you can get involved throughout the year.
Learn more about the efforts of AMA-MSS members to address this issue.
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6) AMA physician outreach recruiters deserve a big thanks
In conjunction with National Volunteer Week, April 27 to May 3, the AMA offers its heartfelt thanks to its physician outreach recruiters for their continued dedication to their profession and our AMA membership.
Currently the AMA has 568 outreach recruiters, who work hard to invite nonmember physicians to join the AMA by speaking with them one on one. In 2007, the AMA Physician Outreach Recruiting program exceeded its goal for the third consecutive year by recruiting 3,515 new members. This achievement is a testament to the recruiters’ commitment to their profession. The goal of the AMA Physician Outreach Recruiting program for 2008 is to recruit 3,600 new AMA members.
Learn more about the program.
Members can visit the Web site to enroll as an outreach recruiter today.
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7) On Sermo: Newly launched jobs board enables physician-to-physician networking
This week Sermo, the largest online community for physicians, launched its very own jobs board. Designed to encourage open discussions around job opportunities, Sermo Jobs™ allows physicians to post comments about current job openings and contact hiring physicians directly.
Sermo Jobs has no recruiters, no headhunters nor any other third-party entities brokering the employment of physicians.
And like everything else on Sermo, it’s free.
Join Sermo, post a job and search hundreds of current openings.
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8) In JAMA: Not understanding Medicare Part D still an issue; limited knowledge of cost-sharing requirements may effect drug adherence
Although there is evidence that cost-related medication nonadherence may have improved overall, there still appears to be some lack of knowledge regarding Medicare’s Part D prescription drug program, according to two studies in the April 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
One of the studies shows that enrollees in the large Medicare Advantage Part D drug plan have a limited knowledge of the plan’s cost-sharing requirements, and more than one-third report cost-coping behaviors such as reducing drug adherence or switching to a cheaper drug.
In an accompanying editorial, authors comment on both studies regarding Medicare Part D.
Preview the first study.
Preview the second study.
Preview the editorial.
View a JAMA Report video on patients who are not able to afford prescriptions despite enrolling in the Medicare Part D program.
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Feedback
If you have specific comments on this edition of AMA eVoice, simply reply to this message. For more general feedback on AMA eVoice, send an e-mail to evoice@ama-assn.org and alert the editor of your comments and concerns. Do you have general questions about the AMA? Call the AMA Unified Service Center at (800) 262-3211.
Thank you for your AMA membership! The AMA's strength comes from its numbers. That strength grows when our membership increases — please urge your fellow physicians and medical students to join our cause by calling (800) 262–3211 or visiting the AMA Web site.
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