Family physicians eligible for accelerated Medicare payments March 30, 2020
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that it would immediately implement a new Accelerate and Advance Medicare Payment policy to assist family physicians and other Medicare Part A and Part B providers and suppliers. Family physicians who meet the qualifying criteria are eligible for these accelerated and advanced Medicare payments.
PAFP urges further statewide action on COVID-19 March 26, 2020
The PAFP thanks the Wolf administration for its continued leadership and efforts to protect health care providers, patients,
and the public from the spread of COVID-19. The PAFP is asking the administration to issue stay-at-home guidance for all Pennsylvanians and to consider liquor stores as essential businesses for patients suffering from dependence. Read more here.
Thank you for your tireless efforts: PAFP president March 25, 2020
I want thank every one of you for your tireless efforts on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Answering the call to a career in medicine is a commitment to selflessness. The scope, breath and intensity of our service and sacrifice is often overlooked until moments like this bring the significance of what we do to the forefront. Click here to read the full letter from the PAFP president.
PAFP: Consider family physicians when allocating PPE March 24, 2020
Family physicians are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians is asking the Wolf administration to consider the state's family doctors when making decisions about allocating personal protective equipment (PPE), which is in short supply nationally. To read the PAFP's full letter to the administration, please click here.
PAFP sends joint letter to Gov. Wolf on telehealth, COVID-19 March 21, 2020
The PAFP has sent a joint letter to Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf requesting addition policy actions to assist Pennsylvania’s physicians as they manage the COVID-19 public health crisis. Among the proposed measures are mandated reimbursement for telehealth, licensing reciprocity from neighboring states, and a suspension of prior authorization requirements. Read the full letter here.
Congrats to students matching into family medicine March 20, 2020
Despite the thread of COVID-19, thousands of students are celebrating Match Day today. According to the National Resident Matching Program, medical school students and graduates from the United States and around the world will learn in which U.S. residency program they will train for the next three to seven years. Congratulations to the new family physicians joining our ranks!
PAFP president calls for expanded telehealth March 19, 2020
Encouraged by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) announcement that Medicare programs will expand the use of remote patient encounters through telehealth, Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) President Tracey Conti, MD encourages commercial insurers in Pennsylvania to follow suit. Click here to view the full press release from the PAFP.
2 coronavirus testing sites planned for Pa. March 18, 2020
At the coronavirus continues to spread throughout Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania officials say they're drafting plans for two mass testing sites. According to the York Daily Record, the sites will be in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, which have been hit hard early by COVID-19. Pennsylvania's cases have more than doubled from 41 on Friday to 96 on Tuesday.
'Community spread' COVID-19 cases likely in Pa. March 17, 2020
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine says it is likely the state already has one or two cases of community spread of COVID-19. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, this means that people who did not leave the region, or come in contact with someone already known to have the disease, contracted the respiratory disease from an unknown contact.
Coronavirus testing ramps up in Pa. March 16, 2020
While coronavirus testing is becoming more widely available throughout the U.S., some Pennsylvania hospitals are taking initiative. According to the York Daily Record, UPMC and Penn State are developing their own tests, and WellSpan has been partnering with labs in the state. Meanwhile, the Morning Call has developed a coronavirus map, which you can view by clicking here.
Pa. contends with 16 presumptive coronavirus cases March 12, 2020
Pennsylvania is now treating 16 patients for presumed coronavirus. According to PennLive, the cases exist in Bucks, Delaware, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Wayne counties. Click here to view a map of affected areas. PennLive reports state officials are invoking a 1955 law in choosing to release only the county and whether or not they’re an adult.
Meet the PAFP Family Physician of the Year March 11, 2020
The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians' co-Family Physician of the Year, Edward Zurad, MD of Tunkhannock, was awarded with this distinction at the PAFP's Annual Business Meeting on March 6. Scranton ABC affiliate WNEP interviewed Dr. Zurad and discussed the joys of practicing family medicine and winning the award. Click here to view the story.
HHS releases final interoperability rule March 10, 2020
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released final versions of proposed interoperability rules. Modern Healthcare reports the rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology are designed to revamp how providers, insurers and patients exchange health data.
6 cases of coronavirus presumed in Pa. March 9, 2020
There are two new presumed cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania, bringing the state's total to six cases. The York Daily Record reports the two additional cases were announced late Sunday afternoon in Montgomery County, according to the state Department of Health. The COVID-19 patients are from Delaware, Wayne, and Montgomery counties.
Hershey CME Conference begins March 6, 2020
The Hershey CME Conference, Annual Business Meeting, and Research Day weekend is now under way! Attendees can earn more than 20 CME credits while enjoying festivities like a. reception and celebration for incoming PAFP President Tracey Conti, MD at Hershey's Chocolate World, a PAFP-PAC event at Iron Hill Brewery, and so much more! The conference hashtag is #pafpcme.
Possible coronavirus case investigated in Philly March 5, 2020
While a Philadelphia resident tested for possible coronavirus does not have the infection, health officials are investigating another potential case. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, testing capacity remains limited: a lab in Exton, where the suspected case sample was processed, can do only 25 tests per day. As of Wednesday, 128 cases in more than a dozen states have been identified.
U.S. prepares for coronavirus pandemic March 3, 2020
The United States is preparing for a pandemic as the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, continues to spread in the United States. To date, just over 100 cases have been confirmed in 15 states; the virus has claimed the lives of six in Washington state, according to CBS News. The Trump administration and the World Health Organization maintain the virus is a "manageable threat."