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2012 MEDICARE PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE INCLUDES PAYMENT REDUCTION
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2012. The rule implements a 27.4 percent reduction in Medicare physician payments in 2012 based on the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. This is set to go into effect January 1, 2012. In addition to this cut, the 2012 fee schedule contains a variety of changes to Medicare that will affect medical practices, such as modifications to federal incentive programs and Medicare billing rules. Click here to learn more.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FAIR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER CONTRACTING ACT
The Fair Health Care Provider Contracting Act provides fair contracting standards and disclosures that will help physicians continue to make informed contractual decisions and help them provide higher quality, more cost-effective care to their patients. House Bill 1763 provides for certification of care by a health insurer. Physicians must often obtain approval by a patient’s insurer before they can provide treatment that the physician believes is medically necessary. This legislation would require an insurer to honor any pre-certification it grants to the physician and their patient at the time of treatment. For more information, click here.
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UPCOMING CME OPPORTUNITIES
The Hershey Breakaway, the PAFP’s spring CME conference, is Friday, March 9 through Sunday, March 11, 2012 at the Hotel Hershey. Online registration is available.
Click here for online CME.
Click here for three pain management webcasts.
Click here for a list of all PAFP Foundation CME.
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GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT
Great American Smokeout Day is next Thursday, November 17. Pledge today to promote tobacco prevention and cessation with your patients and in your community.
ASSISTANCE THROUGH HEALTHYWOMAN PROGRAM
Do you screen low-income, uninsured or underinsured women ages 40 to 64 for breast cancer or cervical cancer? If so, you could participate in the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s CDC-funded HealthyWoman Program (HWP). Services such as office visits, mammograms, pap tests and diagnostic services are reimbursed at Medicare rates. HWP providers must be enrolled in Medical Assistance and offer some basic breast or cervical screening services. If you are interested in learning more or becoming a provider, email Joseph Burkhart or call at (717) 783-1457.
FREE LUNCHTIME WEBINAR
The Pennsylvania Physical Health/Behavioral Health Learning Community is conducting a free lunchtime webinar titled “Reverse Co-location: Integrating Primary Care into a Behavioral Health Setting,” presented by Dr. Larry Real, Medical Director at Horizon House, Inc. Click here for more!
MEDICAL HOME IMPROVEMENT
Don’t miss this educational webinar on November 16 from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. the from Center for Medical Home Improvement (CMHI): “ A Common Strategy for Health Care Transition Improvement in Practice Settings: The Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition.” Reserve your seat now by clicking here! After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
A DAIRY GOOD IDEA
Share your knowledge of the importance of dairy foods with your patients (kids and parents too!) with these colorful handouts or posters: *Kids Need Calcium *Improve Diet Quality with Dairy *33 Tasty Snack Ideas
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PA REACH EAST PROJECT
If you need assistance with registration for the EHR Incentive Program or the attestation process, enroll in the PA REACH program! For more information, please contact Deb Hammaker or Tracy Koval.
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FAMILY PHYSICIANS: MAIN PROVIDERS OF OB/GYN?
Sebastian Tong, a medical student from Boston, shows in a new post to the Future of Family Medicine Blog that family physicians are the main providers of OB/GYN services to 50 percent of counties in the U.S., and the primary providers of OB/GYN services to rural and other underserved communities.
REGION 8 ANNUAL MEDICAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Don't miss the upcoming SNMA Region 8 Annual Medical Education Conference at Jefferson Medical College, Saturday, Dec. 3. Enjoy the conference, residency fair, and the PAFP's legendary Clinical Camp program! Residency teams will provide hands-on instruction in mini-procedures workshops including joint injections, obtaining arterial blood gas and IV insertion. Deadline for online registration is Nov. 23! For more information, click here.
STOP MISLEADING VACCINE INFORMATION
Lend your voice to the effort to stop misleading information about vaccines. An advertisement by the National Vaccine Information Center running on Delta flights is discouraging people from receiving the flu vaccine by downplaying the seriousness of the flu and instructing individuals to visit their "vaccine information" website.
SILVER BELLS, SILVER BELLS
Looking to get a head start on your holiday shopping? Consider this gift for the youngster in your life with aspirations of a career in medicine!
WEDDING BELLS, WEDDING BELLS
Congratulations to PAFP Resident Chair Andrew Farabaugh, MD of York on his marriage to Melanie this past weekend. Thanks for recruiting another future physician to Pennsylvania, Andy!
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PAFP LEADERS MAKE THEIR MARK OVER AIRWAVES
On Nov. 14, President-Elect Dr. Kevin Wong talked to Newsradio 1020 KDKA (Pittsburgh) about autumn illnesses. For more information about the 2012 flu season, head over to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, which includes FAQs, recommendations, vaccine data and prevention tips.
Also on Nov. 14, Dr. Matthew Silvis, the Board of Directors' New Member representative, discussed the Safety in Youth Sports Act on WGAL (Lancaster). If you’d like to know more about that bill, check out this article in the most recent issue of Keystone Physician, and arm yourself with this PAFP tip sheet on concussions and young athletes.
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