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November 19, 2010
MAFP E-BULLETIN,
November, 2010, VOL.4, NO.10
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In this issue:
Maryland Primary
Care Coalition Active on Your Behalf
CMS Final Rule with
Comment Period/AAFP Statement
Register for SAM
Study Hall and MAFP CME Conference in February
Health Care for
Foster Youth Summit in Baltimore
Fight Childhood
Obesity: Be a Presenter for Ready, Set, FIT!
Environmental Scan and News You Can Use
Maryland Primary Care Coalition Active on Your Behalf
The Maryland Primary Care Coalition (MPCC), established in 1998,
is comprised of the Maryland Academy of Family Physicians, along
with the Maryland Chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics
and the American College of Physicians and MedChi, The Maryland
State Medical Society. Its purpose is to present a collaborative
voice on topics relevant to Primary Care Medicine. Opinions,
concerns and suggestions from the MPCC are sent to leaders in
executive and legislative branches of State Government, as well
as other thought leaders and stakeholders on the Maryland
healthcare scene to give us a better position collectively than
we would have independently. The MPCC meets on a regular,
intermittent basis to closely monitor and act on pertinent
issues. Current MAFP representatives to the MPCC are President
Dr. Eugene Newmier, Legislative Chair Dr. William Jones and
Legislative Committee Member Dr. Patricia Czapp. We urge members
to participate by directing comments to MAFP at
info@mdafp.org or 410-747-1980. Your comments will be
conveyed to MAFP representatives and shared with the Coalition.
Two issues addressed this month:
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CareFirst Primary Care Medical
Home Program – As MAFP members are likely aware, the
Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) recently approved
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield's plan to launch a "primary
care medical home program." CareFirst has begun recruiting
primary care practices throughout its Maryland, Washington,
D.C., and northern Virginia service area. It also is
recruiting "regional care coordinators" to help coordinate
care with doctors involved in the program. Details at
www.carefirst.com.
MPCC sent a joint letter to the MHCC that expresses concerns
of PCPs regarding the CareFirst program in order that we can
provide a framework for our members to evaluate whether the
program does or does not work for their practices. The
letter resulted after MPCC member organizational
representatives gave both positive and negative comments on
the various substantive aspects of the program. Each
practice must make its own decision but the letter may
provide a means to identify the issues that should be
considered in the evaluation process. To access the letter
voicing concerns by MPCC members about the new CareFirst
program, go to the Current Event Section at
www.mdafp.org.
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Nurse Practitioners Scope of
Practice – The MPCC sent a recent Op-Ed piece to The
Baltimore Sun entitled, “Nurse Practitioners Cannot Replace
Expertise, Skills of Primary Care Physicians.” To access the
document, go to the Current Events Section on the home page
at
www.mdafp.org.
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CMS Final Rule with Comment Period/AAFP
Statement
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a
final rule with comment period that will implement key
provisions in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 that expand
preventive services for Medicare beneficiaries, improve payments
for primary care services, and promote access to health care
services in rural areas. The new policies will apply to payments
under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for services
furnished on or after Jan. 1, 2011.
The final rule with comment period implements provisions in the
Affordable Care Act that expand beneficiary access to preventive
services and, for the first time, provide coverage under the
traditional fee-for-service program for an annual wellness visit
beginning Jan. 1, 2011. This visit augments the benefits of the
Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE or “Welcome to
Medicare Visit”) with an annual visit that allows the physician
and patient to develop a personalized prevention plan that
considers not only the age-appropriate preventive services
generally available to Medicare beneficiaries, but additional
services that may be appropriate because of the patient’s
individual health status. CMS will accept comments on certain
aspects of the final rule with comment period until Jan. 3,
2011.
To view the rule and supporting documentation, go to:
http://www.cms.gov/PhysicianFeeSched/PFSFRN/itemdetail.asp?itemID=CMS1240932&
To read the entire CMS Press Release (issued 11/3), go to:
http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp
The
American Academy of Family Physicians applauds provisions of
the 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that invest in the
primary care infrastructure, increase patients’ access to
preventive care, and move our nation toward a high quality
health care system.
The fee schedule launches an important investment in our
primary care system and reinforces the primary care
infrastructure that will support a high performing and
efficient health care system. Research consistently shows
that such a system yields both improved outcomes for
patients and cost efficiencies for everyone. We are pleased
that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
implemented our recommended changes to the original rule. As
a result of those changes, 80 percent of family physicians —
up from the 59 percent in the proposed rule — will receive
Medicare Primary Care Incentive Payments (see prior
segment). This incentive demonstrates health policy makers’
recognition that primary care physicians are the foundation
of a high quality health care system and their commitment to
building up the primary care physician workforce. We’re
equally pleased that Medicare patients will receive an
annual wellness check-up and expanded access to preventive
services.
However, current law requires the schedule to simultaneously
undermine this progress by slashing overall Medicare
physician payment by 25 percent — 23 percent on Dec. 1 and
an additional 2 percent on Jan. 1. We call on Congress to
immediately address the scheduled Medicare pay cuts that
will undermine patient access to care and threaten family
physician offices’ financial viability. Lawmakers must act
immediately to stop the pay cut. We urge Congress to approve
a 13-month moratorium on the Medicare physician pay cuts and
to use that time to develop a longer-term solution that
includes increased payments for primary care physicians.
Postponing such action will seriously destabilize Medicare,
threaten access to care and undercut the nation’s efforts to
reinforce primary care.
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Register for SAM Study Hall
and MAFP CME Conference in February
The
Maryland Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) offers a ABFM Self
Assessment Module (SAM) Study Hall in conjunction with the 2011
Winter Regional CME Conference, “Case-Based Presentations and
Travel Medicine for Primary Care” (see details and registration
at
www.mdafp.org). You will go through the SAM with your study
group, guided by your instructors Drs. Shana Ntiri and Adebowale
G. Prest, who successfully conducted MAFP’s first SAM Study Hall
in June.
During the SAM you will explore the questions and engage in
clinical discussion. At the end of the 4-hour session, your
answers to the sixty-question knowledge assessment (Part A) will
automatically be sent to the ABFM on your behalf. This year's
SAM Study Hall, which requires separate registration and fee,
will focus on Childhood Illness. After you complete the clinical
simulation portion of the module (Part B), you can claim up to
15 AAFP Prescribed CME credits (also equivalent to AMA Category
I credits).
Date: Friday, February 11, 2011 (MAFP CME Conference next day,
same location)
Time: 5:00-10:00pm (dinner included)
Site: Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel
SAM Module: Childhood Illness
Registration Limited to 20
To Register: Visit
www.mdafp.org (click on appropriate link) or contact MAFP at
info@mdafp.org, 410-747-1980.
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Health Care for Foster Youth Summit in
Baltimore
The Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and
the Maryland Department of Human Resources invites MAFP members
to participate in a Health Care Summit for Foster Youth, to be
held on Thursday, December 9th, 2010 from 10 am - 3 pm. This
event will take place at the University of Maryland, Baltimore,
Southern Management Corporation Campus Center, located at 621
West Lombard Street, Baltimore. Complementary parking, breakfast
and lunch will be provided.
This will be a unique opportunity to generate ideas for
improving health care for children and youth involved with the
child welfare system. We hope to have a multidisciplinary group
of professionals and foster parents come together to address
barriers such as access to medical and mental health care, and
sharing of medical information. After the summit, monthly
workgroups will be convened over the next 6-12 months to help
refine and implement the promising strategies that we develop
during the summit. The input of family physicians is vital to
this process, and we hope that you will be able to attend. To
RSVP, please send an e-mail to Wendy Lane, MD, MPH, FAAP:
wlane@epi.umaryland.edu or Karen Powell, LCSW-C:
kpowell@ dhr.state.md.us. If you are unable to attend, but
would like to be involved in this process, or have questions
about the process, please feel free to contact us as well.
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Fight Childhood Obesity: Be a Presenter
for Ready, Set, FIT!
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Join the nationwide movement
to fight childhood obesity by presenting Ready, Set,
FIT! (RSF!) in local elementary schools. Ready, Set,
FIT! is a curriculum created by The American Academy of
Family Physicians’ American’s in Motion – Healthy
Interventions (AIM-HI) initiative in cooperation with
Scholastic to promote fitness in 3rd and 4th graders.
This free in-school program meets national education
standards for language arts, math and health skills and
is endorsed by the National School Board |
Association. It is designed for a
family physician, resident or medical student to visit the
classroom to kick off the first of four lessons promoting
fitness, which the AAFP defines as physical activity, healthy
eating, and emotional well-being. The program is in partnership
with the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign and the National
Dairy Council and National Football League’s Fuel Up to Play 60
program. We invite you to take advantage of this resource to
promote healthy lifestyles in your community.
Sign up to be a Ready, Set, FIT! presenter today and review the
resources available for you at
www.readysetfit.org. If you have any questions, please
contact us at 1-888-543-4246 or
readysetfit@aafp.org.
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Environmental Scan and News
You Can Use
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CMS Responds to AAFP Concerns,
Makes Changes to PCIP Program Changes Ensure 80 Percent of
FPs Will Be Eligible for Incentives ¬-- After feedback from
the AAFP and several other primary care organizations, CMS
has changed its implementation rules for the Medicare
Primary Care Incentive Program, or PCIP. Those changes will
allow approximately 20 percent more family physicians to
qualify for the bonus program than previously anticipated.
As of January, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act requires Medicare to pay all primary care physicians
whose primary care billings comprise at least 60 percent of
their total Medicare allowed charges a 10-percent bonus. The
bonus program will last until December 2015, and bonuses
will be paid quarterly.
However, CMS' original proposed implementation of the
program would have precluded a significant number of primary
care physicians who are providing comprehensive and
longitudinal care from receiving the 2011 incentive payment.
The AAFP, both
on its own and
along with several other primary care organizations,
repeatedly pointed out the drawbacks of CMS' implementation
proposal.
In response, CMS made eligibility rules for the PCIP
more inclusive (2,023-page PDF). The agency excluded
laboratory charges and other charges from the bonus payment
eligibility calculation and subtracted physician hospital
visits from the allowed charges, as well. These changes will
ease the PCIP's eligibility requirements and allow as many
as 80 percent of the nation's family physicians to qualify
for the bonus payment, according to initial estimates from
CMS.
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New! LearningLink Online Free
CME Activities for Members -- Two new online activities are
available (www.aafp.org/newlearninglink):
"Fibromyalgia in Family Medicine: Challenges in Pain
Management" is a new online activity that offers in-depth
analysis of the latest strategies for effective diagnosis
and management of this painful condition.
"Chest Pain: What to Do with ACS?" is the first of four
activities on acute coronary syndrome. This video lecture
reviews the pathophysiology and prevalence of ACS, the
differential diagnosis and risk stratification, and
evidence-based strategies for acute and post-ACS management.
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Asking MAFP Members to complete
the AAFP Member Census -- AAFP has developed a new tool to
help better understand the practice environments of our
shared members. The AAFP
Member Census will replace the Member Profile survey.
Earlier this Fall AAFP mailed hard copies to members as part
of an ongoing campaign to complete and return the census.
Ultimately, census results will help AAFP and Chapters
better understand our shared membership with regards to such
characteristics as practice ownership, practice setting,
time spent in direct patient care, services and procedures
provided in their practice, EHR implementation. Please
access and complete the census by going to
www.aafp.org/membercensus.
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We Are Family Physicians Video
-- More than 4,000 family physicians watched the “We
Are Family Physicians” video at Opening of Ceremony of
the 2010 AAFP Scientific Assembly in Denver. This short
inspirational video features real physicians and real
patients, highlighting the value and importance of family
medicine. Chapters are encouraged to share it with your
members.
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RxTrials, a research organization dedicated to
conducting industry sponsored clinical studies is seeking a
part-time physician, preferable with research experience,
for their new Catonsville office. Hours and days are
flexible. If you’d be interested in such an opportunity
please contact Christine Pierre, President at
christine.pierre@rxtrialsinc.com or call 410 465 2455 x
110.
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CardioCareLive – A Complimentary
Virtual CME Congress Presented by the Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, Wednesday December 8th &
Thursday December 9th, 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM EST
Register Now for
www.CardioCareLive.com.
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MAFP or MAFP Foundation
5710 Executive Drive, Suite 104
Baltimore, MD 21228
Phone:
(410) 747-1980 - Fax: (410) 744-6059
E-Mail:
info@mdafp.org
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