Events, Conferences, and Announcements for December 4

The Wyoming Medical Society updates it members on various meetings, CME events, and legislative upates weekly during the Legislative session and bi-monthly when the Legislature is out-of-session. Below is an archive of membership information.

Announcements

CMS has extended the informal review period for the 2016 Value Modifier. All requests must be submitted by 11:59pm ET on December 16, 2015. The informal review process allows groups (as identified by their taxpayer identification number) with ten or more eligible professionals that are subject to the 2016 Value Modifier to request a correction of a perceived error in their Value Modifier calculations. Additional information about the 2014 QRURs and how to request an informal review is available on the 2014 QRUR website and through the QRUR Help Desk at pvhelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov or 888-734-6433 (select option 3).

United HealthCare sent out its network bulletin for December 2015 this week. Among the topics include:  UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation Medical Grants; Coding for Intra-Uterine Devices; and New Medicare Advantage Referral Required Plans. Click here to read it.

HITECH also offered its December newsletter this week. Among the subjects are Meaningful Use and Public Health; Value-Based Care, and record Health Care costs. Click here to read these and more.

The MLN Connects Provider Enews from the Medicare Learning Network offers stories on CMS quality strategy, ESRD Network Funding, PQRS Changes in 2016 physician fee schedule final rule, and National Flu Week, Dec. 6-12. Click here to read the newsletter.

CMS released a note today about the 2016 EHR Negative Payment Adjustment. As a quick reference, please find attached the tip sheet for eligible professionals. In addition, additional information can be found on the CMS website at https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/ehrincentivepro…

Please find the proposed amendments to the Program Rules and Regulations for the Wyoming Healthcare Professional Loan Repayment Program and the Wyoming Provider (formerly Physician) Recruitment Grant Program. The public comment period for these proposed amendments ends January 15, 2016.

Webinars and Conferences

Providers’ Clinical Support System for Opioid Therapies (PCSS-O) offers a webinar on Reversing the Opioid Epidemic and Improving Outcomes for Pain Patients Thursday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m.

PCSS also has a webinar on Enhancing Clinical Treatment Through Use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs scheduled for Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. Today, prescription drug abuse is a national epidemic affecting individuals, families, and communities. To combat this major public health crisis, states have passed Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) legislation. Click here to register.

PCSS offers The Office-Based Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders, The “Half and Half” Course Webinar free of charge. This webinar training, in conjunction with a 3.75 hour online study and exam, will provide the required 8 hours needed to obtain the waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in the office-based setting. There are three live webinars of this course, including Dec. 12 at 6-10:30 a.m.; Dec. 16 from 3:30-7:30 p.m. and Jan. 9 from 6-10:30 a.m. For more information, contact Lara Renucci at: pcssmat@aoaam.org or 708-572-8006.

Registration is now open for Expectations Open Doors, the Parent Information Center’s fourth annual conference on disAbility. The event will be held Feb. 26-28 in Casper. This year, PIC is featuring Paula Kluth, national speaker and author on Inclusion and Autism, all day Friday Feb 26, 2016. Saturday and Sunday Feb 27 and 28 will feature speakers on topics such as student-directed IEP’s, practical assistive technology for every day, and different ways to resolve conflict at IEP’s. Click here for more information.

HITECH offers a complimentary webinar hosted by Firmed on Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. called, Denials Deconstructed:  Getting Your Claims Paid. Join practice management expert Elizabeth W. Woodcock, MBA, FACMPE, CPC, to discover methods to translate denial data into business intelligence to improve your bottom line. Click here to register.

Other Offers and Products

HITECH offers its 2016 HIPPA Toolkit for $265 by clicking here. They will offer a workshop to become a certified HIPPA security professional in four days here.

Recently the University of Pittsburgh Department of Family Medicine has developed a Maintenance of Certification Performance in Practice Module (Part IV) titled “Maximizing Adult Vaccinations with the 4 Pillars Immunization Toolkit” that was approved by the American Board of Family Medicine and funded by the CDC. Development of the concepts and strategies within this activity’s self-learning modules are the compilation of two decades of research on the barriers and facilitators of adult vaccination. Click here for more information.