Medical board commissions review of ethnic demographics of its disciplinary actions The Medical Board of California has commissioned a non-partisan, third-party review of the board’s disciplinary data by ethnic demographics to determine whether there are disparities in disciplinary actions. The data review was sparked by requests from the Golden State Medical Association (GSMA). At the February 2014 medical board meeting, Katrina Peters, M.D., current GSMA president and California Medical Association (CMA) member, testified that a number of GSMA members have expressed concerns that African-American physicians have been targeted and received discipline from the medical board in higher numbers than other ... February 26, 2015 General Legal Advocacy, Medical Board of Califonria, Disciplinary Actions, Ethnic Diversity 0 0 Comment Read More »
Physicians have until Feb. 28 to review 2013 PQRS payments and penalties The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week that physicians who believe they received an incorrect Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) payment penalty can now use the new Look Up tool to verify information without calling the CMS Help Desk. The PQRS Look Up tool uses the same information that the CMS Help Desk accesses to verify whether a physician is subject to the 2015 PQRS payment adjustment, or if he or she should have received a 2013 PQRS incentive. To utilize the tool, physicians need to ... February 23, 2015 Medi-Cal, Medicare CMS, Physician Quality Reporting System, PQRS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 0 0 Comment Read More »
Covered California rolls gain 1.4 million people; enrollment extended through end of April Covered California announced that it had 1.4 million people on its rolls and that it had extended the deadline to buy health insurance for people who say they weren't aware they would face a tax penalty. According to Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, as many as 600,000 California residents face a penalty under the Affordable Care Act for not having insurance. The extension does not exempt people from paying the 2014 tax penalty, but would help them avoid bigger penalties in 2015. On the national front, the White ... February 23, 2015 Managed Care Health Insurance Exchange, Covered California 0 0 Comment Read More »
Stronger Hearts Helpline Facts about the Stronger Hearts TM Helpline What is it? The Stronger HeartsTM Helpline provides people who have heart failure with access to community resources that can help them understand and manage their diease. This new 24/7 free call-center resource will serve people in San Bernardino County, where heart failure is particularly prevalent. Stronger Hearts Helpline offerings include: Referrals to medical professionals and clinics Educational information about heart failure and its treatment Referrals to services such as exercise programs, nutrition advice and mental health ... February 19, 2015 General Heart Disease, Stronger Hearts Helpline 0 0 Comment Read More »
Open Payments database available for physician review in April The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) announced last week that it will make the Open Payments database available to physicians for their review of payments made to them by drug and medical device companies. The Open Payments database is a part of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, a provision of the Affordable Care Act. Drug and medical device manufacturers are required to report their financial interactions with licensed physicians – including consulting fees, travel reimbursements, research grants and other gifts. Any payments, ownership interests and other “transfers of ... February 18, 2015 Medi-Cal, Medicare Physician Payments Sunshine Act, Affordable Care Act 0 0 Comment Read More »
Cleaner air means a healthier California: Join the Doctors for Climate Health campaign Climate change is one of the most serious public health challenges of our day. As part of its “Doctors for Climate Health” campaign, the American Lung Association (ALA) is asking physicians to remind policymakers that clean air saves lives and money. Lethal air pollutants contribute to health emergencies that send people to hospitals and contribute to catastrophic climate change. Air pollution costs Californians $1 billion in asthma hospitalizations each year. Approximately 7,300 Californians die prematurely each year due to polluted air. At least 75 percent of pollution in the state ... February 18, 2015 General Environmental Pollution, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Save the date: EMOS/NEPO track at Legislative Advocacy Day The Ethnic Medical Organization Section (EMOS) and the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO) invite you to participate in the EMOS/NEPO track at the annual California Medical Association (CMA) Legislative Day on April 14, 2015, in Sacramento. Participants will attend special meetings to educate the Legislature's ethnic caucuses about the issues of importance to California’s ethnic physicians. The event takes place at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento, just three blocks from the State Capitol and across the street from CMA headquarters. To view the tentative agenda, click here. To register for ... February 18, 2015 General Legislative Advocacy Day, Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations, Ethnic Medical Organization Section 0 0 Comment Read More »
Legislation announced to ban personal belief exemptions for school vaccinations With the number of California measles cases now at 103 and growing, Sacramento pediatrician and State Senator Richard Pan, M.D., has announced his intention to introduce legislation to repeal personal belief exemptions for school vaccinations. Cosponsoring the repeal with Dr. Pan is Sen. Ben Allen, D-Redondo Beach. Joining Senators Pan and Allen at the press conference announcing their bill were Senators Hannah Beth Jackson and Lois Wolk and Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez. The same day, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer urged California to revisit the law allowing personal belief exemptions. In ... February 18, 2015 General Measles, Public Health, State Legislation, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA applauds University of California in efforts to increase number of immunized students Sacramento – In response to a statement issued today by the University of California, California Medical Association (CMA) president Luther Cobb, M.D. issued the following comments: “CMA and our 40,000 members applaud the University of California in their announcement today that they will require incoming students to be vaccinated for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, meningococcus, tetanus and whooping cough. “For years, the rates of unvaccinated children has been slowly rising from false internet claims and so called ‘scientific’ research. However, we’ve started to see headway with legislation that passed in ... February 18, 2015 General Public Health, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
Fraud alert: recognizing relationships that may trigger fraud and abuse concerns for physicians The laws regarding fraud, abuse and anti-kickback violations can be complicated and difficult for physicians to navigate. However, it is increasingly important that physicians be aware of relevant prohibitions to avoid being implicated in a potentially fraudulent scheme. The California Medical Association (CMA) has received reports that some clinical laboratories, especially those testing for cardiovascular markers, are offering physicians cash incentives for blood draws of Medicare patients. Accepting such incentives could put physicians afoul of laws governing fraud and abuse. Anti-kickback laws prohibit physicians from offering or receiving anything of value ... February 18, 2015 General Fraud and Abuse, Self-Referral, Clinical Laboratories 0 0 Comment Read More »
