April 7, 2017 – Take Required 3-Hour Opioid Course Now! Click Here

Dr. Reid - MSSNY President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dr. Malcolm Reid
April 7, 2017
Volume 17
Number 14

MLMIC Insurance

Dear Colleagues:

New York State requires every prescriber, who has a DEA license, to take a three (3) hour continuing medical education (CME) program in Pain Management, Palliative Care and Addiction medicine by July 1, 2017 and every three years after that.

The Medical Society of the State of New York has developed an online program that meets New York State’s coursework requirements.   The on-line course is now available at cme.mssny.org

The MSSNY course includes the eight (8) statutory topics:

  • New York State and federal requirements for prescribing controlled substances
  • Pain Management
  • Appropriate prescribing
  • Managing acute pain
  • Palliative medicine
  • Prevention, screening and signs of addiction
  • Responses to abuse and addiction
  • End of life care

MSSNY’s CME program was developed in conjunction with the NYS Office for Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Service.   The NYS Department of Health’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement lists the Medical Society of the State of New York as an accredited provider for this coursework.

In 2014, the American Medical Association , the Medical Society of the State of New York and more than 25 states, specialty and other health care associations joined together to create a task force to help reduce the nation’s burden from prescription opioids and heroin.   We believe that a comprehensive public health approach is needed to address prescription opioid-related harm and the growing heroin epidemic.   This is an issue of high importance to the profession. This interest is reflected by the fact that nearly every state has considered—and enacted—multiple pieces of legislation to address this problem.

More than 16,000 patients annually suffer an unintentional overdose and death from opioid analgesics, and more than 8,000 deaths occur annually from heroin overdoses.  MSSNY’s course discusses the safe and effective prescribing practices; approaches to treating pain, ways to respond to abuse and treatment and how to prevent, screen and recognize the signs of addiction.

We urge you to take the MSSNY 3 Hour CME program on Pain Management, Palliative Care and Addiction and join your colleagues in helping to combat the opioid epidemic.

Sincerely,

Malcolm Reid, MD, MPP
MSSNY President

Patrice Harris, MD
Chair, AMA Board of Trustees
Chair, AMA Task Force to Reduce
Opioid Abuse

Please send your comments to comments@mssny.org



Final Budget Deal Remains Elusive – Legislature and Governor Enact 2-Month Budget Extender
A final budget deal has remained elusive in Albany.  As of this writing, many major items, including raising the age of criminal responsibility, affordable housing tax credits in New York City and funding for schools remain unfinished. The adage in Albany is “nothing is decided until everything is decided.”

On Monday, the State Legislature enacted a two month “bare bones” budget extender, until May 31, after “round the clock” weekend negotiations at the State Capitol failed to produce a State Budget agreement. The State Budget was due April 1, and the budget extender was necessary to fund state operations. The Budget extender bill included several substantive health policy issues. New York became the first state to cap the growth of prescription drug spending in its Medicaid program.  The bill also included $2.5 Billion in funding for a Clean Water Infrastructure Initiative.

Importantly, the Budget extender included language that extended authority for the Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance program from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 without the language opposed by MSSNY that would have required a physician to receive a “tax clearance” as a pre-condition of receiving Excess coverage.  The historical funding ($127.4 million) contained in the Executive Budget proposal and agreed to by the Senate and Assembly (in its respective one-House Budgets) was included in a separate bill that passed both houses.

Many other items that MSSNY advocated against were not included in any agreed upon budget bills yet.  These proposals include:

  • A proposal opposed by MSSNY contained in the Executive Budget that would permit pharmacists to enter into “comprehensive medication management protocols” with nurse practitioners to manage, adjust and change the medications of patients with a chronic disease or who have not met clinical goals of therapy. Both the Assembly and Senate rejected this proposal in their respective one-House Budgets adopted last month.
  • A proposal opposed by MSSNY contained in the Executive Budget that would repeal “Prescriber prevails” protections in fee for service Medicaid and for several drug classes in Medicaid managed care.  Both the Assembly and Senate rejected this proposal in their respective one-House Budgets.
  • A proposal opposed by MSSNY contained in the Executive Budget to create a Regulatory Modernization Team.  The Assembly rejected the proposal in its one-House Budget, while the Senate included language to greatly narrow its focus and powers.
  • A proposal supported by MSSNY in the Executive Budget to regulate PBMs.
  • A proposal supported by MSSNY in the Executive Budget to regulate and tax e-cigarettes.
    (DIVISION OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS)


Workers’ Compensation – Reform Provisions Likely to Be Included in State Budget
MSSNY Governmental Affairs staff has been engaged in discussions with the Assembly and Senate to urge that numerous problematic proposals to reform the Workers Compensation system be rejected.   These damaging proposals would limit patient choice of their treating physician, give greater discretion to the Board to impose financial penalties on WC-authorized physicians, and limit the ability of county medical societies to assist local physicians in completing applications to become WC-authorized.

Moreover, there are proposals to expand the use of non-physicians in Workers’ Compensation without sufficient physician collaboration.  MSSNY has argued that such provisions would drive physicians away from the program, and would not reduce premium costs.  Instead, we have urged that there should be efforts to reduce administrative hassles in the Workers Compensation program.

MSSNY thanks the many physicians and county medical society leaders who contacted their legislators to oppose these measures.

Other issues under consideration include a prescription formulary, expanded requirements for “Independent Medical Examiners (IME), revising the impairment guidelines and expediting hearings.

Without lawmakers passing a final budget bill — what is known as the “big ugly” in Albany, all issues still hang in the balance.  Final agreements are still in flux as budget negotiations between the Legislature and Governor continue as they work towards a three-way agreement for a final budget.   Please check MSSNY’s website and next week’s edition of “Capital Update” for additional budget updates.
(DIVISION OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS)

Federal Health Care Discussions Continue
In an interview with the New York Times, President Trump indicated that the White House is still working on health care reform and that it remains a continuing negotiation.  There have been other reports that a new proposal being pushed by the Freedom Caucus would give states the option to opt out of provisions that require insurers to cover a standard, minimum package of benefits, known as the essential health benefits and do away with the requirement that insurance companies charge the same price to everyone who is the same age, a provision called community rating.

Instead there are proposals to add to the AHCA legislation before Congress $15 billion to subsidize “high risk” pools.  Some moderate Republicans have already expressed concern stating they want to preserve the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which bars insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.
(BELMONT)

MSSNY Joins AMA and Federation of Medicine in Urging CMS to Create Hardship Waivers for 2016 Reporting Obligations
MSSNY joined nearly 90 other state medical and national specialty associations in a letter initiated by the AMA urging that CMS create “hardship waivers” for physicians to prevent imposition of Medicare payment penalties for failing to satisfactorily complete participation of the Meaningful Use (MU) and PQRS programs in 2016.

As many physicians are aware, failing to have satisfactorily complied with the cumbersome MU and PQRS programs in 2016 could result in penalties that will produce significant cuts to a physician’s Medicare payments in 2018.  2016 was the last year for physicians to have to comply with the old MU, PQRS and Value Based Modifier (VBM) programs, as the new Medicare Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) takes effect this year and will impact Medicare physician payments in 2019.

Specifically, the AMA-medical societies’ letter to CMS notes that the societies are “grateful the agency recognized there were a number of challenges with the requirements of MU, PQRS, and VM. Consequently, we urge the Administration to take a series of steps to address these same challenges in MU, PQRS, and VM prior to their replacement by MACRA and minimize the penalties assessed for physicians who tried to participate in these programs. Clearly this would send a strong message to the physician community about the extensive regulations with which physicians have been dealing and the Administration’s commitment to reduce the burden”.

Specifically, the letter requested that CMS:

  • create a hardship exemption that would allow physicians who successfully reported on any number of PQRS measures in 2016 to avoid the 2% penalty in 2018; and
  • protect physicians from additional penalties of up to 4% under the VBM Program, urging that any physician who avoided the PQRS penalty in 2018 should be exempt from any VBM penalties as well.   (AUSTER)

Your membership yields results and will continue to do so. When your 2017 invoice arrives, please renew. KEEP MSSNY STRONG!



MSSNY Joins Patient Advocacy Organizations to Oppose Proposals to Cut Part B Medication Reimbursement
MSSNY has once again joined nearly 200 patient and physician advocacy groups across the country in a letter here sent to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) expressing strong concerns with a proposal under MedPAC consideration to reduce reimbursements for medications provided by physicians to patients under Medicare Part B.  Similar proposals to reduce Part B medication reimbursement were advanced by CMS last year, but were pulled back due to substantial opposition from many members of the US Congress as well as many patient and physician advocacy organizations including MSSNY.

The letter notes that “the recommendations MedPAC is proposing could accelerate the problem in ways that make care more difficult to obtain, potentially forcing changes to treatment plans that are working well for patients.   Currently, Medicare Part B offers beneficiaries broad access to infused therapies, allowing patients and their doctors to decide which treatments are best.”

The letter further notes its specific concerns with the MedPAC proposals, including that:

  • Some providers, particularly those in small or rural practices would be unable to provide certain medicines if reimbursements are reduced or blended through consolidated billing codes.
  • Patient safety could be harmed if proposals to blend coding and reimbursement for biologics or therapeutically similar treatments go forward because it will be more difficult to track and attribute adverse events.
  • Proposals to blend coding and reimbursement for Part B medicines or establish arbitrary reimbursement caps through an inflation limit could stifle innovation in the next generation of Part B treatments, including biosimilars, which are expected to generate savings for beneficiaries and the Medicare program.
  • the MedPAC proposal to create a new “Drug Value Program” leaves a number of critical questions unanswered, and as proposed could harm patient access by imposing new restrictions on Part B therapies. (AUSTER)


Register Now for Veterans’ Mental Health CME Seminars at the MSSNY House of Delegates
The Medical Society of the State of New York will hold two Continuing Medical Education (CME) seminars on veterans’ mental health as part of the MSSNY House of Delegates on Thursday, April 20, 2017 from 1-3 p.m. Entitled, “PTSD and TBI in Returning Veterans” and “Suicide Among Returning Veterans.”  The programs will be held at the Grand Ballroom D&E of the Westchester Marriott, 670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY.  The programs are open to MSSNY delegates and physicians throughout the area free of charge.

Pre-registration is required and physicians may register for both programs at:

PTSD and TBI: https://mssny.webex.com/mssny/k2/j.php?MTID=tbdb5295479d5ee1865aab56f91a2ca59

Suicide: https://mssny.webex.com/mssny/k2/j.php?MTID=tcd75a710181bbd6dd4034a6625500151

Faculty for the CME programs are Frank Dowling, MD and Thomas Madjeski, MD.

PTSD and TBI

Thursday, April 20, 1 pm
Faculty Presenter: Thomas Madjeski, MD
The educational Objectives for the PTSD program are:

1) Describe the symptoms of PTSD and TBI.
2) Describe the treatment modalities of PTSD and TBI.
3) Describe military culture & how to overcome unique barriers to treatment intrinsic to military culture

Suicide

Thursday, April 20, 2 pm
Faculty Presenter: Frank Dowling, MD
The educational Objectives for the Suicide program are:

1) Address the causes and warning signs of suicide and suicidal behavior among veterans.
2) Explore the best evidence-based diagnostic and treatment options available including psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.
3) Identify barriers in military culture to identification and treatment and how to overcome them.

Veterans Matters is a CME series made possible through a grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health.

The Medical Society of the State of New York is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Medical Society of the State of New York designates each live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA/PRA Category 1 credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
(ELPERIN, CLANCY)

Registration Now Open for CME Webinar on Concussion in Pediatric and Adult Population
The Medical Society of the State of New York will hold a Continuing Medical Education (CME) webinar on the “Current Concepts in Concussion for Pediatric & Adult Patients” on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 1 p.m. for all physicians and other health care providers.  Registration for the webinar is now open HERE.

A copy of the flyer can be found HERE.

Faculty for the course will be John Anthony Pugh, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Neurology at Albany Medical Center (AMC), and Deborah Ilana Light, MD, primary care sports medicine and associate program director for the Sports Medicine Fellowship at Albany Medical Center.  Educational objectives are: 1) Identify signs and symptoms indicative of concussion as well as red flags that indicate alternate or more severe pathology; 2) Outline an appropriate management plan for a patient presenting with concussion including a return to “normal life” protocol; 3) Describe methods for the primary and secondary prevention of concussion; 4) Identify patients who would benefit from referral to a concussion specialist. 

The Medical Society of the State of New York is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The Medical Society of the State of New York designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA/PRA Category 1 credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.                                                                                                                            (CLANCY, HARRING) 

Task Force Releases New Recommendation To Promote Safe Storage And Disposal Of Medications
The AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse released new recommendations urging physicians to make increased efforts to raise awareness about safe storage and disposal of expired, unwanted or unused medications. The recommendations emphasize three steps for physicians to take:

  1. Talk to your patients and educate them about safe use of prescription opioids to help prevent misuse and diversion;
  2. Remind patients that medications should be stored out of reach of children and in a safe place; and
  3. Urge patients to safely dispose of expired, unwanted and unused medications.

The Task Force also pointed to several resources that physicians and patients can use to search for drug disposal locations.  The Medical Society of the State of New York is a member of the AMA’s Task Force.

For more information, and to download a copy of the new Task Force recommendation, visit www.ama-assn.org/opioids-disposal
(CLANCY)

Nominations Sought:  2016 Bernstein Award
The Medical Society of the State of New York is accepting nominations for the 2016 Albion O. Bernstein, MD Award.  This prestigious award is given to:  “the physician, surgeon or scientist who shall have made the most widely beneficial discovery or developed the most useful method in medicine, surgery or in the prevention of disease in the twelve months prior to December, 2016.”

This award was endowed by the late Morris J. Bernstein in memory of his son, a physician who died in an accident while answering a hospital call in November, 1940.   The $2,000 award will be presented to the recipient during a MSSNY Council Meeting.  Nominations must be submitted on an official application form and must include the nominator’s narrative description of the significance of the candidate’s achievements as well as the candidate’s curriculum vitae, including a list of publications or other contributions.   To request an application, please contact: 

Committee on Continuing Medical Education
 Miriam Hardin, PhD, Manager, Continuing Medical Education
Medical Society of the State of New York
99 Washington Avenue, Suite 408
Albany, NY 12210
518-465-8085
mhardin@mssny.org

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS:  May 31, 2017                                          (HARDIN)


CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge Running Event.  Please Join Us!
MSSNY will be a premium sponsor of the 2017 CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge, a 3.5-mile race for runners and walkers, taking place in Albany on May 18, 2017.  MSSNY’s sponsorship of the event is part of an ongoing effort to have a visible presence at health-related public events.  The CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge, which caps participation at 10,000 registrants, is known for reaching capacity each year.  Many Capital District health-related organizations participate annually.  As a premium sponsor, MSSNY’s logo will be featured on the official race t-shirt, and MSSNY will be recognized during the race announcements.  In addition, MSSNY will have an exhibit table on Empire State Plaza.

The race begins at 6:25 PM, at Empire State Plaza, and features a scenic route that traverses Albany’s Washington Park.  The popular event always attracts great crowd support and on-course entertainment.  Sawyer Fredericks, winner of the eighth season of The Voice, will be singing the National Anthem.

Instructions and registration link are available here.  MSSNY members and alliance members are highly encouraged to participate on our team, either as a runner or a walker.  Please choose “Medical Society of the State of New York” from the team drop-down list.  Registration is $24, and a portion of the registration fees go to this year’s “Charities of Choice,” Boys and Girls Club of Albany and Vanderheyden.   Registration deadline is May 1, 2017. A flyer may be accessed here.  For more information, please contact Miriam Hardin (mhardin@mssny.org).                                                                                                (HARDIN)

For more information relating to any of the above articles, please contact the appropriate contributing staff member at the following email addresses:

pschuh@mssny.org mauster@mssny.org pclancy@mssny.org jbelmont@mssny.org

enews large


Pain Management, Palliative Care and Addiction Online Program Now Available
The Medical Society of the State of New York Pain Management, Palliative Care and Addiction modules are now available on-line here. 

These modules are being offered free of charge to all MSSNY members.  Physicians who are new users to the MSSNY CME site will be required to register as a new user.

As a new user, physicians and non-physicians will be required to enter fields that include: position; name (the name should be what you want to appear on the CME certificate); email address; and then create a password.  MSSNY members who encounter a payment page or have difficulty registering, please email cme@mssny.org for technical support.  Directions for creating a new account/or logging in can be found HERE.  Non-MSSNY physicians will be charged $50 per module. 

The MSSNY CME is a new site and while many MSSNY members have an account with mssny.org a MSSNY member may not necessary have an account with cme.mssny.org   If in doubt, try to create an account and if it tells you that the email address is unavailable or in use,  an account exists.   Passwords can be reset if you don’t know it. 

Physicians who have previously had an account at the MSSNY CME site will need to log into the site using their email and password. The MSSNY CME site provides the ability for physicians and other prescribers to view the archived webinar at their leisure, take the required test, and download their certificate.

The online program covers all eight topics required in the New York State statute. MSSNY developed the program with the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).  MSSNY is listed as an accrediting organization by the NYS DOH Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.   Information on the three CME modules is available HERE. 

Additional information or technical support may be obtained by contacting cme@mssny.org

DOH Announces Attestation Process for Mandatory Prescribers
The New York State Department of Health has announced the attestation process for prescribers. Prescribers must attest to the completion of the pain management, palliative care and addiction course work or training by July 1, 2017, and again every three years thereafter. The prescriber should only attest after completion of at least three hours of course work or training covering all eight topics.

A prescriber with a Health Commerce System (HCS) account will attest online using the Narcotic Education Attestation Tracker (NEAT) application.  Complete the steps to access the NEAT (Narcotic Education Attestation Tracker) application in the NYS Health Commerce System (HCS):

  1. Log into the HCS here.
  2. . Under “My Content” click on “All Applications”
  3. Click on “N”
  4. Scroll down to NEAT (Narcotic Education Attestation Tracker) and double click to open the application. You may also click on the “+” sign to add this application under “My Applications” on the left side of the Home screen.

Complete the steps to ATTEST to the completion of the education requirement.   A full set of instructions can be found HERE.

Prescribers that do not have access to a computer can request a paper attestation form by calling the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE) toll-free at 1-866-811-7957. They may then complete the form and return it by mail to the address provided in the form.

The Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement has also released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the prescriber mandate.   A copy of the FAQs can be found HERE.

In certain limited circumstances, the New York State Department of Health may grant an exemption to the required course work or training to an individual prescriber who clearly demonstrates to the department that there is no need to complete such training.  Exemptions will be granted only in very limited circumstances, and not solely on the basis of economic hardship, technological limitations, prescribing volume, practice area, specialty, or board certification.  Prescribers may applied for an exemption through the Health Commerce System.

Further information may be obtained by contacting BNE at 1-866-811-7957 or narcotic@health.ny.gov.

Dr. Bill Valenti Publishes Book on NY’s Early AIDS Epidemic at drbillvalenti.com
          All Proceeds Go to Trillium Health End the Epidemic Fund
Bill Valenti, MD, has dedicated his life and career to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and rightfully earned his reputation as a medical maverick and pioneer in HIV prevention, research and policy.

A Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the University of Rochester  School of Medicine, Dr Valenti has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and scientific abstracts on HIV medical care, infectious diseases, and healthcare epidemiology and infection control. In the early 1980s, he would see AIDS patients in his office in the evening, after the staff left.

Dr. Valenti has served the first chair of MSSNY AIDS Advisory Panel (now the Infectious Disease Committee) since the early 90s.  The MSSNY Advisory Panel was one of the first formal committees nationwide to begin a medical discussion of this epidemic. Dr. Valenti has devoted countless hours to educating his peers for MSSNY .

From the prologue: By 1986, there were 10,000 cases of AIDS reported in the U.S. The fatality rate was 75 percent. That same year, Jackie Nudd, executive director of AIDS Rochester, and I went to Auburn State Prison to do an educational program for prison staff. Almost 200 cases had been reported in New York State prisons by that time. Condoms weren’t allowed, so we couldn’t talk about sex in prisons. We promoted HIV testing, but testing was complicated in the corrections system, and it would be another year before AZT would be available. They served us lunch for our efforts. It’s true what they say about prison food.

Medscape Physician Salary Survey: North Dakota Physicians Earn Most!
The nation’s physicians earned an average of $294,000 a year, according to Medscape’s 2017 compensation survey. Orthopedists continued to be the best paid, with an average salary of $489,000, while family physicians and pediatricians stayed on the bottom rungs with average salaries of $209,999 and $202,000, respectively.

Despite higher costs in big cities, doctors in rural areas earned the most. According to the survey, physicians in North Dakota were the best paid, with an average income of $361,000. “It’s a supply-and-demand issue,” said Dr. Michael Smith, medical director and chief medical editor for WebMD/Medscape.

Most physicians saw their pay rise from the previous year. Plastic surgeons fared the best, with a 24% increase to $354,500, while pediatricians saw their pay decline by 1%. Both primary care docs (45%) and specialists (33%) thought they should earn more, and almost 20% said they’re working longer hours for less money. But most doctors said they wouldn’t trade in their stethoscopes. Nearly 8 out of 10 (77%) said they’d choose a medical career again, compared with just 64% last year.

Medscape surveyed 19,200 physicians in 26 specialty areas between Dec. 20, 2016, and March 7, 2017.

First LGBTQ Center to Open in Downtown Brooklyn
The Callen-Lorde Community Health Center has signed a 20-year lease in Brooklyn that will allow it to expand its health services to the LGBTQ community in 2019. The 25,000 square foot space at 40 Flatbush Avenue Extension in downtown Brooklyn will be the organization’s first health center in the borough. Currently, about 30% of its patients travel from Brooklyn to their clinics in the Bronx and Manhattan, said Wendy Stark, executive director of Callen-Lorde.

“LGBTQ communities are in dire need of competent health care services, and we see proof of that every day in the numbers of callers we have,” she said. “We’ve expanded our capacity to the outer limits.”

For example, the Bronx clinic, which opened in July 2016, currently has a waiting list for appointments stretching until early summer, she said. (Crains)


New York AG Joins Whistleblower Lawsuit against AstraZeneca
On March 31, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman joined a whistleblower lawsuit against AstraZeneca’s MedImmune unit that accuses the company of creating “baby leads” for sales of its Synagis treatment for severe respiratory illness in premature infants. The lawsuit claims MedImmune gathered “private information from patient logbooks” and shared it with a specialty pharmacy Trinity Homecare, which then contacted the babies’ families or physicians “regardless of patient need or if the current physician sought a prescription.”

In its complaint that intervened in a whistleblowing nurse’s 2009 lawsuit, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that MedImmune’s sales representatives paid kickbacks to Trinity Homecare LLC from 2007 to 2011 by passing along “baby leads.” STAT (4/4)

MAC Satisfaction Indicator (MSI) – JK Now Available!
Evaluate Our Services in 10 Minutes!
The MAC Satisfaction Indicator (MSI) is the best way to share your opinions of our service directly with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This survey should only take 10 minutes of your time and helps us understand how we can better serve you. To take the survey, click on the URL below:

Jurisdiction K providers may access the survey at 2017 Jurisdiction K MSI Survey

We found your 2016 feedback helpful, and we made improvements to our services. You can read about some of the changes in an article titled, “Feedback-Based Improvements from the 2016 MSI Survey“, which can be found on the NGSMedicare.com website under News & Alerts. Thank you for your feedback.

Register Now for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Group Web Interface and CAHPS Reporting
Groups Must Register to Utilize the CMS Web Interface and/or CAHPS for MIPS Survey by June 30, 2017. Groups participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) track of the Quality Payment Program are not required to register, except for groups that intend to utilize the CMS Web Interface and/or administer the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) for MIPS survey. To register, please visit the Quality Payment Program website.
The registration period is from April 1, 2017 through June 30, 2017.

Under MIPS, a group is defined as a single Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with two or more eligible clinicians (including at least one MIPS eligible clinician), as identified by their National Provider Identifiers (NPI), who have reassigned their billing rights to the TIN. Eligible clinicians who participate as a group will be assessed at a group level across all four MIPS performance categories. The group will receive one payment adjustment for the group’s performance.

Note: Groups that participate in a Shared Savings Program ACO are not required to register or report; the Shared Savings Program ACO is required to report quality measures on behalf of participating eligible clinicians for purposes of MIPS.

For 2017, only groups of 25 or more eligible clinicians that have registered can report via the CMS Web Interface. Groups that participate in MIPS through qualified registry, qualified clinical data registry, or electronic health record data submission mechanisms do not need to register. For 2017, only groups of 2 or more eligible clinicians that have registered can participate in the CAHPS for MIPS survey.

As a courtesy, CMS automatically registered groups for the CMS Web Interface for the 2017 performance period that previously registered for group reporting under the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) via the Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) Web Interface. If you need to remove your registration for Web Interface submission because your group now has fewer than 25 eligible clinicians, you should cancel your registration. If your group wants to administer the CAHPS for MIPS survey, your group will need to make an election via the registration system.

The registration period for groups who choose Web Interface or CAHPS for MIPS Survey as their data submission method is April 1 June 30, 2017.

Note: For individual or group participation, registration is not required for any other submission method.

How to Register

To register, visit Quality Payment Program website. You will need a valid Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) account with a Physician Value � Physician Quality Reporting System (PV-PQRS) role in order to register.

EIDM Account Information

Open a New Account: To create or modify an EIDM account, review the Guide for Obtaining a New EIDM Account.

Reactivate an Account: To reactivate or confirm the status of an account, contact the Quality Payment Program at 1-866-288-8292 (TTY: 1-877-715-6222) or qpp@cms.hhs.gov, Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm EST and provide the group name and TIN.

Use a Current Account:To request a role to access the Physician Quality and Value Programs application in the CMS Enterprise Portal, review the Guide for Obtaining a Physician Quality and Value Programs Role for an Existing EIDM User. 

CMS Quality Measure Public Comment Announcement: Quality Measure Development and Maintenance for CMS Programs Serving Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees and Medicaid-Only Enrollees
Mathematica Policy Research is seeking public comment on a measure specification and justification for a quality measure called Healthy Days in the Community that is currently under development and testing for potential use by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and State Medicaid agencies.  This is a measure of the average number of days within a year that dual eligible beneficiaries are alive and residing in the community without utilizing acute or post-acute health care services.

A memo listing questions on which we request public comment, as well as the measure information form (MIF) and measure justification forms (MJF), are available in a zip file in the Download section on this web page: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/MMS/CallforPublicComment.html

The public comment period runs from March 27, 2017 to April 14, 2017.  If you wish to comment on these measures, please submit your comments by close of business April 14, 2017 to MedicaidQualMeasures@mathematica-mpr.com.



CLASSIFIEDS


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Physician Opportunities

Internist Needed Mon.-Fri. for Psychiatric Inpt in Queens
Internist needed for Full time general medical care of psychiatric inpatients.  Creedmoor Psychiatric Center is in Queens, and convenient to NYC, Nassau/Suffolk and near major transportation.  We are a small well organized Medical Department looking for another member.  Our physicians enjoy their work- life balance. Please contact: alan.diner@omh.ny.gov or call 718-264-4046

Paging Primary Care MDs Who Love Technology
98point6 is a Seattle startup who wants your input. We’re seeking practicing physicians to join our council and help shape the next generation of primary care. If the fusion of health care and technology inspires you, please apply here.


Ophthalmologist Part Time
Ophthalmologist needed to work at multiple nursing homes in all 5 boros except Staten Island. Part time or full-time position available.  Generous salary and incentives.Ttech provided. Opportunity to perform surgery, but not required. Please email cv to privacyssw@gmail.com


Multiple Physician Positions with DOHMH Office of School Health
Office of School Health is the largest program of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). This bureau is responsible for managing the health issues and promoting the well-being of the over 1.3 million children and adolescents enrolled in New York City’s 1700 school buildings.

Positions with the Office of School Health (OSH) combine clinical skills and public health training. OSH focuses on child health, asthma prevention, obesity and nutrition, vision screening, dental care, mental health, reproductive health, and childhood disability. We collaborate with various city and community based agencies to provide social and academic services to address the needs of all New York City school children, especially those facing the most significant social, economic, and health challenges.

The Office of School Health is currently undergoing expansion. There is an immediate need for physicians with an expertise in pediatric, adolescent, or family medicine, with the capacity to utilize primary care skills set through a public health lens. OSH is also  interested in public health and preventive medicine graduates with programmatic, analytic, and social medicine skills.

The NYC DOHMH is reaching out to identify candidates for this recruitment. We are enlisting your help to nominate medical professionals who are committed to contributing their talents to improve health and academic outcomes in our schools. Please consider applying for these positions or passing these opportunities on to talented physicians among your own personal networks.

Attached are the American Academy of Pediatrics position statements on the role of the School Physician as well as the job description and recruitment flyers:

  • Adolescent School Health Physician, Family and Child Health/SH Reproductive/City Medical Specialist, Level: 01/Part-time/Flexible Work Schedule (20-35 hrs/week) To learn more about this position & apply, please submit your resume & cover letter to:https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/ In the Job ID search bar enter: Job ID: 277208
  • Field Doctor, Bureau of School Health/SH Medical (pre-K-8 Programs or High School) City Medical Specialist, Level: 01/Part-time/Flexible Work Schedule (20-35 hrs/week) To learn more about this position & apply, please submit your resume & cover letter to:https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/ In the Job ID search bar enter: Job ID: 265869
  • Supervising Medical Doctor,Bureau of School Health/SH Reproductive Health, City Medical Specialist, Level: 02/Part-time (35 hrs/week) To learn more about this position & apply, please submit your resume & cover letter to: https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/ Job ID:  277026

Please list in your cover letter how you heard about this position (including name of the professional association, website, or individual who referred you). If you have questions, please contact Caroline Volel, MD, MPH at OSH@health.nyc.gov.


CALL FOR RATES & INFO. CHRISTINA SOUTHARD: 516-488-6100 ext. 355