SCMS NIGHT AT THE DUCKS

Medical Liability: Oppose Legislation That Would Cause Big Increases in Liability Premiums

Legislation passed the Assembly and Senate prior to the end of Session that would greatly increase the medical liability statute of limitations for cases involving alleged misdiagnoses of cancer.  This legislation could produce significant increases in New York’s already exorbitant medical liability costs at a time when no cost increases can be tolerated.  Please urge Governor Cuomo to veto this legislation, and instead push for comprehensive medical liability reform.

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July 1 is the deadline for avoiding the 2018 penalty imposed by the federal government's Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program in its final year. If you were not successful in reporting Meaningful Use in 2016 (the performance year for the 2018 penalty), please look at the following links to file for a Hardship Exemption:

 Instructions:

https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/HardshipException2018_EP_Instructions.pdf

Application:

https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/HardshipException2018_EP_Application.pdf

 Again, the deadline for submission of the application is Saturday, July 1, 2017

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MOMS, DOCTORS, NURSES CALL FOR KIDS AND PARENTS TO BE AWARE OF DANGERS OF DEADLY MENINGITIS B

 

N.Y. Senate and Assembly dedicate June 12-16th to raise awareness, honor fifth anniversary of Long Island teenager’s death

 

(Massapequa Park, N.Y.)  Today, the Kimberly Coffey Foundation and the Medical Society of the State of New York came together to urge parents and their children to protect themselves from Meningitis B—a potentially deadly, but vaccine preventable disease.

 

June 12^th-16^th has been declared Meningitis B Awareness Week by both the New York State Senate and the New York Assembly.   The resolutions, offered by Senator Kemp Hannon (R-6^th District) and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D-100^th District) recognize the work of the Kimberly Coffey Foundation to raise awareness among the public and health care professionals about Meningitis B, its symptoms, and the available vaccines that are required to prevent the disease.

 

June 15, 2017 marks the fifth anniversary of Kimberly’s death.  Her mother, Patti Wukovits, R.N. started the Kimberly Coffey Foundation in honor of her daughter.  Kim was just 17 years old and days away from her high school graduation when she contracted the disease.  Kimberly had been fully vaccinated against four of the five strains of meningococcal disease, but at the time, there was no vaccine to prevent against the “B” serogroup.   Kim went from being a healthy teenager to being on life support in a matter of hours.  After several days in ICU, Kim lost her battle with the disease.  She was buried in the prom dress she never got to wear. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE PLEASE

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Narcotic Education Due to recent laws in New York State regarding the prescribing of opioids, all prescribers of pain management medication that hold a DEA license are required to take a three hour CME credited course by July 1, 2017 The Medical Society of the State of New York, in conjunction with the New York State Office for Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services has created an accredited CME On-Line course on the following three topics: Understanding the Current Legal Landscape in New York State for Prescribing Controlled Substances Rational Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain Conditions Patients with Opioid Use Disorders: Identification, Treatment, and Management of Co-occurring Pain CME Pain Management Course Available Now!  (Log in or create an account and you will be transferred to the course) ONCE YOU TAKE THE COURSE YOU MUST ATTEST Attestation Instructions: Click here Tracker (NEAT) Prescribers must notify the Department that they have completed the educational requirement by submitting an online attestation. Prescribers must attest to their own completion of the course work or training. For medical residents who are authorized to prescribe under a facility's DEA registration number, the facility must make such attestation. For the initial attestation deadline of July 1, 2017, applicable course work or training completed from July 1, 2015, to July 1, 2017, is permissible to satisfy the requirement. For each and every subsequent attestation period, course work or training must be completed during the applicable attestation period. Prescribers licensed on or after July 1, 2017, who have a DEA registration, as well as medical residents authorized to prescribe controlled substances under a facility DEA registration, shall complete the course work or training within one year of registration, and once within each three-year period thereafter.   *   Click here to get a New York State Health Commerce System (HCS) Account     *  Click here to log in to the New York State Health Commerce System (HCS) if you already have a Health Commerce Account         FAQ Sheet: Click here

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MIPS Participation Status Letter 

CMS is reviewing claims and letting practices know which clinicians need to take part in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System https://qpp.cms.gov/learn/qpp (MIPS), an important part of the new Quality Payment Program (QPP). In late April through May, you will get a letter from your Medicare Administrative Contractor https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Contracting/Medicare-Administrative-Contractors/MedicareAdministrativeContractors.html that processes Medicare Part B claims, providing the participation status of each MIPS clinician associated with your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).

 Clinicians should participate in MIPS in the 2017 transition year if they:

*         Bill more than $30,000 in Medicare Part B allowed charges a year and

*         Provide care for more than 100 Part B-enrolled Medicare beneficiaries a year

QPP intends to shift reimbursement from the volume of services provided toward a payment system that rewards clinicians for their overall work in delivering the best care for patients. It replaces the Sustainable Growth Rate formula and streamlines the "Legacy Programs" - Physician Quality Reporting System, the Value-based Payment Modifier, and the Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program. During this first year of the program, CMS is committed to working with you to streamline the process as much as possible. Our goal is to further reduce burdensome requirements so that you can deliver the best possible care to patients. Learn more about the Quality Payment Program https://qpp.cms.gov/

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Percentage Arrangements With Billing Companies

By Ellen F. Kessler

The New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“MFCU”) has recently embarked on a campaign to recover thousands of dollars of Medicaid payments plus interest from various health care providers who pay billing companies a percentage of collections for their billing services.

MFCU has been sending letters to Medicaid providers in New York State demanding the return of payments where Medicaid discovered that the providers used billing companies who were paid on a “percentage of collections” basis.  This demand by Medicaid is not based on a claim of overpayment or improper billing methodology by the provider.  Rather, Medicaid relies on an arcane provision found in the Medicaid rules¹ which states that:

“A provider of medical care services or supplies may employ a business agent, such as a billing service or an accounting firm. Such agent may prepare and send bills and receive MA payments in the name of the provider only if the compensation paid to the agent is:

1.  Reasonably related to the cost of the services;

2.  Unrelated, directly or indirectly to the dollar amounts billed and collected; and

3.  Not dependent on actual collection of payments.”

CLICK HERE FOR REMAINDER OF ARTICLE

Thank You Dr Miller For Your Tireless Effort to Make This Happen

East Meadow School District first in NY to stock nebulizers

East Meadow School District marks a milestone as first in the state to begin a comprehensive program under New York public health law, allowing schools to have nebulizers on hand as rescue aids for severe asthma attacks.

The program grows out of a year’s long mission by an Islip asthma and allergy specialist, Dr. Harvey Miller, to get nebulizers into New York schools — and especially in reach of coaches on athletic fields should a student have a severe attack. CLICK HERE for Newsday Article