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The Post-SGR World: MACRA Summary & Implementation Timeline
To help physicians prepare for the post-SGR world, the American Medical Association (AMA) has prepared a section-by-section summary of the recently passed “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA)” and a companion implementation timeline. You can access the documents here:
- The MACRA Summary is a section-by-section summary of the new law.
- The Timeline Highlights is a chronological list that shows when some of the major provisions will take effect.
The Federal MACRA Law, H.R.2, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 26 (by a vote of 392 to 37) and the Senate on April 14 (by a vote of 92 to 8), and signed into law on April 16, 2015. The law permanently repeals the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and stabilizes Medicare payments for physician services with positive updates from July 1, 2015, through the end of 2019, and again in 2026 and beyond. It replaces Medicare’s multiple quality reporting programs with a new single “MIPS” program that makes it easier for physicians to earn rewards for providing high-quality, high-value health care, and it supports and rewards physicians for participating in new payment and delivery models to improve the efficiency of care while preserving fee-for-service as an option. In addition, it preserves the current 10-day and 90-day global periods for over 4,000 surgical service codes that Medicare had planned to unbundle.
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Tanning Bill: Contact Senate Health Committee Members Today
The N.C. Senate Health Committee will consider House Bill 158, The Jim Fulghum Teen Skin Cancer Prevention Act, at its 11:00 am meeting on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. Dr. Mary Susan Fulghum will speak in support of the bill.
Contact your Senator today and tell him/her: "Support The Jim Fulghum Teen Skin Cancer Prevention Act!"
- Use this Excel file to look up your N.C. Senator by County or name, and their phone numbers and email adresses.
- Please share any feedback you receive with us by email to ncderm@ncmedsoc.org.
Thank you for taking action.
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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
2015 NCDA Summer Meeting
July 10-12, 2015 @ The Omni Grove Park Inn Resort
The Southern Regional AHEC designates this live activity for a maximum of 10.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Register before June 10 and Save!
Accommodations
The historic, four-diamond rated Omni Grove Park Inn Resort features a world-class spa, golf and racquet sports, several new dining outlets and new shops. To secure your accommodations, please call (800) 438-5800 and reference the NCDA to receive the special rate of $255-$295 depending on view, per night, plus resort fee and taxes. The cut-off date to make reservations is June 10. Don’t delay!
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Proposed Legislation Threatens Physician-Patient Communication Regarding Firearm Safety
Reprinted with permission from the North Carolina Medical Society
New Regulation of the Practice of Medicine!
A bill pending consideration by the North Carolina House Appropriations Committee, HB 562, Second Amendment Affirmation Act, includes two unprecedented provisions in Section 15 of the bill.
The first provision would prohibit a physician from asking a patient about lawful gun ownership in any written form. While technically a physician could still verbally discuss lawful gun ownership with a patient, this unprecedented prohibition would constitute a dangerous new level of government intervention in the doctor-patient relationship. This intrusion into physician communication with the patient eliminates an important risk-evaluation tool for the physician.
Second, should a physician discuss with a patient the risks of guns in the home where children reside, Section 15 would prohibit a physician from sharing any information about that inquiry and the patient response with a government official or agency.
- This would prohibit the physician from complying with a lawful subpoena for medical records, should the physician have recorded any information about gun ownership in the record. If disclosed, the doctor could face a penalty from the NC Medical Board of up to $500.00 per violation.
- It would also prohibit sharing with law enforcement a patient's communication with the doctor indicating that the patient intended to commit suicide with a gun lawfully owned.
- Finally, this would make the sharing of medical records unlawful for those patients—including mental health patients—with Medicaid, Medicare or State Employee Healthcare insurance plans, if those records include any information about lawful gun ownership.
Please contact members of the N.C. House Appropriations Committee to make your voice heard. Contact your representatives and tell them to stay out of the physician-patient relationship and vote to remove Section 15 from HB562.
Take Action Now - Email Your Representatives
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