NCMS members and the medical community at large are invited to attend the discussion, which will be taped for broadcast, on September 22, 7:00 pm, at the Harris Conference Center in Charlotte.   The forum will be a panel-style discussion facilitated by News 14 Carolina Anchor Heather Waliga.

Panelists include: Michael Dulin, MD, Family Medicine, Charlotte; Jeffrey P. Engel, MD, State Health Director; Ophelia Garmon-Brown, MD, Family Medicine, Charlotte; Maureen O’Connor, Executive Vice President/Chief Strategy Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina; Robert Seligson, Executive Vice President & CEO, NCMS; and Michael C. Tarwater, CEO, Carolinas Healthcare.

Attendance is limited to 150, so register today.  To reserve your seat, visit https://secure.ncmedsoc.org/legacysecure/pages/meetings_and_events/event_reg_form.jsp?id=707.

Volume 61 Issue 37 – September 3, 2010
	Featured Stories URGENT: Oct. 5th Deadline Approaching on UHC Settlement Physicians have just over one month left to submit claims for a share of a $350 million settlement agreement between United Healthcare and the American Medical Association (AMA). Claims for a share of the settlement must be postmarked by October 5, 2010. Continue reading » Focus on Health System Reform: Ban on Physician-Owned Hospitals One provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that takes effect at the end of this year is the restriction on physician ownership of hospitals in the Medicare program. The health reform law also places major limits on the expansion of existing physician-owned hospitals. Continue reading » NCMS Co-Signs Letter Asking US Treasury Secretary to Reject Tax Code Change for Trial Lawyers The North Carolina Medical Society co-signed a letter sent to US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner this week urging him to reject a rumored shift in tax policy that would allow contingency-fee lawyers to write off litigation expenses. Continue reading » In This Issue CMS Teleconference to Focus on EHRs Development in North Carolina EHR Certification Bodies Named Raleigh Spine Clinic Focuses on Quality Physicians Attend ‘Championing Healthcare Improvement’ Workshop NC Pharmacy Board Offers Continuing Update on E-Prescribing for Controlled Substances NCDPH Issues Early Flu Season Advisory Deadline Approaching: Make Your Hotel Reservations Soon for the NCMS Annual Meeting Don’t Miss the Practice Managers Luncheon at This Year’s NCMS Annual Meeting! Very Limited Spaces Available for CSHA Fall 2010 Workshops Checklist to Help You Get Ready for the 2010 NCMS Annual Meeting Physician FYI Staff Rounds: Your NCMS at Work for You

	Meetings & Events 10/08/2010 NC Orthopaedic Annual Meeting more info » 10/22/2010 2010 NC Medical Society Annual Meeting more info » Contact Info Address: PO Box 27167 Raleigh, NC 27611 Phone: 1.919.833.3836 1.800.722.1350 (NC only) Fax: 1.919.833.2023 FAX

© 2010 North Carolina Medical Society. All rights reserved.

The settlement was formed to help compensate physicians and patients for artificially low payments that were provided by United  for out-of-network services over the past 15 years. The case was originally brought to expose a price-fixing scheme used by United to underpay physicians and patients.

The AMA has developed and released several online resources to assist physicians and practices with determining eligibility, compiling documentation, and filing claims under the settlement. You can learn more about the case and access those settlement resources at www.ama-assn.org/go/ucrsettlement. The “Step-by-Step Guide” is especially informative and will guide you through the claims filing.

Again, claim forms need to be completed and submitted by October 5, 2010.

New physician-owned facilities that are not certified as Medicare participants by December 31, 2010 will no longer be allowed into the program after that date.  Other changes to the law include capping levels of physician ownership, ending some exceptions to Stark self-referral bans and mandating more disclosure of physician owners’ potential conflicts of interest, if they send their patients to their own facilities.

Past legislative attempts to limit physician ownership of hospitals often targeted specialty hospitals such as orthopedic, cardiac and other surgical facilities.  However, limitations enacted by the PPACA will also impact acute care facilities, even some community hospitals that may have been financially supported by their physicians in the past.

Until many pending federal lawsuits are settled, existing plans for new or expanding physician-owned hospitals are in a holding pattern.  The new law caps ownership levels to where they were at the bill’s passage (March 23, 2010).  According to the Physician Hospitals of America, there are currently 265 physician-owned facilities in 34 states that employ more than 75,000 workers with an average bed size of 233 general acute care beds that will be negatively impacted by the restrictions.

“Changing the tax policy to allow trial lawyers to deduct court costs and other expenses would cost taxpayers $1.5 billion and increase the cost of health care in our nation,” said J. James Rohack, MD, AMA Immediate Past-President. “This change would encourage trial attorneys to file more lawsuits.”

The NCMS joined 90 state and specialty societies in co-signing the letter, which was delivered to Sec. Geithner on Wednesday.

Click here to read the letter.

Click here to read the AMA press release, including additional comments from Dr. Rohack.

Click here for the program agenda and instructions on how to dial-in to the teleconference.

CMS spokesman Michael Pierson says this will be the first in a series of calls that the Atlanta Regional Office will be conducting and will seek to provide a better understanding of the resources and tools that are available to guide physicians, including the introduction of individuals in North Carolina who can assist physicians as they move toward EHRs.  Among the participants in the teleconference will be Ann Lefebvre with the NC AHEC program at UNC-CH (www.med.unc.edu/ahec). She will provide an overview of Regional Extension Centers (REC).

Read the US DHHS press release about this key step in the national initiative toward adoption of EHR.

The group uses this weekly time to evaluate new initiatives that are working in the office as well as to problem solve where improvements can be made. The Hey Clinic refers to this evaluation system as “ELI,” which stands for “Error, Learn and Improve.” As part of the practice’s quality initiatives and to keep patients well-informed of the care they are receiving, Dr. Hey sends each patient home with an easy-to-read clinic note and photo.  He also asks each patient (referred to as “guests”) to complete an exit questionnaire to evaluate their Hey Clinic experience.

These efforts in addition to grant-funded research that the Hey Clinic performs in conjunction with NC State University are intended to provide personalized and high-quality patient care to guests of the Hey Clinic.

With quality improvement at the forefront of Health System Reform, the NCMS is eager to share what physicians across the state are doing to meet the challenge.  Let us know if your practice has tools to share.

 The educational session was the first required training for the Quality Improvement Fellows recently chosen by the NC Medical Society Foundation.  The three orthopedic surgeons will build on their knowledge by attending further training with the NC Center for Quality and Patient Safety over the next six months.  The Fellows will use their skills to coordinate a quality improvement project around orthopedic surgery within their hospital.  The project summary will be presented to the Board of Trustees and the Quality Committee in late 2011.

 At the conclusion of the seminar, each member of the group selected a quality improvement goal/project to address within their own hospital or practice. In one month, the group will reconvene via conference call to provide project progress and gain additional advice from the speakers.

 NC Medical Society Foundation will host the seminar again in 2011. If you are interested in attending the seminar, watch for the announcement in the NC Medical Society Bulletin or contact Amy Dunatov at adunatov@ncmedsoc.org.   The seminar was made possible through support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.

 The NC Medical Society Foundation’s PractEssentials can assist physicians who are attempting to integrate quality processes into their practice environment.   Please see the attached flyer for a full listing of services offered.  If you are interested in obtaining more information, please contact Franklin Walker at fwalker@ncmedsoc.org.

Click here for NCBOP FAQ about e-prescribing of controlled substances.

Click here for DEA FAQ about e-prescribing of controlled substances.

Physicians with questions concerning e-prescribing of controlled substances may contact Melanie Phelps at the NCMS, mphelps@ncmedsoc.org.

Click here to read Flu Season 2010-2011: Updated Information for Health Care Providers.

Attendees have a choice of staying at either the Marriott or Embassy Suites in downtown Winston-Salem:

For more information on the 2010 NCMS Annual Meeting, visit www.ncmedsoc.org/annualmeeting.

Register online now!

Click here for more information about the workshops, including agendas.

Asheville, Four Points by Sheraton, Friday, Sept 24th

Greenville, Greenville Hilton, Tuesday, October 5th

Greensboro, Embassy Suites Greensboro, Thursday, October 21st

Click here to access the Registration Page for the workshops (Registration is closing soon, so don’t wait!)

___   Click here for the NCMS Annual Meeting Early Bird Registration (to be eligible for a drawing for a GPS) - deadline Sept. 15

___  Make your Hotel reservations for the NCMS Annual Meeting – deadline Sept. 21

___   Click here to submit your Resolution for the 2010 House of Delegates – deadline Sept. 8

___   Click here to nominate an outstanding physician for the 2010 Harris Award  – deadline Sept. 20

…Wondering if you’re getting the best deal on practice supplies and services? Attend this free luncheon sponsored by NCMS Partner GroupSource to find out. September 17, noon.

…Register for Fall 2010 Care Share Health Alliance Regional Workshop, September 24 (Asheville), October 5 (Greenville), and October 21 (Greensboro). Click here for more details.

Volume 61 Issue 36 – August 27, 2010
	Featured Stories Governor Addresses NC Medicaid Rates Governor Beverly Perdue today announced her intention to roll back Medicaid provider rate reductions that were to be implemented next week. The announcement came in a meeting this morning with representatives of the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS), the North Carolina Hospital Association (NCHA) and the North Carolina Healthcare Facilities Association (NCHFA). Continue reading » NCMS Offers Comment on NC Statewide Health Information Exchange Operational Plan In a letter sent August 23, 2010, the NCMS provided input on the draft North Carolina Statewide Health Information Exchange Operational Plan. Read on to see NCMS’s thoughts on the plan. Continue reading » Managed Care Officials Field Health System Reform Questions before Physician Audience in Greensboro On Monday, August 23, 2010, members of the Triad-area physician community attended a forum with third party payer medical directors and North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Continue reading » Focus on Health Care Reform: National Health Care Workforce Commission In an attempt to address the inevitable shortage of medical providers the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has called for the creation of a National Health Care Workforce Commission. Continue reading » Health Reform and You: NCMS and News Channel 14 to Convene a Public Discussion on Reform The NCMS is partnering with News Channel 14 to convene a televised forum on September 22 in Charlotte to engage leaders in the health care sector, elected officials, and the public on the implementation of health system reform legislation. Continue reading » In This Issue CMS Issues Reminder on January 2011 Target for Testing Transaction Using ICD-10 Code Sets Physicians Will Talk Politics and Health Care at Asheville Breakfast Meeting Medicaid Official Discusses Health System Reform in Visit to Triangle NCMS Foundation Offers Opportunity to Honor Women in Medicine and Promote Access to Health Care Deadlines Approaching — Act Today! Physician FYI Staff Rounds: Your NCMS at Work for You

	Meetings & Events 08/27/2010 NC Spine Society Annual Meeting more info » 10/08/2010 NC Orthopaedic Annual Meeting more info » 10/22/2010 2010 NC Medical Society Annual Meeting more info » Contact Info Address: PO Box 27167 Raleigh, NC 27611 Phone: 1.919.833.3836 1.800.722.1350 (NC only) Fax: 1.919.833.2023 FAX

© 2010 North Carolina Medical Society. All rights reserved.

“We want to thank NCHA President Bill Pully and NCHFA President Craig Sousa for their support in working with the governor to achieve the rollback,” NCMS EVP, CEO Robert Seligson said.

Earlier this week, the NCMS and NCHA sent letters to the editor of the News & Observer in an effort to clarify the issues surrounding the organizations’ opposition to a proposed 1.35% cut in Medicaid physician payments. The letters were in response to an article published by the newspaper on August 22.

In the letters, Mr. Seligson and Mr. Pully offered evidence of how the Medicaid budget had been cut twice in the past two years, with physicians and hospitals receiving fewer Medicaid dollars as health care costs continue to rise.  Both leaders pointed out that Congress recently gave the state an additional  $124 million, making a third cut in the Medicaid budget unnecessary.

Read the article, “Doctors bicker with Gov. Perdue over Medicaid reimbursement,” by Benjamin Niolet.

Read the NCMS letter to the editor. “Medicaid and Medical Providers,” Aug. 25.

Read the NCHA letter to the editor, “Strains on Medicaid,” Aug. 24.

Click here to the read the entire NCMS letter regarding the draft NC Statewide Health Information Exchange Operation Plan, including the NCMS recommendation to amend Subsection 8.5, page 101, under Consent for Treatment Purposes.