Archive for December, 2009
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Health Directors Push for More H1N1 Vaccine
State Health Director Jeffrey Engel, MD, said he has joined health directors across the country in supporting the CDC’s initiative to get more H1N1 vaccine out to the public. Read […]
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Bulletin for 12-18-2009
Volume 60 Issue 56 12-18-2009 Featured Stories NCMS Signatory to Letters Concerning SGR and Medicare The North Carolina Medical Society is among dozens of state and national physician organizations who […]
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NCMS Signatory to Letters Concerning SGR and Medicare
The North Carolina Medical Society is among dozens of state and national physician organizations who signed a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) on December 15 calling for a permanent repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.
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Senate Continues to Debate Health Care Reform as House Acts on SGR Extension
Debate on health care system reform continued throughout the week in the US Senate. Published reports indicated Democratic leaders were continuing behind-the-scene talks in order to gain the 60 votes needed for passage.
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Changes in CMS Consultation Services Payment Policy
Effective January 1, 2010, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is eliminating the use of all consultation codes (inpatient and office/outpatient codes) for various places of service except for telehealth consultation G-code.
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2010 PQRI Information Available
On December 14, 2009, CMS announced the release of 2010 eRx (electronic prescribing incentive program) and PQRI (physician quality reporting initiative) measure specifications, as well as information regarding 2010 PQRI […]
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Special Offer to Help NCMS Members Receive their 2% PQRI Distributions
DocSite 2008 PQRI submitters were on the receiving end when CMS began distributing payments in October, with some practices receiving more than $20,000. There is still time to submit your […]
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New Joint Commission Standard for Medical Staffs Posted for Review
The Joint Commission has revised standard MS.01.01.01 with the help of a special task force. When the revised standard was first made available generally in March, 2009, the NCMS commented […]
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Voluntary Recall of H1N1 Vaccine Involves 18,000 Doses in NC
The NC Division of Public Health announced Tuesday that it was contacting 132 health care providers who received H1N1 pediatric vaccine from four lots that were voluntarily recalled by the […]
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NC Public Health Tops in Preparedness
North Carolina is among seven states that have received the nation’s highest public health readiness ratings issued by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation […]
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