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• Federal Government Announces Plan to Delay ICD-10 Implementation
  Responding to physicians’ worries, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and President Obama have announced their intent to postpone the Oct. 1, 2013 ICD-10 compliance date.
• Workers' Compensation Fees Increased for 2012
  The 2012 workers’ compensation fees are 3.5 percent higher than 2011 rates.
• Members Audited by State Are Thankful for CME Tracker
  A number of PAMED members recently were informed by the State Board of Medicine that they were being audited to be sure they met state requirements for CME. Thankfully, many of these members could turn to their records in PAMED’s CME Tracker to more efficiently reply to the audit.
• Watch for CME Audits from the State Board of Medicine
  Several physicians have reported to the Pennsylvania Medical Society that they’ve received CME audit letters from the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine. Find out what you should you do if you receive an audit letter and how soon you have to respond.
• Physicians Outline ID Badge Concerns to Department of Health
  PAMED has commented on ID badge regulations, telling the state Department of Health to reduce the burden on medical practices and make the implementation process smoother.
• Transition to 5010 Gives Physicians Headaches and Frustration
  We’ve heard from many physicians and practice administrators who are experiencing significant payment disruptions along with a multitude of other problems related to the 5010 transition.
• Comply with New ID Badge Regulations with Easy-to-Use Template
  We’ve heard from many physicians who are frustrated with the ID badge regulations and concerned that it will take a lot of staff time to comply. PAMED has developed an easy-to-use template that meets all of the requirements.
• Health Care ID Badge FAQs
  PAMED answers frequently asked questions on the health care ID badge interim regulations.
• Avoid Payment Issues: Pay Close Attention to Your Medicare Compliance
  It’s the time of year again to carefully review your compliance with Medicare requirements. The 2012 Office of Inspector General (OIG) Work Plan will focus on physician compliance and identifying improper payments.
• Medical Record Copying Fee Limits Up Slightly in 2012
  The per-page amount providers may charge for copying medical records will increase slightly in 2012. Use our convenient chart showing more complete charge information.
• Don’t Be Overwhelmed with 2012 CPT® Coding Changes
  We often hear that our members and practice managers are overwhelmed each year with CPT changes. 2012 is no exception with more than 500 coding changes. The following breakdown can help you understand the coding changes and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• PennDOT Helps Physicians Understand Diabetes Reporting Requirements
  PennDOT has developed a list of frequently asked questions to help clarify their interpretation of the diabetes reporting regulations for physicians.
• HIPAA Audits to Assess Privacy and Security Compliance
  You may see a HIPAA auditor in the next year as the federal Office of Civil Rights pilots an auditing program to assess privacy and security compliance among health care providers and other entities covered by HIPAA.
• Health Care Innovation Challenge to Award Up to $1 Billion in Grants
  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the new Health Care Innovation Challenge, which will award up to $1 billion in grants to innovative projects across the country over a three-year period.
• Save Time and Money by Verifying Insurance Eligibility Electronically
  Physicians often spend a lot of time verifying patients’ insurance eligibility and policy coverage. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could do this electronically and spend more time caring for your patients? You can by using key HIPAA electronic standard transactions.
• Prepare for Version 5010 and ICD-10 with Free Member Resources
  Any big change comes with many questions. Members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society have access to a variety of online resources and staff support to help them with the upcoming transitions to version 5010 and ICD-10.
• Get Free Access to PAMED’s Legal Briefs as a Member Benefit
  Physicians and practice administrators often find themselves with legal questions, such as how long they have to keep patients’ medical records. Fortunately, our members can turn to the Pennsylvania Medical Society for answers and help.
• Market Your Practice and Make Sure You’re Listed in PAMED’s Find-A-Physician Directory
  If you are a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, market your practice by making sure you are listed in Find-A-Physician online directory.
• Prepare Your Practice for the Transition to ICD-10 with PAMED's Free Webinar
  You can't always foresee every bump in the road. But, ICD-10 is something you can prepare for now. The Pennsylvania Medical Society can help.
• Education Series Brings Physicians and Hospitals Together to Increase Quality
  The Pennsylvania Medical Society – in cooperation with the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania – will offer a four-part educational series designed to help you explore collaborative leadership strategies, improve quality and value, and adapt to new payment models.
• Physicians and Hospitals—Workflow Redesign to Achieve Meaningful Use (Webinar)
  In this webinar, learn how electronic health records, meaningful use, and quality reporting lead to workflow redesigns that improve patient care quality and value.
• Physicians and Hospitals—Advancing Quality Together: The Impact on Physicians (Webinar)
  Concerned about collecting and using quality data? This webinar discussed data selection and physician quality reporting, and the implications for physicians.
• Physicians and Hospitals—Advancing Quality Together: The Hospital’s Perspective (Webinar)
  This webinar discussed how physicians and hospitals can work together to lead patient care improvement.
• Version 5010 Testing Portal Saves Physicians Time and Money
  Highmark Medicare Services recently launched a new web-based portal to help save physicians time and money as they go through the testing process.
• New Publication Discusses Transition to Part-Time Work
  Transitioning to part-time practice is an emerging trend in the medical profession. The decision to work part time is one that impacts both the physician wanting to reduce his or her hours and the practice as a whole
• Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to Hold Provider Trainings
  The Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will hold free online training sessions this fall to help health care providers better understand workers’ compensation.
• New Roadmap Educates Providers on Fraud and Abuse
  The Office of Inspector General recently published “A Roadmap for New Physicians: Avoiding Medicare and Medicaid Fraud and Abuse" to help educate all providers, regardless of specialty or practice setting, about fraud and abuse laws.
• 2011 Immunization Schedules Published
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published the 2011 recommended immunization schedules for children, adolescents, and adults.
• PAMED Develops Medicare Deductible and Coinsurance Preventive Services Tool
  Medicare is now waiving coinsurance and deductibles for some covered preventive services. The Pennsylvania Medical Society has created a chart to help you identify which preventive services are affected by this change.
• PAMED Publishes Informed Decision-Making Form for Screening Tests and Vaccines
  The Pennsylvania Medical Society is providing an informed decision-making form to aid in the care of patients for whom physician practices have recommended screening tests or vaccines.
• Joint Commission Developing Primary Care Home Designation
  The Joint Commission is currently developing a Primary Care Home designation.
• How to Get the ePrescribing Bonus in 2011 and Avoid the 2012 Medicare Penalty
  Physicians and other licensed prescribers can avoid a penalty plus earn a bonus equal to 1 percent of their total Medicare Part B allowances by ePrescribing at least 25 times during the calendar year.
• Storage Facility Puts Hold on Destruction of Academy Medical Center Medical Records
  The Pennsylvania Medical Society is working to provide physicians in southeastern PA with information about the status of medical records formerly generated at Academy Medical Center, which closed in 2007.
• Quick Release of Records Speeds SSI Help for Needy
  Physicians can help indigent patients get SSI by quickly complying with documentation requests.
• Be Prepared for New Tax Provisions of Health Reform Law
  Physicians and medical practices should be aware of several new tax laws and provisions coming into effect.
• Have You Started Testing New HIPAA Electronic Standards?
  There’s a lot to be done before the new HIPAA 5010 electronic transaction standards take effect on Jan. 1, 2012.
• State of Medicine Report Identifies Counties on Health Care Access Watch List
  Seventeen counties in Pennsylvania are at risk of current or future access to care problems, according to the Pennsylvania Medical Society's 2010 State of Medicine report.
• Employers, Insurers Must Offer Insurance Coverage to Adult Children
  New rules requiring insurers to cover adult dependents up to 26 years of age will have two major effects on physicians.
• Health System Reform Amends Stark Law Self-Referral Exception
  Health system reform legislation has tightened the in-office ancillary services exception to the Ethics in Self-Referral Law, also known as the Stark Law.
• Physician Practices May Be Eligible for New Tax Credits
  Small businesses, including physician practices, may be eligible for new tax credits of up to 35 percent of the cost of providing health insurance to their employees.
• Twenty Ways Health System Reform Will Affect Physician Practice
  This list looks at some of the biggest impacts health system reform will have on physician practice.
• Questions Physicians Should Ask to Prepare for Health System Reform
  To help you get ready for the changes brought by health system reform, we’ve created this list of questions that physicians should ask themselves.
• A New Kind of Practice
  It can be hard for Pennsylvania’s rural Medicaid patients to find a doctor to care for them. That’s why rural health centers like Cambridge Springs Health Center, where Bella Harriger serves as office manager, are so vital.
• Going Solo, Physician Gets a Helping Hand
  Sometimes, you need an instruction manual. One of those times is when you are starting a medical practice—something James McManaway III, MD, quickly learned when he decided to strike out on his own.
• Less Is More for York County Physician
  Shawn Moyer, MD, sees about 11 patients for at least 30 minutes. He heads home on time just about every day and hardly ever gets after-hours call. How does he do it?
• Silent PPOs and Steps to Avoid Them
  Silent PPOs are a growing problem, siphoning billions each year from the health care system while going completely unregulated in many states.
• Protect Your Social Security Number: Apply for an EIN
  A recent security breach by the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association demonstrates why physicians should consider not using their Social Security number as their tax ID number.
• How Mini-COBRA Law Affects You
  What does the state's new mini-COBRA law, which affects small businesses, mean to your practice?
• Osteopathic Board Allows PAs to Prescribe
  Physician assistants (PAs) collaborating with doctors of osteopathy (DOs) can now prescribe medication.
• Marketing Your Practice to Enhance Patient Satisfaction
  Learn how to communicate with patients to make them feel valued and welcome.
• Red Flags Checklist (PDF)
  Practices can use this checklist to help them identify the "red flags" of identity theft. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Identity Theft Prevention Program Template (Word)
  Practices can use this template to develop an identity theft prevention and detection program. (Requires Microsoft Word)
• Employee References: How to Respond When Asked
  This new guide from the Pennsylvania Medical Society provides information on how to respond to employee reference requests.
• How to Comply with State Sales and Use Tax Laws
  Learn how to comply with Pennsylvania's sales and use tax laws.
• Evaluation and Management Quick Reference Cards
  A summary of Medicare guidelines to help physicians choose the correct evaluation and management code.
• What You Need to Know About Ambulatory Surgical Facility Regulations
  Facilities that provide specialty or multi-specialty outpatient surgical treatment must comply with the state’s ASF regulations. Do you know what you need to know?
• Patient Satisfaction: A Must for Every Practice
  Take all the stress out of conducting surveys with this free booklet and our ready-to-use patient satisfaction survey.
• Setting Up a Practice—Areas to Consider
  This checklist is for physicians who are considering starting a practice.
• Selecting Computer Hardware and Software for Your Medical Practice
  Use this short paper to help you with the process of selecting a practice management for your medical practice.
• Policy and Procedure Manuals/Employee Handbooks for Medical Practices
  Make sure your practice has updated policy and procedures manuals and an employee handbook.
• What to Look for When Hiring a Medical Practice Executive
  PMSCO Healthcare Consulting offers tips on hiring a medical practice executive.
• Workplace Poster Requirements for Medical Practices
  Information about state and federal labor law requirements and where to obtain mandatory workplace posters for your medical practice.
• Don't Need A Budget? Think Again!
  PMSCO Healthcare Consulting responds to the top 10 reasons why most practices don't have a budget.
• What's Your Practice's Financial IQ?
  Just as physicians recommend preventive steps for their patients, so too should they follow a series of steps for preventing financial health problems in their practices.
• Pennsylvania Standard Application
  The Pennsylvania Standard Application helps to decrease the ever-increasing burden of paperwork for physicians and their office staff.
• Stimulus Package Makes COBRA Easier to Handle
  Medical practices may need to comply with a provision of the economic stimulus package that offers a 65 percent subsidy of COBRA premiums.
• Health Care Initiatives Included in Economic Stimulus Plan
  The economic stimulus plan that was recently signed into law contained billions for health care initiatives.

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