Calendar
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April 16, 2010
World Voice Day Celebration
4pm to 6pm
Voice and Swallowing Clinic
Harborview Medical
Center
More Info
FMI: (206) 744-3770
meyertk@uw.edu
April 22, 2010
2010 Spring Dinner Meeting
Seattle Tennis Club
"Challenging Cases
in Northwest Otolaryngology"
Registration Form
September 26-29, 2010
2010 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO
Boston, MA
January 7-8, 2011
NWAO Winter Conference
Bell Harbor International Conference Center
Seattle, WA
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NWAO Board of Directors
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May Huang, MD
President
Craig Murakami, MD
Immediate Past President
Steven Bayles, MD
Secretary/Treasurer
Al Merati, MD
Program Chairman
Paul Abson, MD
Program Co-Chairman
Scott Manning, MD
AAO BOG Representative
Greg Davis, MD
Member-at-Large
Kris Moe, MD
Member-at-Large
Christine Puig, MD
Member-at-Large
Eric Waterman, MD
Member-at-Large
Shannon McDonald
Executive Director
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NWAO Website
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www.nwao.org
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NWAO's looking for volunteers: Get
Involved!
Do you want to
get involved in your state specialty organization? The NWAO Board of
Directors is working on strategies to keep you and your practice up to date
with the most current education, legislation and practice management
resources. We are looking for support from our membership with
opportunities to submit articles that highlight our local ENT talent. This
can include practice updates, such as new procedures or a new physician joining
your practice.
Are you interested? Please contact the NWAO office at smc@wsma.org or 206-956-3648.
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NWAO CME Calendar
In an effort to provide our membership with the most current Educatinal
Calendar, the NWAO is looking to post all ENT CME events on a master
calendar. That way, you will only need
to look one place to find a calendar of events pertinent to your pactice.
To post an event on this calendar, email the
NWAO office at smc@wsma.org
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New
Rules for Office-Based Anesthesia and Analgesia Adopted-but Not "Final" Yet
Earlier this month the Medical
Quality Assurance Commission (MQAC) adopted rules governing safe and effective
anesthesia and analgesia in office-based surgery settings. There were some
small, clarifying changes made to the rules before adoption, but none were
substantive in nature. The rules will become "finalized" sometime in the next
several weeks.
Once
finalized, the rules will be publically distributed. The rules will become
effective 31 days after the final version is filed-most likely by the end of
August or early September.
Among other things, the rules
will require that facilities administering anesthesia or sedation for certain
types for office-based surgery become accredited or certified. If your practice
must comply with these rules, remember-your
facility must be accredited or certified
by an entity listed in the rules within
365 calendar dates of the effective date.
To see the rules in their
current form, go to http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/mqac/RulesInProgress.htm.
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New Rules on Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures Go Into
Effect on June 6, 2010
The Medical Quality Assurance
Commission adopted rules on non-surgical medical cosmetic procedures on January
14, 2010. The rules go into effect on June 6, 2010. There are two rules.
The first rule (WAC
246-919-606) establishes the duties and responsibilities of a physician who delegates the injection of
medication or substance for cosmetic purposes or the use of prescription
devices for cosmetic purposes.
The second rule (WAC
246-918-126) establishes the duties and responsibilities of a physician assistant who injects medication or substances
for cosmetic purposes or uses prescription devices for cosmetic purposes. The
rules do not apply
to: (a) surgery; (b) the use of prescription lasers, non-coherent light,
intense pulsed light, radiofrequency, or plasma as applied to the skin, which
are covered in WAC 246-919-605 and 246-918-125; (c) the practice of a
profession by a licensed health care professional under methods or means within
the scope of practice permitted by such license; (d) the use of
non-prescription devices; and (e) intravenous therapy.
The explanation for the rules
as stated by the Commission is an increase in the number of complaints about
individuals with little or no training, and without appropriate license or
adequate supervision, who are injecting medications or substances into patients
and using prescription devices on patients. The Commission has disciplined
several licensees for this conduct.
For
more information on the rules go to http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/mqac/RulesInProgress.htm.
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President Signs
Latest Congressional Short-term SGR Patch. Cut Reversed. Update
Provided
Friday morning, President Obama signed into law the
"Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief
Act of 2010." The measure, already approved by the Senate, was passed by
the House last evening on a 417 to 1 vote. This law reverses the 21% cut
to Medicare Part B physician rates that went into effect June 1.
The law establishes a 2.2% update to the Medicare Physician
Fee Schedule (MPFS) payment rates, retroactive from June 1, 2010 through
November 30, 2010.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS):
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The
agency has directed Medicare claims administration contractors to discontinue
processing claims at the negative update rates and temporarily to hold all
claims for services rendered June 1, 2010 and later, until the new 2.2% update
rates are tested and loaded into the Medicare contractors' claims processing
systems.
- CMS
expects to begin processing claims at the new rates no later than July 1,
2010. Claims for services rendered prior to June 1 will continue to
be processed and paid as usual.
- Claims
containing June 2010 dates of service which have been paid at the negative
update rates will be reprocessed as soon as possible.
- Under
current law, Medicare payments to physicians and other providers paid under the
MPFS are based upon the lesser of the submitted charge on the claim or the MPFS
amount. Claims containing June dates of service that were submitted with
charges greater than or equal to the new 2.2% update rates automatically will
be reprocessed.
- If
you submitted claims containing June dates of service with charges less than
the 2.2% update amount, you'll need to contact the local Medicare contractor to
request an adjustment. Submitted charges on claims cannot be altered
without a request from the physician/provider.
You should not resubmit claims already submitted
to their Medicare contractor
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Support Representative John Driscoll's
Re-election Campaign
John Driscoll (D - 6th District, Spokane) has been a strong
advocate for issues important to the Northwest Academy of Otolaryngology (NWAO). Rep. Driscoll is Vice-Chair of the House
Healthcare and Wellness Committee, through which all significant health care
legislation passes. To keep Rep.
Driscoll in Olympia, WASCA is holding two fundraisers in support of Rep.
Driscoll's re-election campaign to the Washington State House of Representatives. The first is in Seattle on June 29 and
another is on July 8 in Spokane. These
are important events and we strongly urge you to support them. Please go to www.votejohndriscoll.org and register for one
of these two events
More Information:
Seattle: June 28
Spokane: July 8
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Murray
Announces Washington State to Lead Effort in Medical Malpractice Reform
U.S. Senator Patty Murray announced
that Washington State will be receiving four grants from the Department of
Health and Human Services to invest in state programs that work to implement
and evaluate patient safety approaches and medical liability reforms. The
investments are part of the patient safety and medical liability initiative
that President Obama announced during a September 9, 2009 address to a joint
session of Congress, and are funded under the new health care reform law.
Four
Washington state programs, led by the following individuals, are among only 20
national efforts to receive grants:
Thomas Gallagher, M.D.,
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, $2,972,209
The project creates a statewide
initiative involving communication training for health care workers and a
collaboration between hospitals and a malpractice insurer to improve adverse
event analysis, disclosure, and compensation. The goal is to enhance the
culture of health care communication in order to improve patient safety and
decrease medical malpractice liability.
Dianne Garcia, J.D., Multicare
Health System, Tacoma, WA, $299,985
The project will develop a plan
for implementing an integrated medical liability and patient safety program
based on identifying avoidable patient safety problems, and providing an
acknowledgement, apology, and standardized compensation to patients who have
been harmed or their families.
Karen Domino, M.D., M.P.H.,
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, $299,071
This project will develop and
implement patient-friendly shared decision-making tools and processes for
patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery in the University of Washington Health
Care System. Shared decision-making improves patient safety by enhancing
patient understanding and empowering patients to actively participate in the
care.
Cindy Lou Corbett, Ph.D.,
Washington State University, Pullman,WA, $298,810
This project will use stakeholder focus groups
to design best practice medication risk management systems that can be
integrated into transitional care. Upon successful completion, researchers expect
to demonstrate that they can integrate medication risk management efforts into
transitional care models to maximize safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness
while reducing medical liability.
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New Washington Health Program (WHP) Begins July 1
With
more than 100,000 people on a waiting list for the state's Basic Health
program, low-income Washington residents are finding few affordable options for
health care coverage. To address this need, the state is introducing the Washington
Health Program (WHP)-non-subsidized version of the Basic Health Program
(BHP). WHP
provides essentially the same benefits as the BHP, but with no subsidy and no
cost to the state. Enrollees pay the full premium, plus a small amount for
administrative costs. The HCA is contracting with Community Health Plan
(CHP) of Washington to provide Washington Health coverage. Premiums are as
low as $100 per month. WHP is available to any state resident who is not
enrolled in the BHP, Medicaid, or eligible for Medicare. While designed for low
income people, there are no income limitations, and it is available anywhere in
the state. Coverage begins July 1. Patient applications are being taken now
through the Washington Health website at www.washingtonhealth.hca.wa.gov. Applications can also be requested toll-free at 1.800.660.9840. Physicians
who already contract for the Basic Health program who do not wish to also see
the additional WHP patients or those payments at the BHP rates, will need to
opt out of that portion of the CHP network. If you wish to opt out, send written notification to CHP. If you wish to
join the CHP network, contact CHP Customer Service at 800.440.1561 and request
a provider contract for WHP. |
UnitedHealth Settlement-Resources from
AMA
A new online resource
from the AMA can help thousands of physicians file claims in the
record-breaking settlement reached in the AMA's legal victory against
UnitedHealth Group - the nation's largest health insurer.
More than $350 million is available to
compensate physicians and their patients for 15 years of artificially low
payments for out-of-network services, and this new resource provides physicians
with step-by-step assistance in determining eligibility, assembling
documentation and filing a claim under the terms of the settlement.
Access the resource online at www.ama-assn.org (Advocacy, Current Topics, Private
Sector Advocacy, Health Insurer Settlements, then UnitedHealth Group...).
The
deadline for filing a claim to share in the settlement fund is Oct. 5.
The settlement claims administrator began mailing the settlement notice and
claim forms to physicians April 16. Physicians should keep an eye out for their
claim forms, which contain important information that can help with filing the
claim. In addition, AMA members can get personal assistance with filing a claim
from the AMA's Practice Management Center by visiting www.ama-assn.org/go/pmc or
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Reminder: Tamper-Proof Prescriptions Required as of July
1
Starting
July 1, 2010, all prescriptions written in Washington state must be on
Washington state Board of Pharmacy approved tamper-resistant prescription paper
or pads (TRPP). While the layout will be much the
same as previous forms-with two signature lines for prescriber and patient
information-the forms must include the seal of approval in the lower right-hand
corner of the prescription form. Only Board of Pharmacy approved forms are to
be used for a hard copy given to a patient or designee, including prescriptions
printed from an electronic medical record. The Board of Pharmacy advises that it is permissible for vendors
to provide legitimate requestors with blank stock of the board-approved tamper
resistant paper, which can then be printed by the practice. Check the TRPP
webpage www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/trpp for
more information.
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CMS
Confirms Medicaid Integrity Contractor Audits "on Hold" for Washington
The WSMA has received confirmation via the office of
Senator Patty Murray that CMS has placed "on hold" the egregious Medicaid
Integrity Contractor (MICs) audits for Washington State. These audits,
conducted via CMS' contractor, HMS, have imposed excessive, confusing and
unfair burdens on physicians' practices in the course conducting the MICs
audits. The WSMA is working closely with Senator Murray's office, CMS and the
AMA to introduce fair and reasonable safeguards for physicians' practices.
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ONC Releases Final Rule For Temporary Certification Of EHRs Under Meaningful Use
The Office of the National Coordinator
for Health Information Technology (ONC) released the final rule outlining the
temporary program to authorize organizations that will test and certify
electronic health records (EHRs) for use by providers to meet requirements for
"meaningful use." Eligible professionals can qualify for up to $44,000 in
incentives under Medicare and up to $63,750 under Medicaid.
The final rule stipulates criteria
organizations must meet to become authorized by ONC to test and certify that
EHRs or EHR modules meet the meaningful use requirements. A
separate final rule for EHR standards is expected soon from ONC, along with the
final "meaningful use" rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS). EHR certification is intended to provide a basic guarantee to
purchasers that the EHR purchased will be capable of helping achieve meaningful
use under the rules set forth by CMS. It is expected that multiple
organizations will apply to become EHR or EHR module- certifying bodies,
including the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology
(CCHIT). ONC plans to replace the temporary EHR certification program once
the permanent certification rule is released later this year.
For More Information, The Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the official Websitefor the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
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DEA Regulation On e-Prescribing Of Controlled Substances Now In Effect
The Drug Enforcement Administration's
(DEA) Interim Final Rule (IFR) on electronic prescriptions for controlled
substances, published on March. 31, 2010, is now in effect. The interim
final regulations provide clinicians with the option of writing prescriptions
for controlled substances electronically and also permit pharmacies to receive,
dispense and archive these electronic prescriptions. Although the regulations
went into effect on June 1, 2010, the DEA has sought further comments on a
number of key issues. It may take many months before the infrastructure is in
place to support the full implementation of these rules in ambulatory care
settings.
Access
the DEA interim final rule on
e-prescribing
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Interpreter Fee Schedule Change Effective July
1, 2010
Effective
July 1, 2010, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) fee for group
and individual interpreter services will be $0.79 per minute. L&I is faced
with difficult decisions to control costs and achieve budget goals for the State
Fund Workers' Compensation Program. We believe that our fees are still
competitive with other payers, including other state programs.
L&I
has completed the healthcare payment policies and fee schedule for 2010 and
will be published on the web by June 1, 2010. You may request a CD with the
updated fee schedule and payment policies in June as well.
If you have any questions, comments or would
like to request a CD please contact Cecilia Maskell by phone: (360) 902-5161 or
by email: Mili235@Lni.wa.gov.
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Membership Directory
This online membership directory is password protected and
only your fellow colleagues will have access to your practice information.
Please visit http://www.nwao.organd clink on
the directory tab to view the membership directory.
Member Directory
Access Information:
Member Directory Login: nwao
Password: ents
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Membership Report
If you haven't paid your 2009 Membership
Dues, please do so right away. Your
practice information will be deleted from the membership directory if not paid.
110- Active Members
89- Delinquent Members
69- Non-Members
6 - Retired Members
Encourage your colleagues to join the NWAO and help build a strong organization
to support your specialty. For
membership questions, email the NWAO at smc@wsma.org.
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About Us
Northwest Academy of Otolaryngology
Executive Director - Shannon McDonald
2033 6th Ave, Suite 1100 | Seattle, WA 98121
Phone: 800.552.0612 | Fax: 206.441.5863
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