The Weekly Dose           Bexar County Medical Society

Week of Oct. 6,  2013 

Vol. 3, No. 4

Medicaid primary care adjustment 

 

By John K. Wisniewski

BCMS CEO/Executive Director

  

 

Beginning this year and through 2014, Medicaid primary care services are to be reimbursed at Medicare rates. 

 

CMS and the state have not quite settled on processes, so the retroactive money isn't expected until March 2014.

 

For those affected, the cumulative impact could be significant, and the temporary nature of the regulation and inconsistent cash receipts may create challenges in your group compensation model.  

 

This would be a good week to determine if the program applies to you, and, if so, ensure your group is tracking amounts due and considering this issue's effect on your compensation.

 

It also would be a good time to make plans for the retroactive payment when it comes ... perhaps a  rare opportunity to put some savings aside, invest in your practice, or pick out a new car at the BCMS Auto Show on Oct. 17.

 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

 

The Doctors Company

 

Founded by doctors for doctors in 1976, The Doctors Company is committed to relentlessly defending, protecting and rewarding the practice of good medicine. With 73,000 members and $4 billion in assets, The Doctors Company is the nation's largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer.

 

What do your peers think about healthcare reform?

 

Using findings from its groundbreaking Future of Health Care survey, The Doctors Company has created an animated video that provides a clear snapshot into the physician mindset.

 

Watch the short video to see how your opinions compare.

 

 

For more information, contact

Kirsten Baze, RPLU

(512) 275-1874 

 kbaze@thedoctors.com

www.thedoctors.com

 

 Circle of Friends web logo    

This information is sent on behalf of a valued BCMS Circle of Friends sponsor at the silver level, but it is not an endorsement. Donations from Circle of Friends sponsors help keep down the cost of dues and allow BCMS to continue to provide quality service to its members. The society continues its pledge to you and only will involve itself in services and programs that benefit you, the member, and your patients.

BCMS logo green

Dear Colleagues,

 

Greetings from your Bexar County Medical Society!

 

I want to thank you for the honor and privilege to be your president for the coming year. As we go forth into the new rear, I want to ask for your help.  Member participation is the bedrock to the workings of organized medicine, and much of what we accomplish as an organization depends on the active participation of our members. Bexar County Medical Society provides a platform for all of you to identify issues that affect your practice and to collaborate with other physicians, business leaders and legislators to seek reasonable solutions and protect the doctor-patient relationship.

 

I ask for your participation in medical society activities to reinforce our relationships and strengthen our profession.  There are many ways to make your contributions to the medical society and the community at large. You will find your involvement in organized medicine very satisfying and a great learning experience, particularly for the new physicians, resident physicians and medical students. You know the impact and importance of all of us speaking with one unified voice on issues such as payment reform, insurance coverage, public health and patient safety, just to name a few.

 

If you are already a member of one of the committees or the board, I wholeheartedly appreciate your commitment and thank you for your service; if you are not, I sincerely request you to consider serving on a committee. By joining the committee which aligns with your interest, you can bring your experience, your opinions and your plans to improve and strengthen the society to solve many of the issues facing us.

 

Please take a moment to review the descriptions of the committees by clicking here. I have no doubt that you will find one that interests you.

 

I thank you again for your time, interest and commitment. I hope I can count on your help.

 

Warm regards,

 

Ashok

 

K. Ashok Kumar. MD, FRCS, FAAFP

President-elect,

Bexar County Medical Society

 

PLAN NOW TO ATTEND

  

Click image above to register  

  

 

TRENDING TOPICS

 

Important news items for your practice ... 

in case you missed them 

 

 

 

By Mary E. Nava, MBA

BCMS Chief Governmental and Community Relations Officer

 

At the time of this writing, our nation is on government shutdown, the Health Insurance Marketplace has opened for enrollment, and healthcare as we know it is changing dramatically.  These are just some of the mainstream media stories currently on the radar. Here, on the local front, there are some important developments for physicians and their practices that you may already be aware of, but in case you have missed them, the following are three items (with links for more information) for you to note and share with your staff:

 

From the AMA:  Government shutdown won't affect Medicare claims payments; Medicaid and CHIP funding also will continue. Click here to read.

 

From the TMA:  ICD-10 one year away. Follow TMA's on-demand webinars, videos and resource page for complete education and materials to help you make the transition to the ICD-10 system. Click here to learn more.

 

From the Texas Health and Human Services Commission:  CHIP patients' new IDs with a new nine-digit number for services provided on or after Oct. 1 with one exception: CHIP perinatal patients. Click here for information.

 

For local discussion on this and other practice management and advocacy topics, consider joining the BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics Committee by contacting Mary Nava at mary.nava@bcms.org.  

 

 

 

 About The Weekly Dose 

  The Weekly Dose is a service of the Bexar County Medical Society.

Some of the suggestions conveyed may not be applicable to your practice today,
 but the goal is to offer information over time that returns value in excess

of the cost of your membership.

If you would like to recommend future topics to share with your colleagues,

please submit them to the BCMS executive director at john.wisniewski@bcms.org.

All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Copyright © 2013
 Bexar County Medical Society, San Antonio, Texas.

 

 

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