January 2018 | www.ademedsociety.org
RSVP today to attend DREAMLAND in Denver January 24, 2018

 Dreamland in Denver
Confronting the Opioid Epidemic in the 
Mile High City

January 24th, 2018
6-9PM
University of Colorado School of Medicine

 

It is with great excitement that we announce that tickets are available for purchase for  Dreamland in Denver: Confronting the Opioid Epidemic in the Mile High City. This event headlined by author Sam Quinones (author of Dreamland), Admiral Sandy Winnefeld (former ViceChair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and dynamic local heroes in Denver's fight to end the opioid epidemic promises to be a unique educational and inspirational event. You can  learn more about our speakers here. 
 
The event will take place on Wednesday, January 24th 2018 on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, with doors opening @ 5:30pm and the event starting promptly at 6:30pm. We have tickets available to fit all budgets, and opportunities to get up close and personal with our speakers and engage in an intimate discussion on the opioid epidemic and how we can end it. 
 
Tickets can be purchased here 

Hurry and purchase tickets today, as there are limited numbers of VIP Tickets. Please feel free to share with your friends and all interested parties!  Finally, the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention & Emergency Medical Minute are proud to share that all net proceeds from the event will be donated to Colorado Nonprofits working to combat the opioid epidemic through education, policy and direct patient contact. 
 
Thank you and look forward to seeing you on 
January 24th!
 

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Physicians Must Comply With New Price Transparency Disclosures
Prepared by Colorado Medical Society
Beginning January 1, 2018 physicians will need to disclose to consumers their charges for the 15 most common services they provide when payment is made directly by the patients rather than by a third party.  In 2017 the Colorado General Assembly passed legislation requiring greater transparency in provider prices enabling consumers to be better informed. Physician practices face new responsibilities under this new statute, Colorado Revised Statute:25-49-103.

Who must comply:
  • The Act applies to "health care providers" which includes physicians whether in a solo practice, medical group, independent practice association or professional corporation.  (For information regarding the requirements for health care facilities see C.R.S.25-49-104.)
  • A hospital-based health care provider who is not an employee of the hospital where the services are being delivered is not required to provide health care prices as described above for the health care services rendered in the hospital setting.
 What to do:
  • Health care providers are required to make available to the public, the prices for at least the fifteen most common health care services provided.  Such information should be available in a single document, either electronically or by posting conspicuously on the provider's website if one exists.
    •  Physicians practicing in a group of not more than six individual health care providers with the same license type may comply with the Act by making the health care prices available in patient waiting areas.
    •  If the health care provider, in the normal course of his or her practice, regularly provides fewer than fifteen different services, the health care provider shall make available the prices for the health care services most commonly provided.
  • A health care provider who is a member of a professional corporation that contracts with a single health maintenance organization, complies with this section if the professional corporation or its contracting health maintenance organization makes available to the public, the prices for at least the fifteen most common health care services that the health care provider or health maintenance organization would charge individuals who are not members of the health maintenance organization. 
Such information should be available in a single document, either electronically or by posting conspicuously on its website.
 
Continue reading the full article here.

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QPP:  Final Rule for year 2 (2018) Issued 
What you need to know...
November 2, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Rule for Year 2 (2018) of the Medicare Merit-based Incentive Payment System.  Below are some key highlights and links to the Rule and fact sheets.    As a reminder, please connect with the Colorado Quality Payment Program Coalition on LinkedIn for weekly updates and tips for success related to QPP

Year 2 Final Rule Highlights:
  • Weighting the MIPS Cost performance category to 10% of your total MIPS final score, and the Quality performance category to 50%.
  • Raising the MIPS performance threshold to 15 points in Year 2 (from 3 points in the transition year).
  • Allowing the use of 2014 Edition and/or 2015 Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) in Year 2 for the Advancing Care Information performance category, and giving a bonus for using only 2015 CEHRT.
  • Awarding up to 5 bonus points on your MIPS final score for treatment of complex patients.
  • Automatically weighting the Quality, Advancing Care Information, and Improvement Activities performance categories at 0% of the MIPS final score for clinicians impacted by Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria and other natural disasters.
  • Adding 5 bonus points to the MIPS final scores of small practices. 
  • Adding Virtual Groups as a participation option for MIPS.
  • Issuing an interim final rule with comment for extreme and uncontrollable circumstances where clinicians can be automatically exempt from these categories in the transition year without submitting a hardship exception application (note that Cost has a 0% weight in the transition year) if they were have been affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which occurred during the 2017 MIPS performance period.
  • Decreasing the number of doctors and clinicians required to participate as a way to provide further flexibility by excluding individual MIPS eligible clinicians or groups with ≤$90,000 in Part B allowed charges or ≤200 Medicare Part B beneficiaries.
  • Providing more detail on how eligible clinicians participating in selected APMs (known as MIPS APMs) will be assessed under the APM scoring standard.
  • Creating additional flexibilities and pathways to allow clinicians to be successful under the All Payer Combination Option. This option will be available beginning in performance year 2019.
Upcoming Colorado QPP Coalition Office Hour Webinar:
January 23rd  - QPP Performance Category Reporting: The basics and guidance on how to report
Now it's time to report!  This session will highlight how to report for each of the Performance Categories for the 2017 QPP performance year.
 
Once you register, you will automatically be registered for all future webinars through the Colorado QPP Coalition. 
Key Links for More Information
  • The Quality Payment Program final rule with comments can be downloaded from the Federal Register here.
  • For an overview of the final rule with comment, please visit here.
  • For an executive summary of the rule, click here.
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Physician Burnout Conference- May 10-11: Integrated strategies for Diverse Stakeholders

Make plans to attend the inaugural "Physician Burnout: Integrated Strategies for Diverse Stakeholders" conference, at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain in Avon, Colo. Registration is now open:  www.regonline.com/physicianburnout.
This two-day conference will focus on the root of physician burnout as well as provide tools and resources for mitigating burnout and achieving a holistic approach to physician wellness. Speakers from all over the country will share their research and experience on this important subject at this innovative and exciting event.  Click here to view the agenda and speakers. 
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SPONSORS:
Get covered with COPIC
COPIC Insurance Company is  Colorado's leading medical  liability insurance provider. 
Three out of four physicians 
choose COPIC for this 
critically important coverage. 
ADEMS and CMS members 
receive a 10 percent premium  discount from COPIC.

For more information, 
call (720) 858-6000 or visit www.callcopic.com
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
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QPP Performance
Category Reporting
January 23, 2017
12noon
Webinar
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Dreamland in Denver:
Confronting the
Opioid Epidemic in Mile High City
January 24, 2018
6PM-9PM
University of Colorado School of Medicine

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ADEMS seeking interested physicians to interview legislative candidates 

For many years, ADEMS has coordinated with COMPAC to interview local candidates for state legislative seats. Recommendations from our local physicians are generally persuasive in COMPAC's decision making process to support / endorse area candidates. 
Depending on the race and district, interviews we participate in may focus on either the primary or general election races.
Our physicians participation in these interviews offers an opportunity to establish relationships with our local political leaders, inform them about the physician perspective on issues impacting the profession and patients, and additionally provides candidates information about  key issues of importance to the medical community. 
All interested physician members are welcome to participate in these interviews.  We do our best to host them around your office hours and schedule.
With the coming election year ADEMS will likely participate in several  candidate interviews as the various races become more organized.
If you are interested in participating in these interviews or would like more information regarding the process, please contact Andrea at
ADEMSstaff@gmail.com 
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