A webinar CMS hosted last week delved into a new physician assistant law that took effect in August 2023. Watch the webinar, All the Things You Need to Know About the New Physician Assistant Regulations, on demand here.

Additional resources to help you navigate this law:

• COPIC’s analysis that explains exactly how the new agreements work
• Collaborative practice agreement template (Word document download), developed by COPIC and supported by CMS
• Performance evaluation form template (Word document download), developed by COPIC and supported by CMS

There is still time to make Medicare changes during 1/1-3/31

Network changes are a given with Medicare Advantage. Unfortunately, one major network change happened half way through the Annual Enrollment Period. Advent Health will not be in Humana’s Medicare Advantage network for 2024. If your patients find themselves in a situation when they need to switch to continue care with a certain physician or facility, they can use the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period that runs every year from Jan. 1 to March 31. Read more here from CMS sponsor Mary Jo Heins.

Last chance for PDMP Integration funding opportunity (No cost to providers!)

Colorado Medical Society would like to make physicians and practices aware of two related opportunities to make it easier to do PDMP checks as Colorado law requires, at no cost to the practice. Find out more about this electronic health record integration through Opisafe. You must contact Opisafe by Jan. 2, 2024. Read more here.

On-demand recording: Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention's 11th Annual Meeting

The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, an organization CMS has supported since its inception, hosted their 11th Annual Meeting in October. If you were unable to attend the meeting or would like to review the presentations, a recording of the morning and afternoon sessions is now online along with videos of the breakout sessions, presentation slides, and poster PDFs at  

corxconsortium.org/2023-annual-meeting. Also presented during the meeting were pain management and opioid use resources from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and naloxone information from HCPF in English and in Spanish.

Keep Colorado clean and safe: Dispose of meds, protect kids and the environment with Colorado's Medication Takeback Program

As dedicated health care professionals, you understand the importance of safe medication storage. However, did you know your guidance can make a significant impact on your patients' families and the environment? Encourage them to participate in Colorado's Medication Takeback Program -- a vital step towards a safer and healthier Colorado.

Find a local dropbox at TakeMedsSeriously.org/safe-disposal. More information here.

An easier way to protect the environment starts in your medicine cabinet.

Nomination period open for 2024 CMS leadership election

Have you thought about a leadership role in the Colorado Medical Society? We encourage members of all walks of life, perspectives, backgrounds, practice settings, career stages and geographic locations to consider a leadership position now or in the future. The nomination period for the 2024 election -- during which CMS members elect the president-elect and members of the Colorado delegation to the American Medical Association -- is open through Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. The election takes place in August. Read more here.

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