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1. CMA Urges DHS to Expedite Pandemic Flu Response Plan
CMA recently submitted comments on the state’s Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness plan, expressing concern that the California Department of Health Services (DHS) is not further along in the planning process. CMA in its comments urged DHS to move quickly to ensure that California is ready to respond effectively in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.
A bird flu pandemic could result in 1.6 million hospital admissions and 260,000 fatalities in California alone, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). To prepare for what many see as a looming health care crisis, CDC has mandated—and funded—state pandemic preparedness planning efforts. CMA is an active participant a number of workgroups that meet regularly to discuss related public health issues, including pandemic flu planning.
CMA’s written comments called the DHS plan a good first step. “This plan outlines many of the difficult issues and questions that a final plan must address,” wrote CMA President Michael Sexton, M.D., in the comments. “We applaud the department for beginning this very challenging process. However, we are concerned that the plan is not further along in its development—that no answers, commitments, or specific directions have been determined.”
CMA, represented by Trustee Brian Johnston, M.D., also recently testified at a legislative oversight hearing on DHS’s pandemic response plan. Dr. Johnston reiterated CMA’s concerns about the plan’s progress to date and suggested that the department utilize CMA’s experience and expertise to help expedite the plan’s development.
DHS has invited Dr. Johnston and CMA staff to meet later this month with state public health officer Mark Horton, M.D., to discuss how we might work together on this and other vital public health issues.
Click here for more information.
Contact: Robin Flagg, 415/882-5110 or rflagg@cmanet.org. BACK TO TOP
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2. MedPAC Recommends 2.8% Rise in 2007 Medicare Physician Payments
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) last week recommended that 2007 Medicare physician payments be updated by 2.8 percent based on the anticipated rise in practice costs. The recommendation is part of MedPAC’s 2006 report, submitted to Congress on March 1.
If Congress does not act on this recommendation, physicians are facing a 4.5 percent cut in 2007 and multiple years of steep cuts in subsequent years. The cuts are the result of the unsound sustained growth rate (SGR) formula, which allows Medicare spending on physician services to grow at the rate of the gross domestic product (GDP). The flawed formula actually penalizes physicians because the cost of physician services rises more rapidly than the GDP. The formula also fails to adequately account for the increase in the demand for services.
MedPAC has for years called on Congress to formally scrap the SGR formula and replace it with a formula based on actual practice costs. CMA and AMA will continue to aggressively push for a fair physician payment formula that is based on actual practice costs.
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Contact: Elizabeth McNeil, 415/882-3376 or emcneil@cmanet.org.
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3. QUALITY MATTERS:
Integrated Healthcare Assn. Reports on First Five Years of P4P Program
The Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) recently released a report that details lessons learned from the first five years of its Pay for Performance (P4P) program, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive quality incentive program for physicians. The report also lays out a strategic plan for the next five years.
Each year participating physician groups are awarded bonus payments for reaching evidence-based performance goals in three categories: clinical results, patient experience, and investment in information technology. From 2003 to 2004—the two years for which performance results have been analyzed—clinical results and patient experience scores improved 1 to 10 percent across the various measures in each of the two categories. Far more dramatic improvement was made in IT adoption, with a 54 percent increase in groups qualifying for IT credit.
Two hundred and twenty five physician groups representing 35,000 doctors providing care for 6.2 million HMO patients in California are participating in the P4P program. These groups received a combined total of $90 million in performance-related bonus payments from seven participating health plans in 2003 and 2004. Payouts based on 2005 performance will be made later this year.
IHA believes that fundamental components of California’s program are replicable in Medicare and other P4P programs. Key to the program’s success, according to IHA, is the use of standard performance measures across multiple health plans, physician groups, and patient populations.
The program also uses public reporting and peer recognition, as well as payment incentives, to motivate quality improvements. Physician group scores on patient experience measures are reported on the Office of Patient Advocate’s public website.
IHA is a nonprofit collaborative of physicians, health care systems, and health plans. CMA past-president Ronald Bangasser, M.D., has served on IHA’s board since the inception of the P4P program.
CMA believes that while IHA’s P4P program works well for groups, different processes and quality measurement techniques must be developed for solo and small group physicians, many of whom do not have in place the information technology infrastructure necessary to participate in programs that require electronic data reporting. CMA also believes that all quality-related incentive programs must provide for strong physician input on how “quality” is defined and measured, ensure physicians are appropriately reimbursed for clinical care, and protect patient access to care.
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Contact: Sandra Bressler, 415/882-5171 or sbressler@cmanet.org.
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4. Save the Date: CMA’s Annual Health Care Leadership Academy is May 5-7
CMA’s 9th Annual California Health Care Leadership Academy is May 5-7 at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort near Palm Springs. A dynamic multidisciplinary faculty will discuss trends affecting your economic future as a physician and teach essential leadership skills.
This year’s conference, “Reengineering Health Care: Meeting Future Expectations Without Breaking the Bank,” will address the challenges of cost, quality, and access to care as “locomotives” of health system reform. Noted economists and leaders from the government, business, and labor sectors, as well as from the health care industry itself, will present a variety of perspectives on how to avert a “train wreck” and put the system “on track” toward a viable future.
The academy also will feature a powerful slate of nuts-and-bolts leadership skills workshops including:
- Leadership skills for managing change
- Conflict resolution techniques
- How to prepare a compelling presentation
- How to maximize committee effectiveness
- How to deliver medicine’s (or your organization’s) message to the public
The value of these workshops alone makes the CMA Leadership Academy’s low tuition a bargain. Participants can earn up to 17 hours of category 1 CME.
The California Health Care Leadership Academy has been widely lauded as a “must-attend” event for its unique combined focus on leading-edge health policy trends and practical skills development. In fact, colleagues from the “other” CMA—the Canadian Medical Association—will attend this year’s conference with an eye toward designing their own annual leadership conference.
Click here for more information.
Contact: Roger Purdy, 916/444-5532 or rpurdy@cmanet.org.
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5. IMQ’s Annual CME Provider Conference is May 12
This year’s CME Provider Conference, “Taking CME Into the Future” will be Friday, May 12, at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport.
Linda L. Casebeer, Ph.D., president and founder of Outcomes, Inc., will be the keynote speaker. Other topics will include the new cultural and linguistic competency requirements for CME providers; commercial support issues; compliance with AMA’s new Physician’s Recognition Award regulations; providing CME for performance improvement activities; IMQ’s CME accreditation standards; and problem-solving techniques for common issues facing CME providers.
CMA members receive an early-bird rate of $325 (nonmembers $370) on registrations received before April 14. After April 14, registration will be $385 for CMA members, $425 for nonmembers. Click here for more information.
Contact: Sarah Shimer, 415/882-5182 or sshimer@imq.org.
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6. Sign Up for CMA’s Legislative Hot List
CMA’s Legislative Hot List, distributed weekly during the legislative session, follows the progress through the Legislature of CMA-sponsored bills and other bills of interest to physicians.
If you would like to be notified via e-mail when the Hot List is updated, contact Marlon Cuellar, 916/444-5532 or mcuellar@cmanet.org.
Click here to view the current Hot List.
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7. CMA Member Benefit of the Week: I.C. System
This week’s featured member benefit is I.C. System’s collection solutions.
For more than 20 years, CMA has partnered with I.C. System to help physicians improve their cash flow with efficient, ethical, and cost-effective debt collection solutions.
I.C. System, one of nation’s largest privately owned collection agencies, employs experienced health care industry professionals who thoroughly understand patient accounting. The personnel at I.C. System receive specialized training to maximize recoveries while maintaining positive patient relationships.
CMA members receive a 10 percent “bonus” on all of I.C. System products and services. For example, if you signed up for a 75-account package, you would get to submit up to 83 accounts at no extra charge.
Since 1985, CMA members have recovered more than $22.3 million with the help of I.C. System. For a no-obligation quote,
click here or contact I.C. System at 800/279-3511 and let them know you are a CMA member.
Click here for more information about the benefits and discounts available to CMA members.
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No. 2042 
