2016 Match Day
On March 18, 2016, 157 UAMS medical students received sealed white envelopes which would reveal where they would spend the next few years. Students were called randomly to the podium in groups of five to 10. An eager crowd of family and friends filled the Embassy Suites ballroom to…
What you can do now to help address a U.S. Zika outbreak
Article from AMA Wire. In preparation for the warmer weather just around the corner, more than 300 local, state and federal government officials and health experts gathered Friday for a special Zika summit to develop action plans for preventing and addressing mosquito-borne transmission of the virus in certain…
CDC reports nine additional pregnant women infected with Zika
USA Today (3/18, Szabo) said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “is reporting nine additional Zika infections in pregnant women,” bringing the total up to 18 cases of Zika diagnosed in pregnant women in the US. According to the CDC, eight are still pregnant while the other…
Deadline Extended for Hardship Exemption Application
New and Updated FAQs Provide Guidance on Public Health Reporting Requirements for the EHR Incentive Programs The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the application deadline for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program hardship exception process that reduces burden on clinicians, hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs). The new deadline…
Avoid meaningful use penalties: Exemption deadline now July 1
Physicians now have until July 1—an additional three months—to apply for a hardship exemption from the electronic health record (EHR) meaningful use financial penalties for the 2015 program year. Those who don’t apply could face up to a 3 percent cut in their Medicare payments in 2017 since…
Governors discuss ways to fight opioid abuse epidemic
The AP (2/22, Nuckols) reports that President Obama “declined to endorse” a proposal by the National Governors Association to limit the number of opioid pain medications physicians can prescribe. According to the AP, “Obama was cool to the idea at a meeting with the governors he hosted at…
CCMS Clarification on Meaningful Use Hardship Exemption
In response to requests from the AMA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued FAQ #14357 clarifying that applying for a hardship exemption from the 2017 meaningful use payment penalty will not preclude physicians from receiving the incentive if they successfully attest to meaningful use…
US, Brazil launch campaigns against spread of Zika virus
The Washington Post (2/13, A1, Sun, Dennis) reported that global health officials “are mobilizing to battle the fast-spreading Zika virus, sending rapid-response teams to affected regions, issuing travel warnings for pregnant women, accelerating vaccine trials and even deploying mosquito-fighting troops to hard-hit areas in Brazil.” The Post explained…
White House to request $1.1 billion to address opioid crisis
The New York Times (2/2, A13, Harris, Subscription Publication) reports that the Obama Administration said Tuesday it would ask Congress to spend an additional $1.1 billion next year to fight the nation’s opioid abuse epidemic. Nearly half of the new funds would be used to expand treatment facilities.…
Flu Season Begins: Severe Influenza Illness Reported
CDC urges rapid antiviral treatment of very ill and high risk suspect influenza patients without waiting for testing CDC HEALTH ADVISORY: February 1, 2016 Summary Influenza activity is increasing across the country and CDC has received reports of severe influenza illness. Clinicians are reminded to treat suspected influenza in…
Meaningful Use Stage 2 Exemption
Meaningful Use Stage 2 Exemption - Prior to adjourning for the holidays, Congress adopted legislation, S. 2425, the "Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act," which included a provision granting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) the authority to expedite applications for exemptions from Meaningful Use Stage…