Reduce the impact of COVID-19 on your practice with Telehealth: A Panel Discussion Friday, March 27 12:30 p.m. The COVID-19 health crisis is driving us to change the way we practice medicine in Arkansas. In recent days, Governor Hutchinson released an executive order encouraging treatment and communication by…
Legislative Highlights from the 2019 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly AMS actively tracked and worked 237 of the 1670 bills filed in the 2019 legislative session. The following bills represent some of the more high-profile issues AMS successfully fought for, amended and/or monitored closely that we…
In the March edition of The Journal, we talk about how to improve doctor-patient communication. "“Most people believe they are effective communicators,” said SVMIC Vice President of Medical Practice Services Stephen A. Dickens, JD, FACMPE. “The key is not that you understand what you’re talking about, but that…
The Arkansas Medical Society was made aware of an issue regarding a new policy with the Arkansas Health and Wellness called Short Turnaround Time (STAT) laboratory that was originally designed to limit in-office laboratory procedures to specific codes. Since it's implementation on December 1, 2019, many member physicians…
State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Company (SVMIC) strives to find new, creative ways to provide guidance and education regarding the most current areas of liability. There is a growing need for accessible and easy-to-use options for navigating office-based patient care and the administrative responsibilities associated with running a medical…
Tereasa Holmes, CMPE, has joined the Arkansas Medical Society as a physician outreach specialist. She has over 25 years’ experience in all phases of clinical practice management, and in her role, she will be a liaison for our members needing assistance with Medicaid. She will also be available…
The Drug Enforcement Administration urges its DEA-registered practitioners and members of the public to be cautious of telephone calls from criminals posing as DEA or other law enforcement personnel threatening arrest and prosecution for supposed violations of federal drug laws or involvement in drug-trafficking activities. DEA continues to…
In the March edition of the Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society, we discuss the measures needed to maintain cybersecurity in the medical industry. Below are a list of FAQ's from the FBI that can help with the security of your online systems. What are some…
CMS is finalizing a number of documentation, coding, and payment changes to reduce administrative burden and improve payment accuracy for office/outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) visits over several years. For calendar years (CY) 2019 and 2020, CMS is implementing several documentation policies to provide immediate burden reduction, while…
AMS has been notified that some changes have been made to a physician's selection of high priority beneficiaries. The AHIN portal (BCBS) will reopen May 25 for physicians to reselect their PCMH HPBs for the 2018 performance period. This opportunity is due to the recent primary care provider (PCP) reassignment. It was…
AR-IMPACT was created to improve multi-disciplinary pain care and treatment for Arkansas physicians. The weekly interactive tele-video consultation program offers free CME credit to better manage chronic pain patients and those who need their opioid dosage reduced. The interactive conferences will begin with a brief didactic presentation about…