Formation of Statewide MG Support Group and “Walk to Stomp Out MG” Planned
To increase awareness and support for patients with Myasthenia Gravis (MGFA), a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder, Dr. Vickie Henderson is organizing the state's first "Walk to Stomp out MG." The walk has been set tentatively for December 3rd at 9 a.m. at Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville and will be…
New Policy Released Concerning Texting in Your Practice. Are You Compliant?
The Joint Commission has updated its policy on texting orders, and the AMS’ free member benefit, DocbookMD, remains the best way to ensure your practice’s compliance. The new Joint Commission policy reads: “Licensed independent practitioners or other practitioners in accordance with professional standards of practice, law and regulation,…
How new Medicare payment system intends to help small practices
The proposed rule for implementing key provisions of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) has drawn concerns regarding its regulatory impact analysis, which projected that the quality and resource use components of the new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) would have a negative impact on most…
New Group Purchasing Program Supports Private Practice Members
The Arkansas Medical Society is excited to announce the purchase of a franchise from the Arkansas based group purchasing organization (GPO), Buygility LLC. The partnership will allow physician members of the Arkansas Medical Society to access lower pricing on a wide variety of practice needs such as medical…
AMS Trustees Address Tort Reform and Telemedicine
During the 2016 AMS Annual Meeting, the Board of Trustees voted to support a proposed Arkansas constitutional amendment that would limit attorney fees and allow the General Assembly to adopt caps on non-economic damages for medical malpractice lawsuits. The amendment has been filed and is currently gathering signatures.…
Episodes of Care April 2016 Reports Delayed
AMS has been notified that Episodes of Care (EOC) Principle Accountable Provider quarterly reports originally scheduled for release April 29 have an anticipated publication date of June 17. For the most current information, call the APII Help Desk at 866-322-4696 or 501-301-8311; or EMAIL. During routine quality assurance…
AMS Workshop: E&M Coding Made Easy – August 16, 2016
In the last decade, billing for higher-level E&M codes has increased vastly, drawing the attention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General (OIG). This medical auditing E&M training program will provide you everything you need to be an E&M auditing pro!…
Financial data going public: Review yours now
Article from AMA Wire. Physicians have three weeks left to review and dispute reports regarding their financial interactions with manufacturers of drugs and medical devices reported under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, also known as the Open Payments program. Learn the steps you can take to review your…
Arkansas Works helps Arkansans get back to work
Physicians across the state have seen first-hand the benefits of Arkansas Works/Private Option and are fighting to secure its funding. Under this program, hard-working Arkansans have been able to get the care they need, return to work faster and stay at work longer. Losing this program would create…
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…
Medicaid Denials for Lack of PCP Referral
The backlog in processing Medicaid enrollments has created multiple problems. AMS continues to work with DHS to address these as they come up. Some claims are being denied for lack of a PCP referral, although at the time of service the patient did not yet have a PCP.…