Confronting a Crisis: An open letter to America’s physicians on the opiod epidemic
By Steven J. Stack Emergency physician and the 170th president of the American Medical Association. The medical profession must play a lead role in reversing the opioid epidemic that, far too often, has started from a prescription pad. For the past 20 years, public policies - well-intended but…
2016 Annual Meeting Recap
Physicians from across the state met on April 22nd-23rd at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain to discuss advocacy efforts, elect new leaders, participate in educational opportunities and plan for the future of healthcare in our state. From prescription drug abuse to health care reform policies, advocating…
Dr. Scott Cooper Installed as President
Rogers Orthopedic Surgeon Scott Cooper, MD, was recently named president of the Arkansas Medical Society. Dr. Cooper, who practices at Mercy Clinic Orthopedics, has been a member of the society since 1996 and has also served as a district trustee representing the physicians and patients of 10 Northwest…
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.…
Medicaid Audits Creating Confusion
AMS is currently addressing several complaints about audits being performed by the Arkansas Office of Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG). OMIG is a separate agency from DHS and acts independently to address Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse. AMS has received several complaints over the past month about OMIG audits…
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!…
2016-2017 AMS Leadership
The Arkansas Medical Society met recently at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain to elect new officers, attend educational programs and plan advocacy efforts. Rogers Orthopedic Surgeon Scott Cooper, MD, was named president of the group. Dr. Cooper, who practices at Mercy Clinic Orthopedics, has been…
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 Update
On Thursday, April 21, SB 121 (including funding for Arkansas Works) was passed in the Senate then signed by Governor Asa Hutchinson. When signing, Governor Hutchinson executed the expected line item veto, extending the life of the program from an original end date of December 31, 2016 to…
CMS unveils new rules for Medicaid managed care
Article from the AMA Morning Rounds, 4/26/16. The AP (4/26, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports that on Monday, the Federal government “set new standards for Medicaid private insurance plans, which in recent years have become the main source of coverage for low-income people.” These rules impact “insurers operating as Medicaid middlemen…