Organized Medical Staff Committee
AMS believes that medical staffs across the state share common concerns and challenges yet have no venue to explore these issues with others going through the same issues. Examples include bylaws, call, employment issues, peer review, and self-governance. To that end, AMS is creating a committee to bring…
Dr. Shelby Re-Elected
Congratulations to Gene Shelby, MD, Hot Springs, who was re-elected Chairman of the AMS Board of Trustees at the August board meeting. Dr. Shelby has been an Emergency Room physician for over 35 years, served as AMS President 2012-2013 and has served as an Arkansas State Representative.
Welcome Congress back to the capital: Tell them to fix Medicare now.
Congress is back in session following the summer recess. Tell your lawmakers that now is the time to transform Medicare into an effective, 21st-century model of care. The AMA’s Fix Medicare Now website, launched earlier this month, lets physicians, medical students and patients lend their voices to the…
VACANCY ON THE ARKANSAS STATE MEDICAL BOARD
A vacancy will occur December 31, 2013, on the Arkansas State Medical Board. The Medical Board consists of fourteen members appointed by the Governor for six-year terms. Ten of those members are physicians appointed upon the recommendation of the Arkansas Medical Society representing each of the four congressional…
AMS Welcomes 128 New Members This Summer
The physicians listed below have illustrated their commitment to improving health care in this community and our state by joining the Arkansas Medical Society. “As society members, these physicians are part of a statewide network of over 4,000 Arkansas physicians, residents and medical students, dedicated to protecting the…
Update on Walgreens’ Policy Regarding Narcotic Prescriptions
The Arkansas Medical Society participated in a series of conference calls with the DEA, AMA and several other states regarding recent developments over Walgreens' new policy to require that pharmacists request diagnostic codes, explanations of alternative therapies and medical records before filling certain prescriptions. The Drug Enforcement Agency…
Allergist Added to List of Eligible Providers for Medicaid Enhanced Payments
Due to national advocacy, CMS has clarified that allergists can attest to board certification and receive enhanced payments for a number of E&M codes as well as immunizations under the Medicaid enhanced payment program. The Arkansas Medical Society asked for DHS to review the list of eligible physicians…
Medicaid Primary Care Payment Error
Physicians who have attested to participate in the "enhanced" Medicaid primary care payment project may have received a lessor amount than was expected due to an error in processing. The ACA contained a provision requiring state Medicaid programs to increase payments to primary care physicians for primary care…
Committee passes SGR repeal bill on Medicare’s 48th anniversary
Draft legislation to repeal Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula is moving forward in the U.S. House of Representatives following unanimous approval in committee markup Wednesday. The AMA is urging continued work to ensure the legislation will build a more sustainable health care system. The House Energy and…
Arkansas blazes trail implementing healthcare reform
(July 12, 2013) – Beginning Oct. 1, more than 500,000 Arkansans who are newly eligible for affordable health insurance under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act can choose the plan that best fits their budgets and family needs. The goal of the federal law, also known…
Dr. David Jacks Honored by UAMS
LITTLE ROCK — Dr. David Jacks, a highly respected Pine Bluff urologist and 1976 graduate of the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, recently received the college’s Distinguished Alumnus Service Award. He was recognized for his work on several UAMS projects and for…