2013 Legislative Session
On January 14, the Arkansas General Assembly will get cranked up. This will certainly be a very interesting session. The Republican Party has the majority (although very slim in the House) on both ends of the Capitol for the first time since Reconstruction. Medicaid is facing a $138…
MEDICAID PAYMENT ELIGIBILITY
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently clarified specifics related to the increased Medicaid payment eligibility for primary care physicians, including information about certain subspecialties that may also qualify. Funding has been released to provide a two-year increase in Medicaid payment rates for certain primary…
ARKANSAS HEALTH CARE PAYMENT IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE
The Arkansas Department of Human Services will continue the monthly Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative webinars on Monday, January 14, with the perinatal episode. DHS has committed to provide information regarding episodes of care on a monthly basis. AMS staff attended the first webinar and found it…
Medicare SGR and Sequestration Cuts Averted
It’s over! Late Tuesday, January 1 the House of Representatives passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, averting tax increases and spending cuts from going into effect. The House voted 257 to 167 to send the measure to the White House. Among the Arkansas Delegation, Democrat Mike…
AMS Member named President of National Society
Adapted From November 2012 issue of Arkansas Medical News. Congratulations to AMS member, V. Suzanne Klimberg, MD, a breast surgeon at UAMS, who has been named president of the American Society of Breast surgeons. Dr. Klimberg is the director of the Breast Cancer Program at the UAMS Winthrop…
AMS Member, Robert Hopkins, MD, Named Division Director
Congratulations to Dr. Robert Hopkins, AMS member and journal editorial board member, who was recently named UAMS Internal Medicine Division Director. View full article from the December issue of the Arkansas Medical News below. Robert Hopkins, M.D., has been named director of the Division of General Internal Medicine…
AMS Member, Paul Seib, MD, Named Section Chief
Congratulations to AMS member, Paul Seib, MD, who was recently named section chief of pediatric cardiology at ACH and UAMS. View full article below from the December issue of Arkansas Medical News. A physician experienced in caring for the most delicate of heart problems has been selected to…
AMS Member Featured in AR Medical News
Dr. Mary Meek, AMS member and Vascular and International Radiologist at UAMS, was featured in the December 2012 issue of Arkansas Medical News. View the full article here.
EPISODES OF CARE
As the second wave of episodes of care begins to develop for the Arkansas Payment Improvement Initiative, AMS wants to continue to direct you to information and resources that are available. The next round of workgroups have already begun and AMS has been instrumental in making sure that…
ABCBS RESPONDS TO EPISODE MODEL CONCERNS
AMS and several physician groups, including representatives of the Arkansas Orthopedic Society, have been meeting regularly with ABCBS officials to work through concerns over their implementation of the Arkansas Payment Improvement Initiative (APII). As a direct result of these discussions, ABCBS has made changes and adjustments, some of…
ELECTION NEWS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Arkansas Medical Society would like to congratulate Steve Magie, MD (AMS Immediate Past President) and Deborah Ferguson, DDS (spouse of AMS Past President and current Legislative Committee Chairman, Scott Ferguson, MD) on their election to the Arkansas House of Representatives. Dr. Magie has been assigned to the…