MEDICAID FEES TO INCREASE JANUARY 2013
Beginning January, 2013, state Medicaid programs must begin paying physicians more for providing primary care services. The Affordable Care Act boosts traditionally low Medicaid rates to Medicare levels for 2013 and 2014 for certain primary care services. For Arkansas, this will mean rate increases averaging 25 percent or…
AMS Partner athenahealth Earnins Top Rankings
WATERTOWN, Mass.—December 14, 2012— athenahealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHN), a leading provider of cloud-based electronic health record (EHR), practice management, and care coordination services to medical groups and health systems, today announced that it has earned three #1, Best in KLAS rankings within the 2012 Best in KLAS Awards:…
AMS EVP Speaks Out On Physician Dispensing
Article from Arkansas Business Online - 12/3/2012 Arkansas Medical Society Urges No Appeal in Doctors Selling Drugs Case Until last month, the Arkansas Medical Society stayed out of a fight between the Arkansas State Medical Board and doctors who want to sell prescription drugs out of their offices.…
Dr. Robert Hopkins Featured
Dr. Robert Hopkins, AMS member and Journal Editorial Board member, was featured as the physician spotlight in the November 2012 issue of the Medical News of Arkansas. Congratulations Dr. Hopkins and thank you for the work you do on the Journal. View Article
UAMS Digital Library Now Features the AMS Journal
The digital collections website of the UAMS Historical Research Center recently announced the addition of a new digital collection containing page images and searchable text from journals published by the Arkansas Medical Society from 1870 to 1922. You may view the collection here: http://hrcdigitalcoll.uams.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/JAM. Consulted frequently for biographical research,…
FDA Drug Alert Issued for Xeljanz
An important FDA-approved Drug Alert for XELJANZ affecting Rheumatologists, Infectious Disease, Family Medicine/General Practice, Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine physicians was published on November 20, 2012. This PDR® Drug Alert was delivered electronically to all Arkansas Medical Society members within these specialties who are registered with PDR® Network. View…
Arkansas Payment Initiative Update
Episode of Care Model - October 1 marked the start of the twelve month reporting period for Medicaid's initial three episodes (Acute Upper Respiratory Infections, ADHD, and Pregnancy). The next two episodes will begin in January (knee/hip replacement and CHF). Meanwhile, ABCBS has sent contract amendments to physicians…
E-Prescribing Hardship Exemption Deadline Extended
CMS has announced that the Quality Reporting Communications Support Page will re-open beginning November 1, 2012, through January 31, 2013, to offer an additional opportunity for providers to apply for a hardship exemption to avoid the 2012 e-prescribing 1.5 percent payment adjustment on Medicare claims. The previous deadline…
Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate Update
AMS recently joined the AMA and 109 other state and specialty medical societies in sending a message to Congress to repeal the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) payment formula and replace it with a system having certain core principles essential to creating a "high performing" Medicare program. Medicare…
Volunteers Needed for the Doctor of the Day
The Arkansas Medical Society will again sponsor the "Doctor of the Day" program for the 2013 session of the Arkansas legislature. This program has been provided by the Society for a number of years and has enhanced the effectiveness of our political efforts. The legislative session will convene…
Arkansas’ Leading Physician Organization Opposes Medical Marijuana
Friday, November 02, 2012—Little Rock – This morning, the state’s leading physician organization, the Arkansas Medical Society, announced its opposition to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Issue. In arriving at its position, the AMS took note of the concerns of law enforcement and the potential unfunded burden that the…