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The FAFP 2011 Family Medicine Winter Summit photographs are now available for viewing. Thank you to everyone for a successful meeting! |
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A Special Thank You to FAFP Members!
FAFP would like to thank our members who assist in FAFP Academy activities as well as all of our family physician members who work hard every day taking care of Florida patients. We thank you for all that you do and wish you a happy, healthy holiday season and Happy New Year! |
Controlled Substances Registry
Effective January 1, 2012, and in accordance with s. 456.44(2), Florida Statutes, all physicians who prescribe any controlled substance as defined in s. 893.03, for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain, must designate himself or herself as a controlled substance prescribing practitioner on the practitioner profile. For details on registration by the compliance deadline, please click here. |
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January 1, 2012 - HIPAA 5010
January 1, 2012 marks the compliance deadline for the new version of the standard electronic Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) transactions. CMS is requiring all HIPAA "covered entities," which includes physicians who conduct any of the transactions named in HIPAA electronically (i.e. claims or remittance advice), to begin using Version 5010 starting on January 1, 2012. Please note that if your CMS vendor has not yet updated your system to accommodate the use of version 5010 you are strongly encouraged to contact them to obtain the necessary software upgrades by the compliance deadline.
CMS has provided the following documents to assist with HIPAA 5010:
Other materials on Version 5010 include the following fact sheets:
For more information, please click here. |
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CMS Announces 90-day Period of Enforcement Discretion
CMS recently announced it will exercise a 90-day period of enforcement discretion regarding the transition by physicians and other entities to HIPAA 5010. The discretionary period pushes the enforcement deadline to March 31. CMS indicated that they will not enforce any actions until March 31 while HIPAA covered entities continue to work towards compliance. The HIPAA 5010 compliance date remains January 1, 2012, and all physicians and other HIPAA covered entities should continue to work towards compliance with the use of the new standards; however CMS will not take any enforcement action for noncompliance until March 31. For more information, please click here. |
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Medicare Working with Physicians on 5010 Standards
Medicare has indicated that they are continuing to work with physicians who submit claims directly to them for 5010 standards. If you are a physician who sends claims directly to Medicare without the use of a billing service or clearinghouse:
- If you HAVE NOT tested by December 31, 2011, you are required to submit a transition plan to Medicare that details your plans for moving to 5010 and your expected testing date with Medicare. You will have 30 days to do this once you have been contacted by your Medicare contractor.
- No prescribed format for transition plan can be sent via letter, email, or fax and can be a brief explanation of your transition plans.
- Keep evidence plan was submitted by retaining evidence that a plan was submitted to Medicare.
- All must test with Medicare or your claims will be rejected.
- If you HAVE tested successfully by December 31, 2011, you will be contacted by Medicare and told you have 30 days to move over to use of the 5010 standards.
- Physicians who use a clearinghouse or billing service to submit their claimsto Medicare are NOT required to file a transition plan to Medicare; however, the entity that submits your claims are required to submit a transition plan. Physicians should contact their billing services or clearinghouses to confirm compliance.
For more information on 5010, please click here and here. |
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ICD-10 and Version 5010 Compliance Timelines
For detailed timelines of activities that providers, payers, and vendors need to undertake to prepare for Version 5010 and ICD-10, please click here. For the latest CMS News and compliance deadlines, please click here. |
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Medicare Participation Options for Physicians
To help ensure that physicians are making informed decisions about their contractual relationships with the Medicare program, the AMA has developed the following brief overview of the various participation options that are available to physicians. The AAFP is not advising or recommending any one of the three options described. The purpose of the document is merely to ensure that physician decisions about Medicare participation are made with complete information about the available options.
Physicians wishing to change their Medicare participation or non-participation status for 2012 are required to do so between November 14, 2011, and December 31, 2011. Participation decisions are effective January 1, 2012, and binding for the entire year. For more information, please click here.
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Reporting year ends for eligible professionals for EHRs
December 31, 2011, marks the deadline for eligible professionals to report for EHRs. To get the maximum incentive payment, Medicare eligible professionals must begin participation by 2012. Please note that beginning in 2015, Medicare eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs who do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use will have a payment adjustment in their Medicare reimbursement. For more information, please click here. |
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Accountable Care Organizations, What Providers Need to know
CMS encourages all interested providers and suppliers to review this final rule and consider participating in the Shared Savings Program. |
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MC-FP Examinations (Certification & Recertification)
Registration for the April 2012 MC-FP Examinations (Certification & Recertification) is now open. Please note that beginning in 2012, the ABFM MC-FP examination will be held in April instead of July. For questions regarding the MC-FP Examination please contact the Support Center at 877-223-7437or help@theabfm.org |
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Florida Board of Medicine Updates
Please see the below updates that every practicing physician needs to be aware of:
- You must update your practitioner profile within 15 days of any change. You can do this by going online and clicking on Practitioner Profile.
- Internet prescribing-Florida has a rule - Rule 64B8-9.014, Florida Administrative Code- that outlines acceptable telemedicine practice in Florida.
- Relocate practice-There are steps you must follow when closing or relocating your office practice. You can find these steps in Rule 64B8-10.002, Florida Administrative Code.
- Help for Impaired practitioners-The Professionals Resource Network (PRN) is available to help physicians as well as applicants for licensure and medical students. PRN can be contacted at (800) 888-8776.
- At license renewal-Florida physicians must renew their license every two years and can do it online.
- To renew a Florida license, physicians are required to obtain the required CME, attest to financial responsibility coverage, and complete the Physician Workforce Survey. Recent reduction of renewal fee to $391 (includes background check fee and unlicensed activity fee).
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DISCLAIMER: The articles provided in Practice Management News are general. They do not constitute legal, practice management or coding advice in any particular factual situation or create an attorney-client relationship. Consult your attorney or other professional for advice in your particular situation. Copyright© 2011 The Florida Academy of Family Physicians - Jacksonville, FL, USA. All rights reserved.
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