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With less than three months remaining until the nation switches from ICD-9 to ICD-10, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American Medical Association (AMA) are announcing efforts to continue to help physicians get ready ahead of the October 1 deadline. In response to requests from the provider community, CMS is releasing additional guidance that will allow for flexibility in the claims auditing and quality reporting process as the medical community gains experience using the new ICD- 10 code set. In guidance that is being transmitted today, CMS announced that: For a one year period starting October 1, Medicare claims will not be denied solely on the specificity of the ICD-10 diagnosis codes provided, as long as the physician submitted an ICD-10 code from an appropriate family of codes. In addition, Medicare claims will not be audited based on the specificity of the diagnosis codes as long as they are from the appropriate family of codes. This policy will be followed by Medicare Administrative Contractors and Recovery Audit Contractors. To avoid potential problems with mid-year coding changes in CMS quality programs (PQRS, VBM and MU) for the 2015 reporting year, physicians using the appropriate family of diagnosis codes will not be penalized if CMS experiences difficulties in accurately calculating quality scores (i.e., for PQRS, VBM, or Meaningful Use). CMS will continue to monitor implementation and adjust the duration if needed. CMS will establish an ICD-10 Ombudsman to help receive and triage physician and provider problems that need to be resolved during the transition. CMS will authorize advanced payments if Medicare contractors are unable to process claims within established time limits due to problems with ICD-10 implementation. Today’s announcement demonstrates that CMS is responsive to physician concerns. The AMA will monitor and keep CMS apprised of any implementation issues that persist in 2016, and will urge the agency to make any needed adjustments to the grace period policy and time line based on new information that surfaces during the implementation process. We encourage the Federation to report to us any problems their members experience during the transition, to better inform our advocacy efforts on their behalf. The October 1 deadline for implementation of the ICD-10 code set is fast approaching, and time is running out for physician practices to complete their preparation. The FAFP has a variety of educational resources on our web site to assist physicians prepare for the October 1 deadline. To learn more and stay apprised on developments, visit the FAFP Practice Enhancement website by clicking here. Additional Resources can be located by clicking below: CMS and AMA Announce Efforts to Help Providers Get Ready For ICD-10 CMS and AMA FAQ on ICD-10

The Florida Academy of Family Physicians is pleased to announce the release of the new FAFP app which can be accessed via your various mobile devices. #fafpmobileapp

Preparing for the 2014 AAFP CoD in Washington, DC, your FAFP delegation vetted over 50 resolutions and dozens of board and commission reports that are the Academy’s policy building blocks for the future. Florida was well represented by delegates Drs. Alma Littles and Bob Raspa; alternate delegates, Drs. Dennis Saver and Ajoy Kumar, FAFP President Dr. Ed Prevatte and EVP, Mr. Jay Millson. Read more here. #cod

FAFP members are strongly encouraged to read the latest advisory from the AAFP regarding the rescheduling of hydrocodone combination products (HPCs) ARTICLE HERE. Beginning October 6, 2014, HPCs will be moved from schedule III to a more restrictive classification as a schedule II. The FAFP is attempting to determine how Florida laws will impact the change, particularly if electronic prescribing of these HPCs on a monthly basis will be allowed under the new regulations. FAFP members are strongly encouraged to discuss the new regulations with pharmacies to determine how this may impact prescribing patterns for patients under a HPC protocol. More information will be provided as it becomes available. #hydrocodone

The AAFP has been working with states to address the issue of insurance companies narrowing physician networks in order to achieve "network optimization." The AAFP and FAFP are very interested to hear from members who may have been negatively impacted by narrowing networks and the disruption it has created for both physicians' offices and their patients alike. A good example of this was UnitedHealthcare's network optimization in 2013 for their Medicare Advantage plan. Please contact Jay Millson at jmillson@fafp.org if you have experienced any such difficulties in your practice. #narrowingnetworks

The Florida Academy of Family Physicians (FAFP) has partnered with the South Carolina Medical Association for an internet based, self study Medical Certification of Commercial Drivers certification course. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates that all providers that perform DOT examinations must receive specific CME to perform DOT examinations, after May 2014. By completing this specific CME, it will enhance your ability to determine if a driver is medically qualified to safely operate commercial vehicles. Training will qualify providers to take the National Registry of Medical Examiners Examination as required by the FMCSA. For further details, click here. #commercial

FAFP President Dr. Ed Prevatte formally presented the recently approved 2014-17 FAFP Strategic Plan and the newly revised mission, vision and value statements, which fit on the front side of a business card. Simplifying the mission to "Supporting Florida's Family Physicians" highlights the fact that everything the FAFP does is focused on the organizational vision of "Improving Florida's Health through Family Medicine." A micro-site has been established to share with members these new statements and provide greater detail relative to the four organizational goals: Advocacy, Education, Practice Improvement and Academy Strength. To learn more about the strategic direction of YOUR FAFP, go to: http://www.fafpstrategicplan.com/ #strategicplan