| analyzing_the_2020_primary_election_so_far | Analyzing the 2020 Primary Election So Far | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2020/August/analyzing_the_2020_primary_election_so_far | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/News/King-Co-Ballot-645x425px.png" class="pull-right" alt="King County ballot" />
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<h5>August 7, 2020</h5>
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Analyzing the 2020 Primary Election So Far</h2>
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By WSMA Government Affairs &amp; Policy staff
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<em>Members only; sign-in required.</em>
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WSMA's team in Olympia provides the following update for members on the results (so far!) from the state's primary election on Aug. 4:
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The 2020 election cycle hasn't been as advertised to date, with the pandemic justifiably diverting our attention from politics, but things did start to pick up heading into Tuesday's primary election with campaign ads dominating airwaves and mailboxes. The main event of Trump vs. Biden will have to wait until November, but there is plenty to analyze from this week's results.
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A quick disclaimer before we dive in: Washington's vote-by-mail system has many virtues, but speed is not one of them. When the polls closed on Tuesday, the state had upwards of 500,000 ballots on hand yet to be counted, with many more to be received in the coming days. As a result, this reporting is based on very preliminary returns, and results will shift in the coming days, or even weeks, before some races are decided.
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At the congressional level, all nine of the state's incumbents look to be safe, including Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Issaquah), the Issaquah pediatrician who is running for reelection for the first time. Rep. Schrier solidly bested a crowded field and will advance to the general with a well-funded campaign, including contributions from the AMA's political action committee and several other physician organizations.
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The action is in the 10th Congressional District, centered on Olympia, where 19 candidates are seeking to replace Rep. Denny Heck (D-Olympia). Most prominently, the race features three Democrats who have held elected office, with former Tacoma mayor Marilyn Strickland posting a solid lead over current state House Rep. Beth Doglio (D-Olympia) and former Rep. Kristine Reeves. Our state's "top-two" primary means that Strickland will advance to the general election, likely against Rep. Doglio.
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The governor's race—weighted down with nearly 40 candidates—is at the top of the ticket for statewide campaigns. Gov. Jay Inslee cruised to victory in the primary and figures to do the same in the general against Loren Culp, a conservative Republican from Ferry County. In other statewide races of interest to WSMA members and WAMPAC, WSMA's political action committee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler will similarly be heavy favorites in the general. And in the lieutenant governor race, Denny Heck will face off against fellow Democrat Marko Liias in November.
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Early results in state legislative races are something of a Rorschach test, as evidenced by competing messaging that Republicans and Democrats rushed to push out in the wake of returns being posted Tuesday night. Two incumbent Republicans are trailing Democratic challengers on the Senate side, with the inverse being true in the House. Democrats may have been disappointed with preliminary performance in a few swing districts, but they are also likely holding out hope for better results in the general (more on that later). Here are a few of the state legislative races WAMPAC is keeping a close eye on:
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<li>In Pierce County's 28th District, Sen. Steve O'Ban (R-University Place) is just a handful of votes behind Democratic challenger T'wina Nobles. O'Ban is a moderate and the lead Republican on the Senate Health &amp; Long Term Care Committee.</li>
<li>In an intraparty Democratic contest in the Issaquah-area 5th District, Sen. Mark Mullet narrowly trails challenger Ingrid Anderson, a nurse at Overlake's psychiatric department and the more progressive of the two candidates.</li>
<li>Republicans look poised to potentially pick up two seats in southwest Washington's 19th legislative district, and another in Whatcom County's 42nd. Meanwhile, Democrats may return the favor in a Senate race in the 10th legislative district, which is comprised of Island County and parts of Skagit and Snohomish counties.</li>
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It would be tempting to look at the mixed results and call it a wash, but if Democrats were to pick up two seats in the state Senate and replace a moderate Democrat with a more progressive one in a third seat, it would have a major impact in the tenor of the Legislature, as the Senate has often been a tempering force in recent years.
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Legislative Democrats making the case for why they'll perform even better in the November general election will point to a historically unpopular Trump being at the top of the ticket (a recent statewide poll has him underwater by a margin of 62-28), and the fact that higher turnout in the general likely favors Democrats. Republicans would likely cite those economic indicators that remain strong as serving as a tailwind, along with residents of the state potentially wanting a check on Democratic control via a few more Republicans in the Legislature.
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With everything that has happened this year already, the best bet is that our world will likely turn a few more times between now and the general election on Nov. 3. Another smart bet is using the remaining weeks of the campaign season to get in touch with candidates running in your district now and begin <a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/Advocacy/Become_a_Grassroots_Advocate/Get_to_Know_Your_Legislators/Get_to_Know_Your_Legislators.aspx">building a relationship before they take office next year</a>. A full rundown of election results can be found here, and if you'd like help getting connected, or would like assistance with anything related to campaigns, contact WSMA Government Affairs Director Sean Graham at <a href="mailto:sean@wsma.org">sean@wsma.org</a>.
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</div> | 8/7/2020 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| weekly_rounds_august_7_2020_the_good_and_the_bad_of_proposed_new_cms_rule | Weekly Rounds: August 7, 2020 - The Good and the Bad of Proposed New CMS Rule | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Weekly_Rounds/2020/weekly_rounds_august_7_2020_the_good_and_the_bad_of_proposed_new_cms_rule | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>August 7, 2020</h5>
<h2>The Good and the Bad of Proposed New CMS Rule</h2>
<p>Jennifer Hanscom, Executive Director/CEO</p>
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No matter how unusual things have been over the last several months, one thing we can count on every summer is the release of proposed updates to Medicare's physician fee schedule. This year, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services published its proposed rule, comprised of more than <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/08/17/2020-17127/medicare-program-cy-2021-revisions-to-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other">1,300 pages of fee and policy proposals for 2021</a>, on the evening of Aug. 3 - the latest the agency has released the document in over a decade.
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The uncertainty and associated anxiousness created by the late release has given way to concerns around several controversial proposals. Most notably, CMS is overhauling the evaluation and management (E/M) office visit, documentation, and payment system, which will require an 11% budget neutrality reduction in the conversion factor, pitting the house of medicine against itself.
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While supportive of CMS's proposal to implement reforms and substantial payment increases for office visits, the WSMA is concerned by the <a href="https://www.cmadocs.org/Portals/CMA/files/public/CY%202021%20PFS%20Estimated%20Impact%20on%20Total%20Allowed%20Charges%20by%20Specialty.pdf" target="_blank">associated cuts to the non-primary care specialties</a> that will have a negative impact on many physician practices.
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Due to the community response to COVID-19, Washington's physician practices of all specialty types have <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Press_Release/2020/washingtons_physician_practices_in_financial_crisis_new_wsma_survey">experienced severe financial difficulty</a>. Instead of compounding these challenges, the WSMA supports the growing <a href="https://www.mgma.com/getattachment/764a1f8b-32b3-4975-85b9-54fa4703a644/E-M-Sign-on-letter-to-HHS-Budget-Neutrality.pdf.aspx">chorus</a> of medical associations and societies calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to use its authority under the public health emergency declaration to preserve patient access to care and mitigate financial distress due to the pandemic by implementing the office visit increases as planned while waiving budget neutrality requirements for the new Medicare office visit payment policy.
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Other notable proposed policies include:
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<ul>
<li>Annual updates to the MIPS quality program, including gradually implementing MIPS in 2021 and postponing the MIPS Value Pathways participation option until 2022.</li>
<li>Permanently keeping several codes that were temporarily added to the Medicare telehealth list during COVID-19, including the prolonged office or outpatient E/M visit code and certain home visit services. These policies were included, in part, because of WSMA advocacy with CMS officials.</li>
<li>Implementing the Appropriate Use Criteria program, which will require, starting Jan. 1, 2021, physicians to consult AUC using clinical decision support tools prior to ordering advance imaging services for Medicare beneficiaries.</li>
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You can find a copy of the proposed rule <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-17127.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>, RVU files and other downloads <a href="https://www.cms.gov/medicaremedicare-fee-service-paymentphysicianfeeschedpfs-federal-regulation-notices/cms-1734-p">here</a>, and a CMS fact sheet overviewing the rule <a href="http://wsma.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT05NTA1NTY2JnA9MSZ1PTEwNzgxMDgzNjEmbGk9Nzk0MzcwOTE/index.html">here</a>. CMS is taking comments on its proposals until 5 p.m. on Oct. 5. We encourage you to review the rule and submit your comments at its <a href="https://beta.regulations.gov/document/CMS-2020-0088-0001">regulations.gov webpage</a>.
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The Medicare physician fee schedule, in a normal year, is finalized in early November. The WSMA will keep members apprised of developments. If you have any questions, email WSMA's policy team at <a href="mailto:policy@wsma.org">policy@wsma.org</a>.
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</div> | 8/7/2020 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| hhs_extends_deadlines_for_provider_relief_funds_telemedicine_parity_extended_financial_relief_news | HHS Extends Deadlines For Provider Relief Funds; Telemedicine Parity Extended; Financial Relief News | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2020/August/hhs_extends_deadlines_for_provider_relief_funds_telemedicine_parity_extended_financial_relief_news | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>August 3, 2020</h5>
<h2>HHS Extends Deadlines For Provider Relief Funds; Telemedicine Parity Extended; More Financial Relief News</h2>
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An update on financial relief measures for physicians and practices experiencing lost revenues or increased expenses due to COVID-19.
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<h3>HHS extends deadline, reopens window for Provider Relief Fund</h3>
<p>The Department of Health and Human Services has <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/07/31/hhs-extends-application-deadline-for-medicaid-providers-and-plans-to-reopen-portal-to-certain-medicare-providers.html">made several important announcements</a> regarding the Provider Relief Fund, the $175 billion pool of federal monies included in the CARES Act intended to help physicians and health care organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The initial $50 billion distribution from the Provider Relief Fund was based on a provider's Medicare revenues. Not all providers who treat Medicare patients were able to successfully receive funds, however, so HHS is reopening the window to apply starting the week of Aug. 10. Providers will have until <strong>Aug. 28</strong> to complete an application for a payment for up to 2% of their annual Medicare patient revenues.
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A subsequent $15 billion distribution was made available from the Provider Relief Fund for providers who treat Medicaid patients and who did not qualify for the Medicare distribution. The deadline to apply for those funds is being extended to <strong>Aug. 28</strong>, and HHS is developing a simplified application to streamline the process. Resources on the Medicaid distribution can be found <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/cares-act-provider-relief-fund/for-providers/index.html?language=en">here</a>.
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Finally, also beginning the week of Aug. 10, HHS will allow providers whose practice changed ownership in the last ear to apply for funds if their initial allocation from the Medicare distribution was made to the prior owner of a practice. And for those practices that have not been eligible for any distributions from the Provider Relief Fund to date (i.e. those that do not provide services to Medicare and Medicaid enrollees) HHS is working to formulate a distribution methodology, with further details forthcoming.
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The WSMA wants to help ensure that all of our members receive the Provider Relief Fund monies they are eligible for. More information and resources on the Provider Relief Fund can be found on the <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/cares-act-provider-relief-fund/for-providers/index.html?language=en">HHS website</a>. If you have questions about prior or pending allocations, contact WSMA's policy team at <a href="mailto:policy@wsma.org">policy@wsma.org</a>.
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<h3>Reimbursement available from CMS for counseling patients to self-isolate at time of COVID-19 testing</h3>
<p>The Centers of Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services announced that payment is now available to physicians and health care providers to counsel patients, at the time of COVID-19 testing, about the importance of self-isolation after they are tested and prior to the onset of symptoms. CMS will use existing evaluation and management payment codes to reimburse providers who are eligible to bill CMS for counseling services no matter where a test is administered, including doctor's offices, urgent care clinics, hospitals, and community drive-thru or pharmacy testing sites.
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Further information and resources are available in the <a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/counseling-checklist.pdf" target="_blank">counseling checklist PDF here</a>.
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<h3>Telemedicine proclamation, other priority proclamations extended to Sept. 1</h3>
<p>Washington's Democrat and Republican leaders in the House and Senate have again approved extending Gov. Jay Inslee's telemedicine payment parity <a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/20-29 Coronovirus OIC %28tmp%29.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">proclamation 20-29</a>, now through Sept. 1. Proclamation 20-29 implements <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5385&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">Senate Bill 5385</a>, requiring payment parity for state-regulated plans, ahead of its Jan. 1, 2021 effective date. While we are glad to see the proclamation extended again, the WSMA continues to advocate for the policy to be extended through the end of the year when SB 5385 takes effect. If you'd like to assist in our efforts, please consider writing your local legislators and sharing how critical telemedicine is to providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as requesting that proclamation be extended through Dec. 31, 2020. <a href="https://takeaction.wsma.org/urge-your-state-lawmakers-to-support-telemedicine-payment-parity-policies/">Click here to send a message to your state lawmakers</a>.
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</div> | 8/3/2020 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |