| covid_19_telehealth_updates | COVID-19 Telehealth Updates | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200528/covid_19_telehealth_updates | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>May 28, 2020</h5>
<h2>COVID-19 Telehealth Updates</h2>
<p>A look at (and links to) current telemedicine payment parity policies, including a new extension from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner; new CMS telephone-only payments for behavioral health services; a new WSMA webinar; and more.</p>
<h3>Payment parity roundup</h3>
<p>During the pandemic, telemedicine has emerged as a vital resource for patients to safely access care and for physicians and practices to bring in needed revenue. To support the ongoing utilization of telemedicine, the WSMA continues to prioritize telemedicine payment parity in its advocacy at the state and federal levels.</p>
<p>The following health plans and payers have passed temporary policies to pay at parity for telemedicine, including services delivered through telephone only:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.insurance.wa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/emergency-order-20-02_3.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">OIC fully insured plans</a> (the OIC has <a href="https://www.insurance.wa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/emergency-order-20-02-extension.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">extended its emergency order</a> to health insurers expanding telehealth and other coverages until June 21)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.hca.wa.gov/assets/billers-and-providers/Clinical-policy-and-billing-for-COVID-19-FAQ.pdf" target="_blank">HCA Medicaid plans</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.hca.wa.gov/information-about-novel-coronavirus-covid-19">HCA UMP (PEBB/SEBB) plans</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-19-physicians-and-practitioners.pdf" target="_blank">CMS Medicare</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Plans not required to pay at parity - </p>
<ul>
<li>Certain self-insured/ERISA plans that cannot be regulated by the state. The WSMA is supporting legislation introduced by Rep. Kim Schrier (D-08) that would ensure telemedicine payment parity for ERISA plans. <a href="https://takeaction.wsma.org/tell-congress-to-prioritize-patients-and-physicians/">Write your congressional representative and urge their support for H.R. 6644</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>CMS broadens telephone-only list of services paid for by Medicare</h3>
<p>CMS previously announced that Medicare would pay for certain services conducted by audio-only telephone and now they are broadening that list to include many behavioral health and patient education services. CMS is also increasing payments for these telephone visits to match payments for similar office and outpatient visits. CMS is crosswalking CPT codes 99212, 99213, and 99214 to 99441, 99442, and 99443. This will increase payments for these services from a range of about $14-$41 to about $46-$110. The payments are retroactive to March 1, 2020.</p>
<h3>New WSMA telehealth webinar, more resources</h3>
<p>Be sure to join us on Friday, June 19, from noon - 1 p.m., for a free webinar, <a href="[@]WSMA/Education/Upcoming_Webinars/WSMA/Education/Upcoming_Webinars/Upcoming_Webinars.aspx?hkey=b760d6bd-1833-412d-b681-babf251792a8">Telehealth: The Rapid Evolution to Full-Scale Implementation</a>, and learn how to implement a lasting telehealth program in your clinic. And be sure to visit our <a href="[@]WSMA/Resources/COVID-19_Response/WSMA/Resources/COVID-19/COVID-19_Response.aspx?hkey=958ce791-54b8-4eba-892f-54924db26b60">COVID-19 resource pages</a> for a wealth of practice guidance on telehealth, including step-by-step guidance on setting up telemedicine at your practice, information on reimbursement policies, what you need to know about HIPAA compliance during the public health emergency, federal changes on prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine, and much more.</p>
</div> | 5/28/2020 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma_focus_remains_on_physician_practices_as_health_care_restarts | WSMA Focus Remains on Physician Practices as Health Care 'Restarts' | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200528/wsma_focus_remains_on_physician_practices_as_health_care_restarts | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>May 28, 2020</h5>
<h2>WSMA Focus Remains on Physician Practices as Health Care 'Restarts'</h2>
<p>WSMA CEO Jennifer Hanscom sat down with AMA Senior News Writer Sara Berg to <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/sustainability/hit-first-us-covid-19-washington-doctors-eye-safe-reopening">discuss the WSMA's recent work on behalf of physicians and practices</a> in response to COVID-19, including working with the state to build a framework for reopening health care and efforts to help physician practices survive the economic fallout from the pandemic. As Jennifer notes, "We are trying to educate policy makers in our state right now to do all that we can to support physician practices economically so that should the surge come back in the fall, we do have physician practices that are ready to treat those patients." Read on to get up to speed on WSMA's work on behalf of physicians and to get the latest on the state's emergency response.</p>
<h3>WSMA practice guidance for resuming elective procedures</h3>
<p>Gov. Inslee's <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2020/May/governor_issues_new_proclamation_on_non_urgent_procedures">latest proclamation related to health care services</a> in Washington state permits all health care facilities, practices, and practitioners acting in good faith, and that meet certain criteria, to resume providing elective procedures and other non-urgent care. The proclamation, effective May 17, is intended to remain in effect through the end of the state of emergency, and details criteria required for resuming non-urgent procedures before there is a vaccine, effective treatment, or herd immunity to COVID-19. Those criteria include monitoring resources (ventilators, beds, PPE, etc.), conserving PPE, and on-site fever screening and symptom screening for all patients, visitors, and staff, and more.</p>
<p>In case you missed it: The WSMA has collaborated with the Washington State Medical Group Management Association to offer new guidance on the proclamation for medical practices. <a href="javascript://[Uploaded files/Resources/COVID19/2020.05.29-Proclamation_Guidance_for_Medical_Practices.pdf]">Download this new resource</a>. If you have questions on this new WSMA resource or what the proclamation means for you and your practice, contact the WSMA policy department at <a href="mailto:policy@wsma.org">policy@wsma.org</a>.</p>
<h3>WSMA asks Legislature to support key priorities in advance of next session</h3>
<p>The Washington State Legislature has established a bipartisan Special Committee on Economic Recovery that is tasked with making recommendations on COVID-19 recovery legislation in advance of the 2021 legislative session (or before then if lawmakers are called back into session this year). In anticipation of the committee's first meeting in June, the WSMA submitted a letter to all state legislators detailing key policy priorities for physician practices that would help ensure they can keep their doors open and continue to treat patients.</p>
<p>Our members have identified four key priorities for the state legislature to support:</p>
<ul>
<li>Full resumption of medically necessary medical physician services.</li>
<li>Continuation of telemedicine payment parity.</li>
<li>Establishment of an enhanced Medicaid payment program.</li>
<li>Tax relief.</li>
</ul>
<p>For details on each of these policy priorities, <a href="javascript://[Uploaded files/Resources/COVID19/5.14.20_WSMA_letter_to_the_Legislature.pdf]">download the letter</a>, delivered May 14, 2020. In our continued advocacy on behalf of physicians and practices, our core message remains the same: Just as policymakers relied upon the physician community in the state's response to the pandemic, both to treat patients and to follow state care restrictions to help flatten the curve, the physician community is now looking to policymakers to help ensure they can keep their doors open and continue to treat patients.</p>
<p>While not yet official, it remains likely that a special legislative session will be needed between now and Jan. 2021 to provide additional financial resources and address needed changes to policy issues in response to COVID-19.</p>
<h3>Take action: Tell Congress to prioritize patients and physicians</h3>
<p>Congressional action is needed on three issues that are critically important for ensuring patient access to care and physician practice viability during the COVID-19 pandemic: 1). Requiring ERISA plans to pay at parity for telemedicine services; 2.) Enacting liability protections for health care workers as part of the next stimulus package; and 3.) Prioritizing direct support to physician practices in the next stimulus package. Elected officials in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives need to hear from their physician and PA constituents on these issues. <a href="https://takeaction.wsma.org/tell-congress-to-prioritize-patients-and-physicians/">Learn more about these issues and send a message to your congressional representatives today</a>.</p>
<h3>Legislature extends emergency proclamations</h3>
<p>The <a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/office-governor/official-actions/proclamations">emergency proclamations</a> issued by Gov. Jay Inslee in response to the COVID-19 pandemic expire after 30 days unless an extension is granted by the state Legislature. The following proclamations have been granted temporary extensions, and the WSMA continues to advocate for these policies to be extended beyond their current expiration dates as the physician community and the state respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>Extension approved until May 31:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/20-29%20Coronovirus%20OIC%20%28tmp%29.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">Proclamation 20-29</a>, concerning telemedicine payment parity.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/20-32%20-%20COVID-19%20DOH%20Healthcare%20Worker%20Licensing%20%28tmp%29.pdf" target="_blank">Proclamation 20-32</a>, concerning health care worker licensing requirements.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/20-27%20-%20COVID-19%20Notary%20%28tmp%29.pdf" target="_blank">Proclamation 20-27</a>, concerning electronic notary.</li>
</ul>
<p>Extension approved until July 8:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/20-36%20-%20COVID-19%20-%20DOH%20Health%20Care%20Facilities-Hand%20Sanitizer%20%28tmp%29.pdf" target="_blank">Proclamation 20-36</a>, concerning the Certificate of Need program.</li>
</ul>
</div> | 5/28/2020 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| weekly_rounds_may_22_2020_five_things_to_know_while_staying_home_for_memorial_day | Weekly Rounds: May 22, 2020 - Five Things to Know While Staying Home for Memorial Day | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Weekly_Rounds/2020/weekly_rounds_may_22_2020_five_things_to_know_while_staying_home_for_memorial_day | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>May 22, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Five Things to Know While Staying Home for Memorial Day
</h2>
<p>Jennifer Hanscom, Executive Director/CEO</p>
<p>
While there continues to be a lot of activity at the state and federal levels in response to COVID-19, it feels to me as though we're shifting from the urgent onset reactive phase into a more intentional and thoughtful phase.
</p>
<p>
We know we're in this for the long haul, and along with our COVID response, your WSMA team continues to advocate on the things that impact your ability to practice in today's challenging times. Hopefully you've benefitted from our intensive communications efforts as we work to bring you the latest information in nearly real time across all of our channels, including our social media feeds, our website, our biweekly e-newsletter Membership Memo, and, of course, Weekly Rounds, my personal missive to you.
</p>
<p>
As we ready ourselves for a well-deserved long Memorial Day weekend, I offer a few brief updates you'll want to know about.
</p>
<h3>Deciding to meet virtually for the WSMA House of Delegates</h3>
<p>
At its lengthy Zoom meeting last Sunday, the WSMA board of trustees made the difficult decision to transition our usual in-person Annual Meeting in Spokane to a virtual one-day House of Delegates meeting on Saturday, Sept. 26. Out of an abundance of caution for the health and well-being of all concerned, they directed that the meeting be condensed to focus solely on the business of the House of Delegates.
</p>
<p>
In the weeks preceding the meeting, we will open our online reference committee forums in order to give all members an opportunity to provide feedback on resolutions. In addition, we will hold virtual reference committee meetings so that members will have an opportunity to provide verbal testimony. On Sept. 26, the House will act on the reports of the reference committees, vote on the slate of candidates for the board of trustees, and conduct other business of the House. Your WSMA staff is currently working on the new schedule and will share more information soon.
</p>
<h3>Taking action to say "no" to psychologists' scope expansion</h3>
<p>
The Washington State Department of Health will hold a sunrise review hearing on psychologists' prescriptive authority. The WSMA opposes efforts to expand non-physician practitioners' prescriptive authority and any scope of practice increase that does not stipulate commensurate education and training to what a physician receives, and thus we oppose this expansion.
</p>
<p>
By way of some background, late in the 2020 legislative session, <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/2000/HB2967.pdf" target="_blank">House Bill 2967</a>&nbsp;was introduced to grant psychologists prescriptive authority. While this bill was not considered during session (i.e. no public hearings were held), it served as the catalyst for this sunrise review. Sunrise reviews are the process by which the DOH considers proposals that would amend practices of regulated health professions in the state.
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/2000/SunriseRequest.pdf" target="_blank">Requested by the Legislature</a>, DOH will now review the <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/2000/2020-Sunrise-PsyScope.pdf" target="_blank">proposal submitted by the Washington State Psychological Association</a> and provide opportunities for stakeholders to engage and provide comments as the department drafts its report. At the end of the review process, DOH will issue a final report with their recommendations to the Legislature. While these recommendations are technically advisory, they often serve as the basis for future legislation.
</p>
<p>
Comments on the initial proposal are due by June 17 at midnight and should be emailed to <a href="mailto:sunrise@doh.wa.gov">sunrise@doh.wa.gov</a>. Once the WSMA has compiled our draft comment we will share it with you. In the meantime, should you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, or if the WSMA can be helpful to your organization on this issue, email Alex Wehinger, WSMA's associate director of legislative and political affairs, at <a href="mailto:alex@wsma.org">alex@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
<h3>Reporting out to improve opioid prescribing practices</h3>
<p>
The latest round of the Washington Opioid Reports, the key feature of our <a href="[@]WSMA/Resources/Opioids/Better_Prescribing_Better_Treatment/WSMA/Resources/Opioids/Better_Prescribing_Better_Treatment/better_prescribing_better_treatment.aspx?hkey=b6fb0ec0-8bc2-4e53-bf4c-9f148599cbeb&amp;_zs=B3aFd1&amp;_zl=KQ4o6">Better Prescribing, Better Treatment</a> initiative, will arrive in your inboxes next week. This feedback reporting program provides data compiled from the state's prescription monitoring program to physicians and other prescribing providers that allows them to see how their opioid prescribing practices compare to others in their health care system and specialty.
</p>
<p>
There are two levels of reports: organizational and prescriber. The organization-level reports are sent quarterly to CMOs and QI leaders and summarize the prescribing practices in their organization by specialty. The prescriber-level reports are sent quarterly to each individual prescriber and summarize how an individual's prescribing practices compare to other prescribers in the same specialty and organization.
</p>
<p>
For more information, please contact Monica Salgaonkar, WSMA's continuing professional development manager, at <a href="mailto:monica@wsma.org">monica@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
<h3>Developing tomorrow's leaders today</h3>
<p>
The WSMA <a href="[@]WSMA/Education/Physician_Leadership/Physician_Leadership_Course/WSMA/Physician_Leadership/Physician_Leadership_Course/Physician_Leadership_Course.aspx?hkey=30a53472-d3c0-4d7d-bd0c-cf09b4bea7f5&amp;_zs=B3aFd1&amp;_zl=LQ4o6">Physician Leadership Course</a> is a 40+ hour course for physicians and physician assistants who want to develop their health care leadership skills. Online virtual sessions will be held on Sept. 18-19 and Dec. 11, with eight weeks in between of self-guided online learning. The deadline to register is Aug. 18.
</p>
<p>
Taking your leadership journey deeper, the WSMA <a href="[@]WSMA/Education/Physician_Leadership/Dyad_Leadership_Course/WSMA/Physician_Leadership/Dyad_Leadership_Course/Dyad_Leadership_Course.aspx?hkey=f6387317-48e4-44f1-b623-4b00fcba57ab&amp;_zs=B3aFd1&amp;_zl=MQ4o6">Dyad Leadership Course</a> is a 24+ hour educational workshop for physicians and their administrative dyad partners that helps improve team function and achieve greater operational success within their clinical system. Online virtual sessions will be held on Oct. 16-17 and Nov. 13, with four weeks in between of self-guided online learning. The deadline to register is Sept. 16.
</p>
<h3>Restarting health care in Washington state</h3>
<p>
Gov. Jay Inslee issued <a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/20-24.1%20-%20COVID-19%20Non-Urgent%20Medical%20Procedures%20Ext%20.pdf" target="_blank">a new proclamation regarding non-urgent procedures</a> this week that allows non-urgent health care services and surgeries to be provided once again. The proclamation emphasizes the importance of a health care provider's clinical judgment, stipulating that physicians and other providers should consider the needs of patients in the broader context of the pandemic, as well as adequate PPE, and urges providers to act with good judgment in delivering care.
</p>
<p>
For more information on the criteria and how to comply with the proclamation, <a href="https://www.informz.net/WSMA/data/images/Attachments/Guidance-Document-Non-Urgent-Procedures-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">download the WSMA's new guidance and physician practice checklist</a>. And be sure to check out WSMA's <a href="[@]WSMA/Resources/COVID-19/COVID-19_Clinical_Guidance_and_Testing/covid_19_clinical_guidance_and_testing.aspx?_zs=B3aFd1&amp;_zl=NQ4o6">COVID-19 Resource</a> pages for more practice information to help assist you during the pandemic.
</p>
<p>
With that, here's wishing you a restful Memorial Day weekend. As we reflect on the sacrifices of military heroes past and present, I know I'll also be thinking about the sacrifices of the medical heroes who are serving on the front lines of this pandemic.
</p>
</div> | 5/22/2020 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |