| important_updates_to_state_opioid_prescribing_rules | Important Updates to State Opioid Prescribing Rules | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200214/important_updates_to_state_opioid_prescribing_rules | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2020/February/opioid_hydrocodone_bottle-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="Hydrocodone" />
</div>
<h5>
February 13, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Important Updates to State Opioid Prescribing Rules
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
The Washington Medical Commission and the Washington State Board of Osteopathic Medicine &amp; Surgery have adopted amendments to their opioid prescribing rules to comply with <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5380&amp;Year=2019&amp;Initiative=false">Senate Bill 5380</a> from the 2019 state legislative session. New requirements include patient notification of the risks of prescription opioids, including the risk of dependence and overdose, pain management alternatives to opioids, when clinically appropriate, evidence-based alternatives exist, and notification to the patient that they have the right to refuse an opioid prescription for any reason.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Opioid rule amendments and effective dates</strong>
</p>
<p>
Review the adopted amendments, which also identify situations where the notification requirements would not apply:
</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wmc.wa.gov/sites/default/files/rules/CR-103.pdf" target="_blank">Washington Medical Commission rule amendments</a></li>
<li><a href="javascript://[Uploaded files/News and Publications/Newsletters/2020/CR103_Final.pdf]">Board of Osteopathic Medicine &amp; Surgery rule amendments</a> </li>
</ul>
<p>
WMC rule amendments are effective starting Feb. 29; osteopathic board rule amendments Feb. 21. These new requirements must be documented in the medical record when applicable.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Opioid prescribing resources</strong>
</p>
<p>
The Department of Health offers patient handouts for all categories of pain patients (chronic, surgical, acute, and subacute) to help guide discussions with patients of the risks, safe storage, and safe disposal of prescription opioids. The handouts are available from <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/ForPublicHealthandHealthcareProviders/HealthcareProfessionsandFacilities/OpioidPrescribing/HealthcareProviders/Toolkits">the DOH website</a>.
</p>
<p>
The WSMA also offers education and practice resources on the state's opioid prescribing rules, including
</p>
<ul>
<li>A one-hour webinar which will fulfill the new state requirement for continuing medical education on opioid prescribing (approved for <em>AMA PRA Category 1 Credit</em>â„¢).</li>
<li>A customizable PowerPoint template to help practice leaders educate their care teams, regardless of size, on the new rules.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Visit the WSMA's <a href="[@]WSMA/Resources/Opioids/Prescribing_Rules_And_Guidelines/prescribing_rules_and_guidelines.aspx">Prescribing Rules and Guidelines page</a> to find these and other clinician resources.
</p>
</div> | 2/13/2020 3:51:22 PM | 2/11/2020 11:44:00 AM | 2/13/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| lawmakers_in_olympia_open_door_to_medicaid_reimbursement_increase | Lawmakers in Olympia Open Door to Medicaid Reimbursement Increase | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200214/lawmakers_in_olympia_open_door_to_medicaid_reimbursement_increase | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2020/February/Stock.image_2018.fam_ped_w_younggirl_645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="Family with physician" />
</div>
<h5>
February 13, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Lawmakers in Olympia Open Door to Medicaid Reimbursement Increase
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
For the first time in years, there's serious interest and momentum among budget writers for a Medicaid reimbursement increase that would apply to all primary care. This is in part an effort to mitigate the impact of the <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Advocacy_Report/2020/modified_b_and_o_tax_fix_set_to_pass_legislature">B&amp;O tax increase</a> and is a direct result of physician advocacy on that issue. WSMA members should note: While there's reason to be cautiously optimistic, for the Medicaid rate increase to be realized, we'll have to keep up the pressure on legislators. Here's what you need to know about this new development.
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6676&amp;Year=2019&amp;Initiative=false">Senate Bill 6676</a> would raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services by at least 15% and for certain pediatric services by at least 21%, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The bill is expected to increase Medicaid reimbursement statewide by an estimated $65 million per year. SB 6676 had its first public hearing on Feb. 6 in the Senate Committee on Ways &amp; Means. WSMA Government Affairs Director Sean Graham, Pioneer Family Practice physician Eddy Cates, MD, and retired pediatrician Tom Long, MD, representing the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, testified in support.
</p>
<p>
As our members are well aware, most Medicaid payments fall far short of the cost of providing care. This puts physicians in the position of having to limit their Medicaid panel size or decline to participate in the program altogether to maintain practice viability - a situation that physicians don't want to be in and ultimately impairing access to care for patients. And while recent years have seen state lawmakers make investments in reimbursement rates for some pediatric primary care and behavioral health care services, there has not been a broad-based increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates in at least a dozen years.
</p>
<p>
The WSMA advocated for this positive first step toward meaningful increases in Medicaid reimbursement rates in part to help ameliorate the effect of the B&amp;O tax increase on our independent physician practices. It is imperative that legislators fund fair Medicaid reimbursements to facilitate practice viability and access to care for patients. Stay tuned for more information as SB 6676 makes its way through the Legislature - and be on the lookout for calls to action on the issue.
</p>
</div> | 2/13/2020 1:51:13 PM | 2/11/2020 11:41:17 AM | 2/13/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| oic_fines_insurers_for_preauthorization_delays | OIC Fines Insurers for Preauthorization Delays | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200214/oic_fines_insurers_for_preauthorization_delays | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2020/February/Steth-Calc-Money-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="Stethoscope and money" />
</div>
<h5>
February 13, 2020</h5>
<h2>
OIC Fines Insurers for Preauthorization Delays
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
While a WSMA-supported effort is underway in the Legislature to bring <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2020/February20/urgent_session_update_for_physicians_and_pas">transparency and accountability to prior authorization practices</a>, recent actions against Washington health insurers serve as a reminder to WSMA members that their feedback can help keep insurers in compliance with state rules.
</p>
<p>
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner fined two Washington state health insurers for violating state rules around prior authorization:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Premera Blue Cross was fined $100,000 for delaying responses to more than 5,000 preauthorization requests, representing 3% of its 2018 total.</li>
<li>Premera's sister company, LifeWise Health Plan of Washington, was fined $50,000 for delayed responses to 447 preauthorization requests, representing 4% of its 2018 total.</li>
</ul>
<p>
The issues were discovered after consumers filed complaints with the OIC. The OIC relies upon complaints - from patients as well as physicians and other health professionals - to enforce state rules regulating prior authorization practices. Those rules include new requirements put in place in 2018 that outline timeframes for responses (for both standard and expedited prior authorization requests) among other provisions.
</p>
<p>
Those 2018 rules, which the WSMA and the state hospital association worked diligently over a several year period to secure, were a major win on behalf of physicians, providers, and patients in Washington. To familiarize yourself with the rules, visit the <a href="http://priorauth.wsma.org/">WSMA Prior Authorization Navigator</a>. If you are encountering prior authorization delays and believe an insurer may be out of compliance with state requirements, use the Navigator's <a href="http://priorauth.wsma.org/file-a-complaint/">complaint tool</a> to send a message to the OIC.
</p>
</div> | 2/13/2020 3:54:58 PM | 2/11/2020 11:44:24 AM | 2/13/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| upcoming_buprenorphine_waiver_trainings | Upcoming Buprenorphine Waiver Trainings | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200214/upcoming_buprenorphine_waiver_trainings | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2020/February/Buprenorphine-Butrans10mcg_645px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="Buprenorphine" />
</div>
<h5>
February 13, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Upcoming Buprenorphine Waiver Trainings
</h2>
<p>The Washington State Department of Health has announced new dates and locations for its series of buprenorphine waiver trainings to help physicians and other clinicians qualify for the required waiver to prescribe the partial opioid agonist to treat substance use disorder. Information for free online training is also now available. All trainings are accredited.</p>
<p>
The following in-person trainings, some at no cost, are coming up:
</p>
<p>
Friday, Feb. 28<br />
Kennewick<br />
12:30–5 p.m.<br />
7102 West Okanogan Place, Kennewick, WA 99336<br />
Host organization: Benton-Franklin Health District<br />
Contact: Karen Lagier at <a href="mailto:karenl@bfhd.wa.gov">karenl@bfhd.wa.gov</a><br />
<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/data-2000-mat-waiver-training-tickets-80277284519?utm-source=strongmail&amp;utm-term=listing&amp;utm-campaign=social&amp;utm-medium=discovery&amp;utm-content=attendeeshare">Register online</a>
</p>
<p>
Thursday, March 5<br />
Seattle<br />
8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.<br />
University of Washington Medical Center<br />
Northwest Campus, E-Wing Auditorium<br />
1550 N 115th St., Seattle, WA 98133<br />
Host Organization: UWMC-NW/PHSKC<br />
Contact: Mandy Sladky at <a href="mailto:MSladky@kingcounty.gov">MSladky@kingcounty.gov</a><br />
<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medication-assisted-treatment-mat-waiver-training-tickets-92237018405">Register online</a>
</p>
<p>
Friday, March 13<br />
Tacoma<br />
Time: 8 a.m.–noon<br />
Location: 1202 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, WA 98405<br />
Host Organization: Community Health Care Hilltop Regional Health Center<br />
Contact: Julia Keller at <a href="mailto:JKeller@commhealth.org">JKeller@commhealth.org</a><br />
Registration: Email full name, credentials, and email address to Julia Keller at <a href="mailto:JKeller@commhealth.org">JKeller@commhealth.org</a><br />
DATA Sponsor: AAAP is the DATA 2000 Sponsor for this training
</p>
<p>
Saturday March 14<br />
Goldendale<br />
Time: 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.<br />
Location: Klickitat Valley Health Conference Rooms A&amp;B<br />
310 S Roosevelt Ave., Goldendale, WA 98620<br />
Contact: Barbara Bostick <a href="mailto:bbostick@kvhealth.net">bbostick@kvhealth.net</a><br />
Registration: Email name, credentials, and email address to <a href="mailto:bbostick@kvhealth.net">bbostick@kvhealth.net</a><br />
DATA Sponsor: AAAP is the DATA 2000 Sponsor for this training
</p>
<p>
Saturday March 14<br />
Centralia<br />
Time: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.<br />
Location: Providence Centralia Classroom<br />
914 S Scheuber Rd., Centralia, WA 98531<br />
Host Organization: Cascade Pacific Action Alliance<br />
<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/waiver-training-centralia-tickets-87015629089">Register online</a><br />
DATA Sponsor: AAAP is the DATA 2000 Sponsor for this training
</p>
<p>
Tuesday March 24<br />
Everett<br />
Time: 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.<br />
Location: Sanders Training Center<br />
Building 2 Central Conference Center (The Gym)<br />
4526 Federal Ave., Everett, WA 98203<br />
Host Organization: Compass Health<br />
Contact: Compass Health Training Department<br />
<a href="mailto:CompassTraining@compassh.org">CompassTraining@compassh.org</a> or 425-349-8588<br />
<a href="https://www.compasshealth.org/events/mat-waiver-training/">Register online</a> (Click RSVP to register)<br />
DATA Sponsor: AAAP is the DATA 2000 Sponsor for this training
</p>
<p>
Completion of the four-hour in-person course, as well as a four-hour online follow up, allows physicians to prescribe buprenorphine for office-based treatment of opioid use disorder. These courses have been approved for <em>AMA PRA Category 1 Creditâ„¢</em>&nbsp; by the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry or American Society of Addiction Medicine.
</p>
<p>
Free training is also available online. For more information, visit the <a href="https://pcssnow.org/medication-assisted-treatment/">Providers Clinical Support System website</a>.
</p>
</div> | 2/13/2020 3:57:32 PM | 2/11/2020 11:44:16 AM | 2/13/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| update_and_interim_guidance_on_coronavirus_outbreak | Update and Interim Guidance on Coronavirus Outbreak | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200214/update_and_interim_guidance_on_coronavirus_outbreak | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2020/February/coronavirus-2020-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="Coronavirus" />
</div>
<h5>
February 13, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Update and Interim Guidance on Coronavirus Outbreak
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
With one case confirmed in Washington, state public health agencies have quickly mobilized to prevent further transmission of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. State officials report that there is no evidence the virus is spreading in Washington and the risk to the general public is low. The Department of Health offers an <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus">information and resource webpage</a> for health care professionals, <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/NovelCoronavirusOutbreak2020/FactSheet">a fact sheet for the public (available in multiple languages)</a>, and has established a call center to address questions from the public that can be reached at 1.800.525.0127 (press #). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to closely monitor the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by 2019-nCoV (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html">now officially called COVID-19</a>) and offers <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/index.html">continually updated guidance for health care professionals</a>.
</p>
</div> | 2/13/2020 1:51:37 PM | 2/11/2020 11:44:19 AM | 2/13/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma_priority_bills_still_in_play_in_olympia | WSMA Priority Bills Still in Play in Olympia | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200214/wsma_priority_bills_still_in_play_in_olympia | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Logos/2020-Leg-Session-Social-Graphic-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="2020 Washington state legislative session" />
</div>
<h5>
February 13, 2020</h5>
<h2>
WSMA Priority Bills Still in Play in Olympia
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
All of WSMA's priority bills are "alive" and moving through the legislative process after <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2020/February20/Legislative_Session_Week_Three_Highlights">last Friday's policy cutoff</a>, some, including legislation on prior authorization and vapor products, due to the large outpouring of physician and physician assistant responses to our recent <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Latest_News/2020/February20/urgent_session_update_for_physicians_and_pas">calls to action</a>. Thank you for responding - your calls and emails have made a difference. Read on for an overview of our session priorities.
</p>
<h3>WSMA priority bills that survived the Feb. 7 policy cutoff</h3>
<p>
<strong>Prior authorization transparency –</strong> <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6404&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6404</a>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 6404 would require insurance carriers to submit certain information related to prior authorization practices to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and would establish a work group to review prior authorization standards and to make recommendations to promote standardization and improvement of prior authorization processes.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Telemedicine payment parity –</strong> <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5385&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 5385</a>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 5385 would generally require payment for services delivered via telemedicine to be on par with the rate paid for in-person visits.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Primary care Medicaid reimbursement –</strong> <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6676&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6676</a>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 6676 would raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services by at least 15% and for certain pediatric services by at least 21%, effective Jan. 1, 2021. (<a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200214/lawmakers_in_olympia_open_door_to_medicaid_reimbursement_increase.aspx">See this article for details</a> .)
</p>
<p>
<strong>Low-carbon fuel standard</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1110&amp;Year=2019&amp;Initiative=false">HB 1110</a>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 1110 would establish a "clean fuels program" to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Health care provider credentialing</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1552&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 1552</a>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 1552 would stipulate that insurers must generally retroactively reimburse for care delivered by a physician or other credentialed practitioner during the time credentialing applications are pending, upon approval the application.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Physician assistants</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2378&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2378</a>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2378 would modernize the physician assistant practice act and facilitate the ability of physician assistants to gain employment and practice.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Health care benefit management </strong> –<a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5601&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 5601</a>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 5601 would require benefit managers to register with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, including paying a licensure fee and submitting contracts with carriers, among other provisions.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Vapor production regulation</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6254&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6254</a>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 6254 would regulate the sale of certain flavored vapor products, stipulate maximum nicotine content for vapor products, and prohibit the sale of vapor products containing vitamin E acetate (among other provisions). Also imposes a new tax on flavored vapor products, with revenue generated being directed to the Foundational Public Health Services Accounts.
</p>
<h3>Bills opposed by WSMA that survived the Feb. 7 deadline</h3>
<p>
<strong>Naturopath scope of practice expansion – </strong> <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1630&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 1630</a>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 1630 would grant naturopaths prescriptive authority for Schedules III-V drugs, without detailing specific education and training requirements, increase the office-based procedures that may be performed by naturopaths, and allow them to sign and attest to any form that a physician may sign, including forms such as death certificates and disability determinations.
</p>
<p>
<strong>King County payroll tax –</strong> <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2907&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2907</a>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2907 would allow for the imposition of a new payroll tax to be imposed in King County on businesses including physician practices, with revenue generated going to support addressing homelessness and the delivery of behavioral health services.
</p>
<h3>Bills considered "dead"</h3>
<p>
With the caveat that nothing is truly dead in Olympia until the Legislature adjourns <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjournment_sine_die">sine die</a>, the following bills were not approved before the Feb. 7 cutoff and are not expected to receive further consideration:
</p>
<p>
<strong>Psychiatric pharmacist practitioner –</strong> <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6609&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6609</a>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 6609 would have created a new practitioner type titled "psychiatric pharmacist practitioner," who could enter into written agreements with psychiatrists granting them many of the same privileges as a physician in diagnosing and treating behavioral health conditions. The bill included no new education or training requirements for pharmacists to work under the license.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Assessing patient anxiety –</strong> <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1920&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 1920</a>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 1920 would have required that a patient's anxiety level be assessed by a health care professional upon the patient's intake at a health care facility, upon regular intervals during their stay, and again upon discharge.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Chronic pain patients –</strong> <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2807&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2807</a>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2807 would have allowed patients to provide written informed consent to a prescribing practitioner, granting them exemption from civil liability or disciplinary action by the relevant disciplinary entity for prescribing opioid drugs in excess or in violation of state rules.
</p>
<h3>Other bills and more information</h3>
<p>
Don't see a bill you're looking for? Be sure to check our weekly legislative updates published our <a href="[@]WSMA/News_Publications/Latest_News/Advocacy_Report/WSMA/News_Publications/Newsletters/WSMA_Advocacy_Report.aspx?hkey=fbce906b-dbfb-4af3-8790-11f84275cf1e">online Advocacy Report</a>. If you have questions about these bills or anything pending in Olympia, contact WSMA Director of Government Affairs Sean Graham (<a href="mailto:sean@wsma.org">sean@wsma.org</a>).
</p>
</div> | 2/13/2020 1:51:31 PM | 2/11/2020 11:44:13 AM | 2/13/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| youre_invited_2020_wsma_leadership_development_conference | You're Invited: 2020 WSMA Leadership Development Conference | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200214/youre_invited_2020_wsma_leadership_development_conference | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/Newsletters/MembershipMemo/2020/February/LDC_2018.05.447-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" alt="Leadership Development Conference" />
</div>
<h5>
February 13, 2020</h5>
<h2>
You're Invited: 2020 WSMA Leadership Development Conference
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
Registration is now available for WSMA's premier leadership skills-building event scheduled for May 15-16 at Campbell's Resort on Lake Chelan.This conference is one of WSMA's most popular gatherings, combining top-quality programming with a spectacular resort setting. You'll have time to enjoy the pristine surroundings, play golf, tour some of our state's finest wineries, and relax. Bring your family to take advantage of kid-friendly outdoor activities or consider bringing your clinic's board and have your own strategic planning retreat. Don't miss this opportunity to invest in yourself, build important quality improvement and leadership skills, and recharge on the shores of Lake Chelan. <a href="[@]WSMA/Events/Leadership_Development_Conference/WSMA/Events/LDC/leadership_development_conference.aspx?hkey=c7532c38-057a-4568-8a3c-078182469222">Learn more and register online</a>.
</p>
</div> | 2/13/2020 4:21:04 PM | 2/11/2020 11:44:21 AM | 2/13/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| assisting_spanish_speaking_washingtonians_with_advance_care_planning | Assisting Spanish-speaking Washingtonians with Advance Care Planning | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/assisting_spanish_speaking_washingtonians_with_advance_care_planning | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Logos/honoring%20choices%20pacific%20northwest%20logo.png" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Assisting Spanish-speaking Washingtonians with Advance Care Planning
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
Honoring Choices Pacific Northwest and a team at the University of California, San Francisco have been granted an award to distribute Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded, evidence-based advance care planning resources to vulnerable and Spanish-speaking communities in Washington state. UCSF researchers will collaborate with Honoring Choices PNW to further engage with community and health care partners across Washington and to build the infrastructure to disseminate and implement the PREPARE online program and the <a href="https://prepareforyourcare.org/advance-directive">PREPARE easy-to-read advance directives</a>. Honoring Choices PNW is a joint initiative of the WSMA Foundation for Health Care Improvement and Washington State Hospital Association with established partnerships in health care and community organizations across the state. For more information about this latest development in WSMA's advance care planning outreach, <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Press_Release/2020/honoring_choices_pacific_northwest_ucsf_granted_advance_care_planning_award">read the press release</a>.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 2:30:14 PM | 1/23/2020 11:38:42 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| bree_collaborative_finalizes_recommendations_in_response_to_volk_v_demeerleer | Bree Collaborative Finalizes Recommendations in Response to Volk v. DeMeerleer | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/bree_collaborative_finalizes_recommendations_in_response_to_volk_v_demeerleer | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Concepts/bill-oxford-OXGhu60NwxU-unsplash-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Bree Collaborative Finalizes Recommendations in Response to Volk v. DeMeerleer
</h2>
<p>
At the request of the Washington State Legislature, the <a href="http://www.breecollaborative.org/topic-areas/previous-topics/risk-of-violence/">Dr. Robert Bree Collaborative</a> recently adopted recommendations intended to address clinician uncertainty resulting from the 2016 Washington State Supreme Court decision <em>Volk v. DeMeerleer</em>. <a href="http://www.breecollaborative.org/topic-areas/previous-topics/risk-of-violence/">The Risk of Violence to Others Report and Recommendations</a> can be downloaded for review from the Bree Collaborative website.
</p>
<p>
While intended to provide an overview of best practices for clinical care, the Bree Collaborative is concerned about setting actionable recommendations in light of the standards set in <em>Volk</em>, and suggests that even with these recommendations, legislative action is needed to address the questions raised by court's decision, including:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Addressing <em>Volk's</em> discrepancies with current law (RCWs 71.05.120, 70.02.050, and 70.02.230).</li>
<li>Creating one uniform standard on the duties of mental health professionals to protect third parties from violent acts of patients to supersede <em>Volk</em> and apply regardless of treatment settings.</li>
<li>Clarifying the scope of the duty to protect by specifying the range of clinicians subject to the duty to protect, conditions that trigger the duty to protect, persons to whom the duty to protect is owed, and options for discharging the duty to protect.</li>
</ul>
<p>
The WSMA was actively engaged in the work group that created the recommendations. The Bree Collaborative will now send the recommendations to the state Health Care Authority in accordance with its usual process for review and approval and will also send them to the House Health Care &amp; Wellness Committee and the Senate Health &amp; Long Term Care Committee.
</p>
<p>
The <em>Volk</em> decision was <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Weekly_Rounds/2018/Volk_decision_a_few_words_make_a_huge_difference">aggressively opposed by the WSMA</a> and a large coalition of national and state partners due to its substantial expansion of clinician liability and the potential chilling effect on patient care. We are pleased to see the Bree Collaborative address the need for the Legislature to address significant legal ambiguities in order to support Washington's mental health professionals.
</p>
<p>
If you have questions, email Katerina LaMarche, JD, at <a href="mailto:katerina@wsma.org">katerina@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 2:33:25 PM | 1/23/2020 11:38:55 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| final_call_for_2020_ldc_scholarship_applications | Final Call for 2020 LDC Scholarship Applications | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/final_call_for_2020_ldc_scholarship_applications | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Events/LDC_2018.05.447-medium-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Final Call for 2020 LDC Scholarship Applications
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
The <a href="[@]WSMA/Events/Leadership_Development_Conference/WSMA/Events/LDC/leadership_development_conference.aspx?hkey=c7532c38-057a-4568-8a3c-078182469222">Leadership Development Conference</a> is one of WSMA's most popular events, allowing attendees to enjoy prime learning, networking, and recreational opportunities in a beautiful lakeside resort setting. A limited number of scholarships are available for this year's conference, scheduled for May 15-16 at Campbell's Resort on Lake Chelan. Help us identify and cultivate the next generation of clinician leaders by spreading the word!
</p>
<p>
Scholarships cover registration fees, event meals, and lodging for two nights in one standard room. Travel to and from the conference is not covered by the scholarship. To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Be a member of the WSMA in 2020.</li>
<li>Have not attended a WSMA Leadership Development Conference before.</li>
<li>Submit a complete application by Wednesday, Jan. 29 <strong>.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>
The scholarship application form is <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020LDCScholarship">available online</a>. The WSMA executive committee will select up to five scholarship recipients at its February meeting. Preference will be given to early career applicants (e.g. students, residents, fellows, those under 40, and those in their first 10 years of practice).
</p>
<p>
The one-and-a-half-day Leadership Development Conference is designed for clinicians at all levels of leadership experience and will provide practical information and skills that can be used in any setting - at work, in the community, or in organized medicine. The conference presents an excellent opportunity for physicians seeking leadership positions in their career, regardless of the type or size of their organization or practice. Encourage all physicians involved in a leadership capacity in your organization to attend.
</p>
<p>
Contact Brendan Cox at 206.441.9762 or <a href="mailto:brendan@wsma.org">brendan@wsma.org</a> if you have any questions.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 3:05:31 PM | 1/23/2020 11:38:45 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| legislative_session_week_one_highlights | Legislative Session Week One Highlights | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/legislative_session_week_one_highlights | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Logos/2020-Leg-Session-Social-Graphic-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Legislative Session Week One Highlights
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
If a physician colleague asks you "<a href="[@]WSMA/Membership/Why_Join_the_WSMA/WSMA/Membership/Why_Join_the_WSMA_/Why_Join_the_WSMA.aspx?hkey=de6b7c3d-8b5a-420d-a55e-db6e2faf5715">What's the value of membership in the WSMA</a>?" a quick and easy answer is the work we, and many of your committed WSMA member colleagues, do on the ground in Olympia during the state legislative session. That work was on full display last week, as Washington state lawmakers began their "short" 60-day working session. Proposed bills on issues of importance to physicians - credentialing, maintenance of certification, a low-carbon fuel standard, to name a few - were heard in committee hearings, several featuring WSMA physician advocates providing testimony.
</p>
<p>
The legislative session kicked off with the swearing in of a new Speaker of the House, Rep. Laurie Jinkins of the Tacoma area. Jinkins is the first new House speaker in over two decades, and - in two historic firsts - the first woman House speaker and its first openly gay speaker.
</p>
<p>
Here is a brief rundown of the priority health care bills heard last week in committees, a few shout-outs to our physician advocates who testified, and what's in store for this week (and in case you missed it, WSMA CEO Jennifer Hanscom lays out our top legislative priorities in our inaugural legislative update video <a href="https://vimeo.com/384585974">here</a>).
</p>
<h3>
Legislative session week one (Jan. 13-17): Health care highlights
</h3>
<p>
<strong>Health care provider credentialing</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1552&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 1552</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
Among other provisions, House Bill 1552 would require insurers to retroactively reimburse for care delivered by providers during credentialing time, upon approval of credentialing application. It also would reduce the deadline by which insurers must approve or deny credentialing applications to 45 days. WSMA members Ken Lee, MD; Edward Cates, MD; and Christie Mcannally, office manager at Pioneer Family Practice, joined WSMA's Director of Policy Jeb Shepard to testify in support of this legislation during a public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care &amp; Wellness on Jan. 15. <a href="https://vimeo.com/386784881" target="_blank">Watch Drs. Lee and Cates testimony</a>.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Prohibiting maintenance of certification as a condition for insurer network participation</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2313&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2313</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2313 would prohibit insurers from requiring that physicians participate in maintenance of certification programs as a condition of being a participating provider in health plans. WSMA member Ken Lee, MD, and WSMA Director of Government Affairs Sean Graham testified in support of this legislation during a public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care &amp; Wellness on Jan. 15.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Physician assistants</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2378&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2378</a>,<em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2378 would make modifications to modernize the Physician Assistant Practice Act and to facilitate the ability of physician assistants to gain employment and practice. WSMA contract lobbyist Katie Kolan, JD, testified in support of this legislation during a public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care &amp; Wellness on Jan. 17.
</p>
<h3>
Other priority issues heard during week one (Jan. 13-17)
</h3>
<p>
<strong>Health coverage for young adults</strong> –<a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1697&amp;Year=2019&amp;Initiative=false">HB 1697</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 1687 would expand Medicaid coverage to all individuals aged 19 to 26 whose income is at or below 138% of the federal poverty level and who are not eligible for traditional Medicaid (i.e. undocumented individuals.).
</p>
<p>
<strong>Expiration date for notification of a biosimilar</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2251&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2251</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2251 would extend by five years the expiration date for required notification to a prescriber in the event of the substitution of a biosimilar drug for a biologic drug.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Student health plans</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2252&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2252</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2252 would require that student health plans that provide coverage for maternity care services also provide coverage for abortions.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Living donor act</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6039&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6039</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 6039 would make it illegal for insurers to decline, limit, or price coverage based on an individual's status as a living organ donor or discriminate against them in any way for the same reason.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Direct primary care</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6062&amp;Year=2019&amp;Initiative=false">SB 6062</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 6062 would repeal a reporting requirement for direct primary care practices to operate in the state.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Health system transparency</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2036&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2036</a>, <em>WSMA opposes</em>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2036 would impose new financial reporting requirements on hospitals and apply the same requirements to ambulatory surgical facilities.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Low carbon fuel standard</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5412&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 5412</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
Senate Bill 5412 would require a 20% reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Increasing access to medications for people with opioid use disorder</strong> – <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2335&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2335</a>, <em>WSMA supports</em>
</p>
<p>
House Bill 2335 would increase allowances for pharmacies to administer, dispense, or deliver drugs to patients who receive evidence-based opioid use disorder treatment "at the health care entity" and in compliance with Washington State Pharmacy Commission rules. This legislation was developed by WSMA member Lucinda Grande, MD.
</p>
<h3>
Legislative session week two (Jan. 21-25). Public hearings were on the following:
</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6077&amp;Year=2019&amp;Initiative=false">SB 6077</a> <strong>,</strong> concerning high-capacity magazines.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6106&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6106</a>, improving postpartum Medicaid coverage.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6128&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6128</a>, extending coverage during the postpartum period.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6097&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6097</a>, requiring the insurance commissioner to review a health carrier's surplus levels as part of its rate filing review process.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2240&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2240</a>, concerning high-capacity magazines.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2241&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2241</a>, concerning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2303&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2303</a>, concerning professional licensing requirements for service members and military spouses.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6288&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6288</a>, creating the Washington office of firearm violence prevention.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1562&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 1562</a>, concerning health care benefit management</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6254&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6254</a>, protecting public health and safety by enhancing the regulation of vapor products.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2457&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2457</a>, establishing the health care cost transparency board.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2438&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">HB 2438</a>, concerning establishment of the prescription opioid impact account.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6070&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6070</a>, concerning public disclosures by state-funded substance use disorder treatment programs and facilities.</li>
<li><a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6086&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">SB 6086</a>, increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Stayed tuned for highlights from those hearings. For regular updates on our advocacy during session, visit our <a href="[@]WSMA/News_Publications/Latest_News/Advocacy_Report/WSMA/News_Publications/Newsletters/WSMA_Advocacy_Report.aspx?hkey=fbce906b-dbfb-4af3-8790-11f84275cf1e">online Advocacy Report</a>.
</p>
<h3>
Physician advocacy in person in Olympia can make a difference
</h3>
<p>
Don your white coat and come to the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 25 for the 2020 WSMA Legislative Summit, our "doctors' day on the Hill." The event is free for members - <a href="[@]WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/WSMA/Events/Legislative_Summit/Legislative_Summit.aspx?hkey=ec5e0510-cee2-4aa9-b549-905d63952454">learn more and register online today</a>. Or consider lending your expertise and experience to lawmakers by testifying on a bill or issue you care about. Contact Alex Wehinger at <a href="mailto:alex@wsma.org">alex@wsma.org</a>to learn more.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 2:28:53 PM | 1/23/2020 11:39:03 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| naturopath_scope_expansion_bill_set_for_house_vote | Naturopath Scope Expansion Bill Set for House Vote | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/naturopath_scope_expansion_bill_set_for_house_vote | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Logos/Megaphone-Evergreen-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Naturopath Scope Expansion Bill Eligible for House Vote
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
A perennial issue for physicians - the <a href="[@]WSMA/About/Policies/Whats_Our_Policy/Scope_Of_Practice/Scope_Of_Practice_General.aspx">expansion of non-physician scope of practice without the requisite education or training</a> - has reared its head again this session.
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?Year=2019&amp;BillNumber=1630">House Bill 1630</a>, legislation held over from 2019 and strongly opposed by the WSMA, was made eligible for a vote in the House this week (the vote is pending at the time of this writing). The bill would grant naturopaths prescriptive authority for Schedule III-V drugs, without detailing specific education and training requirements, and require a "practice agreement" with a physician - requiring physicians to supervise naturopaths - while leaving the term undefined and potentially ripe for abuse. If passed by the Legislature, HB 1630 will jeopardize patient safety, increase the proliferation of potentially dangerous prescription drugs, and blur the lines between care provided by physicians and naturopaths. <strong>Our bottom line:</strong> Ensuring access to care is a legitimate issue, but it should be addressed through more responsible means <strong> - </strong> such as increasing medical residencies and providing incentives for members of our existing workforce to increase their Medicaid patient panels.
</p>
<p>
Thank you to all the WSMA members who responded to our call to action this week urging a "no" vote from House lawmakers. If you haven't yet contacted your representatives, <a href="https://takeaction.wsma.org/act-now-to-stop-expansion-of-naturopath-scope-of-practice/" target="_blank">do so today</a>. We will continue keeping you apprised of developments pending the outcome of the House vote.
</p>
</div> | 1/24/2020 12:02:02 PM | 1/23/2020 11:38:37 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| northwest_rural_health_conference_in_spokane | Northwest Rural Health Conference in Spokane | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/northwest_rural_health_conference_in_spokane | <div class="col-md-12">
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Northwest Rural Health Conference in Spokane
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
Registration is now available for the <a href="https://www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?id=8458">Northwest Rural Health Conference</a>, March 23-25 in Spokane. The two-and-a-half-day event brings together rural health care professionals and subject matter experts to collaborate, educate, and brainstorm innovative ways to bring quality care to our rural communities.
</p>
<p>
Attend the conference and:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Network with your rural passionate colleagues from across the state and across a variety of organizations.</li>
<li>Be captivated by plenary speakers dedicated to rural values and priorities.</li>
<li>Learn from prominent speakers with carefully curated topics, including policy updates, skills-enhancing sessions, and new technology to advance rural health care access systems.</li>
<li>Dive into discussions about current needs and potential solutions for the rural health care sector.</li>
<li>Discover new and seasoned vendors that provide innovative ways to help solve reoccurring problems in rural health care.</li>
</ul>
<p>
A full agenda and registration information can be found on the <a href="https://www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?id=8458">event website</a>. The annual conference is a collaboration Washington State Department of Health State Office of Rural Health, the WWAMI AHEC Programs, the Washington Rural Health Association, and the Rural Health Clinic Association of Washington.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 2:31:06 PM | 1/23/2020 11:38:49 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| physicians_in_washington_and_nationally_advocate_for_stronger_gun_violence_policy | Physicians in Washington and Nationally Advocate for Stronger Gun Violence Policy | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/physicians_in_washington_and_nationally_advocate_for_stronger_gun_violence_policy | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Concepts/gun_safety-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Physicians in Washington and Nationally Advocate for Stronger Gun Violence Policy
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
With several <a href="[@]Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/legislative_session_week_one_highlights.aspx">gun violence and injury prevention bills recently introduced in the Legislature</a>, here's a brief reminder of related policy recommendations around which national organized medicine has reached consensus, and a review of actions taken by the <a href="[@]WSMA/About_Us/Leadership/House_of_Delegates/WSMA/About/Leadership/House_of_Delegates/House_of_Delegates.aspx?hkey=e2c50002-384d-4ff7-9116-5ce7a51116e7">WSMA House of Delegates</a> on gun violence during its October meeting.
</p>
<h3>
Firearm injury and death: A call to action from national organized medicine
</h3>
<p>
Leading national physician organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, and American Psychiatric Association, recently published specific policy recommendations that the organizations believe can reduce firearm-related injury and death in the United States. The recommended policies take a public health approach to reducing gun violence, integrating medical, public health, and legal perspectives. Specific policy recommendations address:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Background checks for firearm purchases.</li>
<li>Need for research on firearm injury and death.</li>
<li>Intimate partner violence.</li>
<li>Safe storage of firearms.</li>
<li>Mental health.</li>
<li>Extreme risk protection orders.</li>
<li>Physician counseling of patients and "gag laws."</li>
<li>Firearms with features designed to increase their rapid and extended killing capacity.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Policy details can be found in the article "<a href="https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2748085/firearm-related-injury-death-united-states-call-action-from-nation">Firearm-Related Injury and Death in the United States: A Call to Action From the Nation's Leading Physician and Public Health Professional Organizations</a>," published Oct. 15, 2019, in the in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
</p>
<h3>
New WSMA House of Delegates policy on firearm injury and death
</h3>
<p>
Endorsing the call to action from national organized medicine was one of several gun violence policies adopted by the WSMA House of Delegates at its annual meeting last October. The full text of "Resolution C-23 – Reducing Firearm-Related Injury and Death, 2019 Updates," is below. WSMA leadership and staff use policy passed by the House of Delegates when taking positions on legislation and other policy being debated by policymakers.
</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
<strong>C-23 – Reducing Firearm-Related Injury and Death, 2019 Updates</strong> <strong>(ADOPTED AS AMENDED)</strong>
</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
RESOLVED, that the WSMA support and help publicize the interspecialty statement on "Firearm-Related Injury and Death in the United States: A Call to Action From the Nation's Leading Physician and Public Health Professional Organizations" or the current best policy. (Directive to Take Action); and BE IT FURTHER
</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
RESOLVED, that the WSMA support research to help us understand and reduce the multi-factorial causes and consequences of firearm-related injury and death (New HOD Policy); and BE IT FURTHER
</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
RESOLVED, that the WSMA support policy that would prohibit those guilty of violence against a family member or intimate partner - including dating partners, cohabitants, stalkers, and those who victimize any family member - from purchasing or possessing firearms (Reaffirm HOD Policy); and BE IT FURTHER
</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
RESOLVED, that the WSMA support improved access to mental health care, while cautioning against broadly including all individuals with a mental health or substance use disorder in a category of individuals prohibited from purchasing firearms (New HOD Policy); and BE IT FURTHER
</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
RESOLVED, that the WSMA note the life-saving impact of prior laws against certain types of rapid-fire weapons and high-capacity magazines, and calls for responsible regulation of weapons and weapon accessories whose unique use is the killing of large numbers in short time periods (Reaffirm HOD Policy); and BE IT FURTHER
</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
RESOLVED, that the WSMA reaffirm existing "Guns and Weapons" policy on "<a href="http://www.wsma.org/WSMA/About/Policies/Whats_Our_Policy/Guns_And_Weapons/Background_Checks_And_Waiting_Periods.aspx">Background Checks and Waiting Periods</a>"; on "<a href="http://www.wsma.org/WSMA/About/Policies/Whats_Our_Policy/Guns_And_Weapons/Children.aspx">Children</a>"; on "<a href="http://www.wsma.org/WSMA/About/Policies/Whats_Our_Policy/Guns_And_Weapons/Extreme_Risk_Protection_Orders.aspx">Extreme Risk Protection Orders</a>"; on "<a href="http://www.wsma.org/WSMA/About/Policies/Whats_Our_Policy/Guns_And_Weapons/Gun_Control.aspx">Gun Control</a>"; and on "<a href="http://www.wsma.org/WSMA/About/Policies/Whats_Our_Policy/Guns_And_Weapons/Gun_Safety_Education.aspx">Gun Safety Education</a>". (Reaffirm HOD Policy)
</p>
<p>
For more information on WSMA policy, contact the WSMA's new policy department at <a href="mailto:policy@wsma.org">policy@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
</div> | 1/26/2020 9:12:05 AM | 1/23/2020 11:38:59 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| register_for_the_18th_annual_northwest_patient_safety_conference | Register for the 18th Annual Northwest Patient Safety Conference | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/register_for_the_18th_annual_northwest_patient_safety_conference | <div class="col-md-12">
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</div>
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Register for the 18th Annual Northwest Patient Safety Conference
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
The Washington Patient Safety Coalition is hosting its <a href="https://foundationforhealthcarequality.wildapricot.org/event-3685038">18th Annual Northwest Patient Safety Conference</a> on Monday, May 11 at the Hilton Seattle Airport &amp; Conference Center. The day-long event features sessions on the theme, <em>Driving Toward Collaboration and Safety</em>.
</p>
<p>
The conference will include breakout sessions covering topics of shared decision-making with patients, process improvement in internal audits and adverse event investigation, building trust, and more, with each talk introduced with a first-hand patient story. And this year, conference sponsor the Washington Patient Safety Coalition will announce a new partnership with the Washington State Healthcare Executives Forum, which will host a breakout session on the topic of Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success.
</p>
<p>
The conference agenda is being finalized. Reserve your spot at this popular conference by <a href="https://foundationforhealthcarequality.wildapricot.org/event-3685038">registering online</a>.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 2:31:21 PM | 1/23/2020 11:38:52 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| stay_with_the_wsma_renew_your_membership_today | Stay with the WSMA. Renew Your Membership Today. | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/stay_with_the_wsma_renew_your_membership_today | <div class="col-md-12">
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Stay with the WSMA. Renew Your Membership Today.
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
As a member, you belong to a cohort of physicians and physician assistants who are driving change and improving the profession and quality of care in Washington state. Membership is your broader connection to peers across specialties, practice modes, and county lines. We encourage you to stay engaged with <em>your</em> WSMA. <a href="[@]WSMA/Membership/Why_Join_the_WSMA/Get_Involved/WSMA/Membership/Why_Join_the_WSMA_/Get_Involved.aspx?hkey=8a8ad298-3526-4d83-a305-63dadfd6aaf3">Get involved</a> as little or as much as you're able. Expand your business aptitude and leadership skills with WSMA's popular <a href="[@]WSMA/Resources/Physician_Leadership/WSMA/Resources/Physician_Leadership/Physician_Leadership.aspx?hkey=de41060f-7888-4692-92da-9acc972257d3">physician leadership</a> curriculum. Join us for our upcoming <a href="[@]WSMA/Events/WSMA/Events/Events.aspx?hkey=d0710120-9c2a-431b-9a70-da68f283d443">events and conferences</a> to connect in person.
</p>
<p>
If you've yet to <a href="http://www.wsma.org/renew">renew</a>, please do so now: <a href="http://www.wsma.org/renew">online</a>, by phone at 206.441.9762, or return the renewal notice that was recently mailed to you. For personal assistance, email <a href="mailto:membership@wsma.org">membership@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
<p>
Thank you for being a valued partner with the WSMA!
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 2:25:40 PM | 1/23/2020 11:37:29 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| wsma_acts_as_legislature_moves_to_cement_b_and_o_tax_increase | WSMA Acts as Legislature Moves to Cement B&O Tax Increase | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200123/wsma_acts_as_legislature_moves_to_cement_b_and_o_tax_increase | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Logos/NoToBO-Graphic-V2-No-Logo-645x425px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 23, 2020</h5>
<h2>
WSMA Acts as Legislature Moves to Cement B&amp;O Tax Increase
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
This week, your WSMA is mobilizing in response to the <a href="https://takeaction.wsma.org/no-bo-tax-increase-on-health-care/">news that state lawmakers are seeking to revisit the business &amp; occupation (B&amp;O) tax surcharge passed in 2019</a> - a tax increase that singled out, among other professions, independent physicians in our state.
</p>
<p>
In light of new, less-than-predicted revenue projections from the tax, legislators hope to come to agreement on a set of "fixes" to the B&amp;O tax surcharge bill from 2019, <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2158&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2019">House Bill 2158</a>, and pass the modifications quickly before moving on to other session priorities. Unfortunately, the fixes leave intact the 20 percent increase in the B&amp;O tax paid by independent physician practices - and, if passed, would have the effect of cementing that increase in state law for years to come.
</p>
<p>
Both the House and the Senate will consider separate bills this week to modify House Bill 2158. At the time of this writing, lawmakers in the Senate and House fiscal committees have scheduled hearings on Tuesday and Thursday of this week to hear testimony on the proposed bills. WSMA executive leadership and staff will be in Olympia for the hearings, and several WSMA members will take time out of their busy practices to come to the Capitol and provide testimony, including WSMA member and trustee Teresa Girolami, MD, a solo practice physician in Redmond. The WSMA is also working to position several physicians impacted by the tax increase in front of the television camera - a special thanks to Dr. Girolami and Dr. Tammy Bunn of Yelm Family Medicine for their willingness to be interviewed by news media.
</p>
<p>
<strong>The B&amp;O tax surcharge is bad for Washington's practices - and access to care</strong>
</p>
<p>
Testimony by WSMA leadership and physician members impacted by the tax surcharge will reflect the feedback we've received from members statewide. With a steep increase in their fixed business expenses - and no easy way to offset those costs - physician practices are facing choices that range from bad to worse. Just in the past two weeks we've heard from:
</p>
<ul>
<li>A small-group practice serving a rural community that has restricted their Medicaid panels to adult patients.</li>
<li>A multispecialty group practice that has laid off a longtime staff member.</li>
</ul>
<p>
<a href="[@]WSMA/Advocacy/Legislative___Regulatory/No_to_B_and_O/WSMA/Advocacy/Legislative_Regulatory/No_to_B_and_O/no_to_b_and_o_.aspx?hkey=d5807781-a824-4b2c-a8f4-70ed597ddfa8#videos">Others have described the need to reduce salaries</a>, and the resulting difficulty in attracting qualified staff; some, primarily in rural communities, have pointedly questioned their ability to keep their doors open altogether.
</p>
<p>
The WSMA has been <a href="[@]WSMA/Advocacy/Legislative___Regulatory/No_to_B_and_O/WSMA/Advocacy/Legislative_Regulatory/No_to_B_and_O/no_to_b_and_o_.aspx?hkey=d5807781-a824-4b2c-a8f4-70ed597ddfa8">clear in our message from day one</a>: With practice viability and patient access to care at stake, Washington's independent physicians must be exempted from the B&amp;O tax surcharge. If you haven't yet done so, <a href="https://takeaction.wsma.org/no-bo-tax-increase-on-health-care/">send a message to your lawmakers today</a>.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 2:27:41 PM | 1/23/2020 11:39:06 AM | 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| abim_to_launch_longitudinal_assessment_option_in_2022 | ABIM to Launch Longitudinal Assessment Option in 2022 | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200108/abim_to_launch_longitudinal_assessment_option_in_2022 | <div class="col-md-12">
<h5>
January 9, 2020</h5>
<h2>
ABIM to Launch Longitudinal Assessment Option in 2022
</h2>
<p>
<em>Feedback sought from internal medicine community</em>
</p>
<p>
The American Board of Internal Medicine recently <a href="http://blog.abim.org/abim-quarterly-news-and-notes-fall-2019/#longitudinal">announced</a> that it anticipates launching a longitudinal assessment option in 2022 in as many specialties as possible.
</p>
<p>
As part of this option, internists will be able to:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Answer a question at any place or time and receive immediate feedback as to whether it was correct or not.</li>
<li>See the rationale behind the answer along with links to educational material.</li>
<li>Proceed at their preferred pace answering questions during each administration window.</li>
<li>Access all the resources they use in practice, such as journals or websites.</li>
</ul>
<p>
In the meantime, ABIM has invited the internal medicine community to provide suggestions on this new pathway through its <a href="https://abms.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35240d3631d96b4b3bbe029c5&amp;id=cc7d41dbeb&amp;e=6fe0cb37d0">Community Insights Network</a> and share feedback through surveys, interviews, user tests, and ABIM's online community. <a href="https://abms.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35240d3631d96b4b3bbe029c5&amp;id=e0b8681638&amp;e=6fe0cb37d0">Read more about ABIM's efforts</a>, including current options for physicians with assessment requirements due before 2022.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 8:59:35 AM | 1/6/2020 10:38:21 AM | 1/9/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| check_your_initial_2020_mips_eligibility | Check Your Initial 2020 MIPS Eligibility | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200108/check_your_initial_2020_mips_eligibility | <div class="col-md-12">
<h5>
January 9, 2020</h5>
<h2>
Check Your Initial 2020 MIPS Eligibility
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
You can now use the updated Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services <a href="https://qpp.cms.gov/participation-lookup">Quality Payment Program Participation Status Lookup Tool</a> to check on your initial 2020 eligibility for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System. Just enter your National Provider Identifier, or <a href="https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/">NPI</a>, to find out whether you need to participate in MIPS during the 2020 performance period.
</p>
<p>
To be eligible to participate in MIPS in 2020, you must:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Bill more than $90,000 a year in allowed charges for covered professional services under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and</li>
<li>Furnish covered professional services to more than 200 Medicare Part B beneficiaries, and</li>
<li>Provide more than 200 covered professional services under the PFS_._</li>
</ul>
<p>
If you do not exceed all three of the above criteria for the 2020 performance period, you are excluded from MIPS. However, you can opt-in to MIPS and receive a payment adjustment if you meet or exceed one or two, but not all, of the low-volume threshold criteria. Alternatively, you may choose to voluntarily report to MIPS and not receive a payment adjustment if you do not meet any of the low-volume threshold criteria or if you meet some, but not all, of the criteria.
</p>
<p>
<a href="https://qpp.cms.gov/mips/how-eligibility-is-determined">Find out</a> whether you're eligible for MIPS today. Prepare now to earn a positive payment adjustment in 2022 for your 2020 performance. Note: The 2020 Eligibility Tool Update for QPs/APMs will be updated at a later time. Additionally, the tool will be updated in late 2020 to indicate final MIPS eligibility.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 8:59:56 AM | 1/6/2020 10:37:57 AM | 1/9/2020 12:00:00 AM |
| hca_accepting_public_comments_on_public_option_procurement_standards | HCA Accepting Public Comments on Public Option Procurement Standards | memo | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20200108/hca_accepting_public_comments_on_public_option_procurement_standards | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/Logos/Washington-State-Evergreen.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
January 9, 2020</h5>
<h2>
HCA Accepting Public Comments on Public Option Procurement Standards
</h2>
<p>
</p>
<p>
Washington state officials have <a href="https://wsma.org/Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20191223/court_decision_prolongs_aca_uncertainty_washington_moves_ahead_with_public_option">unveiled the standard plan designs for Cascade Care</a>, the "public option" plans that will hit the state health insurance market in 2021. The Health Care Authority is now seeking public comment on thequality, value, and affordability standardsfor the plans. This feedback will help inform the public option procurement process, which will occur in February. To review the procurement standards and provide feedback to the state, <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LTBRF7C">click here</a>. HCA's public comment period ends on Friday, Jan. 17. The WSMA is in the process of developing formal comments, which we will make available to members once submitted. As a reminder: The WSMA remains opposed to the reimbursement caps that are the primary cost-control feature of the Cascade Care plans. Artificially capping provider reimbursement rates at a percentage of Medicare will jeopardize provider participation in the plan, resulting in health plans with extremely limited provider options. We will continue to highlight our concerns in our comments to the HCA, as well as voice our support for those elements of the plans that we believe will be beneficial to patients and physicians. For a copy of our formal comments once finalized, email Sean Graham at <a href="mailto:sean@wsma.org">sean@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
</div> | 1/23/2020 8:57:46 AM | 1/6/2020 10:38:08 AM | 1/9/2020 12:00:00 AM |