BULLETIN

Serving East Bay physicians since 1860

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS ISSUE:

• Priority bills for 2023

• ACCMA meets with new county supervisors

March/April 2023

• Inaugural event empowers physicians to influence policy

• Celebrating women in medicine

• What is leadership?

ACCMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Edmon Soliman, MD, President

Albert Brooks, MD, President Elect

Irene Lo, MD, Secretary-Treasurer

Robert Edelman, Immediate Past President

COUNCILORS

Lisa Asta, MD

Eric Cain, MD

Eric Chen, MD

Rollington Ferguson, MD

Harshkumar Gohil, MD

James Hanson, MD

Terry Hill, MD

Shakir Hyder, MD

Alexander Kao, MD

Irina Kolomey, MD

Steve Lee, MD

Terence Lin, MD

Kristin Lum, MD

Nimisha Mishra-Shukla, MD

Aileen Murphy, DO

Kiran Narsinh, MD

Ross Pirkle, MD

Stephen Post, MD

Jeffrey Poage, MD

Thomas Powers, MD

Richard Rabens, MD

Steven Rosenthal, MD

Suresh Sachdeva, MD

Jonathan Savell, MD

Sonia Sutherland, MD

Clifford Wong, MD

Sijie Zheng, MD

CMA & AMA REPRESENTATIVES

Patricia L. Austin, MD, AMA Delegate

Mark Kogan, MD, CMA Trustee, AMA Alternate-Delegate

Suparna Dutta, MD, CMA Trustee

Katrina Peters, MD, CMA Trustee

ACCMA STAFF

Joseph Greaves, Executive Director

Griffin Rogers, Director, Napa Solano Medical Society

David Lopez, Director of Advocacy and Governance

Meghan Arthurs, Director of Community Health

Jennifer Mullins, Assoc. Director of Education & Events

Alejandra Hinojosa, Marketing & Communications Manager

Christine Maki, Administrative Assistant

Medical Association

Thank You

National Doctors’ Day is celebrated on March 30. The ACCMA would like to thank you on behalf of our community for your dedication to medicine and to serving your patients, day in and day out. The sacrifices you have made and continue to make, your commitment to service, and your passion for improving the lives of your patients and the health of our community is truly inspiring. It is a privilege to support you in the work that you do. We are here for you, your practice, and your patients and we look forward to continue being of service to you in any way we can.

2023 Priority Bills

CMA announced its priority bill package for 2023 which includes legislation that would reform prior authorization, expand cultural and linguistic competency, streamline provider credentialing, protect physicians providing reproductive health care and more. Visit bit.ly/3TEsrUv to read more about these bills.

New Np Classifications

AB 890 took effect January 1, creating two new classifications of Nurse Practitioners, 103 and 104 NPs. CMA published a guide to help physicians understand the new law and the minimum “transition to practice” standard for NPs seeking to apply for licensure under these classifications. Find the guide at bit.ly/3ZBAvYt.

X-WAIVER ELIMINATED

In a national effort to facilitate the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), practitioners no longer need to apply for an x-waiver. All practitioners who have a current DEA registration that includes Schedule III authority may now prescribe buprenorphine for OUD. There will be added training for new DEA applications and renewals which is still to be decided. Visit ACCMA.org/News to learn more.

Extended Duration Pas For Maintenance Meds

On March 24, Medi-Cal Rx initiated a series of transition policy lifts for beneficiaries 22 years of age and older. To reduce administrative burden while ensuring continued medication safety for beneficiaries, DHCS has enabled extended duration/multi-year prior authorizations (PAs) for up to 5 years for certain maintenance medications used for chronic conditions. Qualified prescriptions have been automatically extended. Visit medi-calrx.dhcs.ca.gov/provider/pharmacy-news/ for more info and updates from Medi-Cal Rx.

CIGNA TO RE-RELEASE BURDENSOME MODIFIER 25 POLICY

Cigna is re-releasing its policy to require the submission of medical records with all Evaluation and Management (E/M) claims with CPT 99212-99215 and modifier 25 when a minor procedure is billed. Last year, as a result of CMA advocacy, Cigna announced it was pausing implementation to reevaluate the policy. Unfortunately, Cigna recently announced it will be moving forward with, essentially, the same policy effective May 25, 2023. The policy continues to pose a significant and unnecessary burden on physician practices and may be inconsistent with California law.

COVID-19 TREATMENT

Please continue to treat your high-risk patients and stay updated on changes in COVID-19 treatment. Call the CDPH Warmline at 1-866-268-4322 (866-COVID-CA) for free and confidential consultation on COVID testing and treatment.

Data Exchange Changes Coming

Over the next three years, the Data Exchange Framework will require all physician practices in this state to exchange data with other practices, health plans, hospitals and others. To help physicians prepare for this change, the CMA has partnered with CalHHS to develop the CMA Data Exchange Explainer Series. This series of webinars will walk practices through the various considerations in implementing robust data exchange. Watch the live and on demand webinars at cmadocs.org/ digital-health/dxf/webinars.

COVID-19 PHE ENDING

The public health emergency due to COVID-19 is coming to an end soon. CMA create a guide to help you understand how changes to waivers and telehealth impact your practice. The guide also highlights CDPH’s updated guidance on masking, vaccination for health care workers, and isolation after infection. Find the guide at bit.ly/3LKunsI.

Save Money With Small Changes

My Green Doctor (MGD) is a money-saving membership benefit that helps you implement environmentally sustainable changes to your practice. Members have access to free materials and guidance at MyGreenDoctor.org. This month, MGD presents a webinar from the AMA on improving environmental stability in your practice. Visit bit.ly/3TAiZBK to watch the 45-minute webinar.

No On Ab 1751

A new bill, sponsored by the California Chiropractic Association, is being represented as an attempt to reduce opioid prescription rates. AB 1751 would require physicians to share information on non-pharmacological options, offer referrals, and confirm with the patient’s signature that this was done, creating unnecessary administrative burden and undermining the judgment and expertise of physicians. This bill also establishes referral requirements without proposed coverage expansions – Medi-Cal is not required to cover all non-pharmacological treatments. AB 1751 is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Health Committee on April 11.