[MMA News Now, September 2, 2010] The American Medical Association (AMA) has issued its recommendations on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed physician fee schedule for 2011. Here are some of the AMA’s principal recommendations.

[New York Times, September 2, 2010] In a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, the diet pill Meridia was shown to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes for users.

 [MMA News Now, September 1] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 13, 2010, approved a new emergency contraceptive pill called ella. The drug can prevent pregnancy if taken up to five days after having unprotected intercourse. Furthermore, ella is as effective when taken five days after sex as it is when taken one day after sex.

[Kaiser Health News, September 1, 2010] Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has issued a deadline of September 24, 2010, for state governors to request the enhanced Medicaid funding that was approved by Congress. States that fail to formally request the additional funding by this deadline will no longer be eligible for the higher Medicaid matching rate.

[MMA News Now, September 1] The MMA is urging Minnesota’s U.S. Senators, Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, to vote against amendment 4531 to the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act. This amendment, which is being sponsored by Senator Mike Johanns, would slash most of the funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The Prevention and Public Health Fund is slated to receive $15 billion over ten years.

In Minnesota, only about 16 percent of teenage girls have gotten all three of the shots needed to protect against HPV, or human papillomavirus, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Health. About one-third have received at least one, about the same as nationally.

 

[MMA News Now, August 17, 2010] The MMA’s 157th House of Delegates will consider about 35 resolutions at this year’s annual meeting September 15-17 in Brainerd. Taking action on resolutions, which help shape MMA policy and the overall direction of the organization, is the main work of the House of Delegates.

[MMA News Now, August 18, 2010] The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) held the first in a five part series of Webinars on provider peer grouping.

[MMA News Now, August 17, 2010] Minnesotans with complex and chronic conditions can begin to enroll in health care homes.

[Saint Cloud Times, August 8, 2010] Rep. Larry Hosch, DFL-St. Joseph, argues that Minnesota should sign up for early Medicaid because doing so will help the state and save St. Cloud and Paynesville hospitals $13 million the next three years.

[MMA News Now, August 12, 2010]  While GOP nominee Tom Emmer and DFL nominee Mark Dayton both agree that health care costs need to be reined-in, they have offered substantially different proposals for how they plan to accomplish this.

[MMA News Now, August 12, 2010] Medica and Preferred One have announced they are requiring providers to apply for credentials with the Minnesota Credentialing Collaborative’s (MCC) online application.

[MMA News Now, August 12, 2010] The Legislative Commission on Health Care Access on Thursday released the names of members serving on four work groups that will discuss different aspects of health care reform.

[MinnPost, August 10, 2010] Minnesota's share of a state aid bill that passed the House Tuesday is an additional $263 million in Medicaid funding and about $167 million for education funding.

[MMA News Now, August 9, 2010] The MMA has put together a factsheet for Minnesota physicians about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ HIT incentive program that provides financial support for the implementation and "meaningful use" of EHRs.

 [Star Tribune, August 7, 2010] Minnesota is likely to be a crucible for the debate about the need for back surgery, which is expected to intensify under the new federal health legislation, which will gradually require doctors and hospitals to demonstrate that their services are cost-effective. In that vein, the New England HealthCare Institute estimates the United States could save roughly $1 billion a year by eliminating unnecessary back surgeries.

[Star Tribune, August 6, 2010] North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale confirmed that it would stop taking new patients in General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) at the end of Friday after surpassing its 1,977-patient limit on enrollments.

[MMA News Now, August 12, 2010] A new report from the American Medical Association (AMA) based on data from the AMA’s 2007-2008 Physician Practice Information (PPI) survey indicates that male physicians are more likely to be sued than their female peers. The study found that 47.5 percent of male physicians had been sued at some point in their career, with 26.3 percent having been sued twice; while only 23.9 percent of female doctors had ever been sued with just 9.4 percent having been sued twice.

 [MMA News Now, August 5, 2010] MMA Alliance members played a key role in changing the American Medical Association Alliance (AMAA) policy concerning domestic partners.

[MMA News Now, August 5, 2010] In a letter to the Minnesota Department of Human Services released Wednesday, August 4, the MMA pledged support for Minnesota’s application to be a part of the Medicare Multi-payer Advance Primary Care Practice demonstration.

[MMA News Now, August 5, 2010] On October 29, 2010, The Minnesota Shared Decision Making Collaborative in conjunction with HealthPartners Institute for Medical Education will holding a full day conference entitled Optimizing Shared Decision Making in Health Care: Lessons, Challenges, Directions.

As the newest member of the MMA team, I am excited to offer my introduction to you. My name is Eric Dick, and I am the new Manager for State Legislative Affairs. I am thrilled to be at the MMA, and am eager to begin my work on behalf of Minnesota’s physicians.

[MMA News Now, August 5, 2010] In a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 26.7 percent of the national population was calculated to be obese, based on data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. This is a 1.1 percent increase in obesity since 2007. The CDC cautions that this may actually be an underestimate of the obesity rate given that obesity rates were based on self-reported weight and height measurements.

[MMA News Now, August 5, 2010] The MMA is asking Minnesota physicians to encourage hospitals and nursing homes to join the FluSafe program.

[MMA News Now, August 5, 2010] On August 3, 2010, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) convened the first-ever statewide Summit on Chlamydia.

[MMA News Now, July 30, 2010] The Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) is requesting nominations for the 2010 MAPS Patient Safety Awards. MAPS is accepting award nominations for four categories: individual leadership, process/system innovation, patient family engagement, and dissemination/spread of information.

[MMA News Now, July 29, 2010] The Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act of 2010, a new Minnesota law which will strengthen restrictions on the sale and use of tobacco products and related devices, will become law on August 1, 2010.

[MMA News Now, July 29, 2010] Beginning August 1, 2010, Minnesota health care and social services professionals who deliver prenatal care will no longer be required to report prenatal alcohol and marijuana use to local welfare agencies. The MMA supported the legislation during the 2010 session.

[MMA News Now, July 29, 2010] The Minnesota Medicaid Drug Utilization Review (DUR) board is currently seeking to add two additional physician-members.

[ABA Health, July 22] The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) calls for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to significantly increase the scope of the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program by the end of 2010.

[MMA News Now, July 23, 2010] The MMA has officially endorsed the “Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act of 2010.” This bill would make it illegal for any healthcare provider to make statements or engage in advertising and marketing efforts that would lead the public to believe that the healthcare provider had greater training or education than he or she actually had. The bill also calls for the Federal Trade Commission to determine the current prevalence of such false advertising. The legislation is being sponsored by U.S. Reps. John Sullivan of Oklahoma and David Scott of Georgia.

[Star Tribune, July 21, 2010] A study at United Hospital in St. Paul found that patients who suffer heart attacks get faster care and are more likely to survive if they are taken directly to a hospital catheter lab by the ambulance crew. This system requires specially trained paramedics who can diagnose heart attacks on their own without the aid of emergency room professionals.

[MMA NEWS NOW, July 22, 2010] A recent survey found that Minnesota clinics still have a ways to go to comply with the state’s mandate that all prescriptions be filled electronically by 2011.

 [MMA News Now, July 21, 2010] – In response to new evidence that patients are receiving inaccurate physician profiles from health insurers, the American Medical Association (AMA) delivered letters to the nation’s largest health insurance companies Monday asking for immediate action to improve the accuracy, reliability and transparency of physician ratings.

[ABC News, July 16, 2010] The Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA voted 10-6 against recommending new diet drug Qnexa, noting that there is a lack of data about the drug’s cardiovascular effects.

[MMA News Now, July 15, 2010] The Minnesota Medical Association has signed on as a supporter of Senator Franken’s Healthy Kids All the Time Act.

[MMA News Now, July 15, 2010] A panel of state lawmakers met Wednesday to examine the federal health care overhaul and Minnesota's efforts to provide health care to more people.

[MMA News Now, July 15, 2010] The MMA recently announced its support for the Minnesota Department of Health’s plan for developing health information exchange in Minnesota.

[MMA NEWS NOW, July 15] The Obama Administration unveiled a national HIV/AIDS strategy Tuesday.

[MMA News Now, July 15, 2010] The MMA released its letter to Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Commissioner Sanne Magnan, M.D. regarding the 2011 Minnesota Statewide Quality Reporting and Measurement System.

[MMA News Now, July 15, 2010] The Obama administration, in conjunction with the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury, released new regulations Wednesday about the coverage of preventive services by private health plans.

According to the new rules, new health insurance plans, starting on or after September 23, 2010, must now cover many preventive health services without requiring copayment, coinsurance, or a deductible, as part of the recent health reform law.

[MMA News Now, July 15, 2010] The MMA submitted comments to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) regarding proposed amendments to workers’ compensation rules governing medical services and fees, penalties, and certified managed care. Of particular concern is an amendment that would allow certified managed care plans to negotiate health care provider reimbursement rates. The MMA is strongly discouraging the DLI from adopting them.

[MMA News Now, July 15, 2010] The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday released the much-anticipated final rules for “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHR).

[MMA News Now, July 8, 2010] President Obama appointed Donald Berwick, M.D., Wednesday to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

[MMA News Now, July 8, 2010] The deadline for the submission of reports and resolutions for the Minnesota Medical Association’s Annual Meeting is fast approaching.The deadline for submitting an application to become a delegate has been extended, so all members are encouraged to fill out the delegate interest form. All reports and resolutions must be proposed to the MMA by Friday, July 9, 2010.

[MMA News Now, July 8, 2010] Minnesota law now requires that as of July 1, 2010, every clinical setting that moves patients must have a plan in place for safely handling patients. 

[MMA News Now, July 8, 2010] Honoring Choices Minnesota, a community collaborative in the area of advance care planning, is holding an event on Tuesday, July 20th.

[MMA News Now, July 6, 2010] The MMA and the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) called for Gov. Tim Pawlenty or the state’s next governor to expand the state’s Medicaid program in a commentary published in the opinion section of the Star Tribune. 

[MMA News Now, July 1, 2010] Minnesota was revealed this week as the 32nd most obese state in the country.

[MMA News Now, July 1, 2010] The “Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010,” seeks, among other things, to bring more consistency to what is known as the “3-day payment window.” The law, which was signed into effect on June 25, 2010 by President Obama, seeks to bring Medicare billing policy into alignment with traditional hospital billing practices that have been established since 1991.

[MMA News Now, July 1, 2010] The recent Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010 mandated a 2.2 percent increase to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for services performed Between June 1, 2010, and November 30, 2010. In light of this, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) is offering physicians and other practitioners who are currently non-participating, the opportunity to gain participating status.

[MMA News Now, July 1, 2010]  Minnesota mental health care providers showed a slight improvement in quality of care compared to one year ago, according to a study by the non-profit health care organizations MN Community Measurement and the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement.

[MMA News Now, July 1, 2010] Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Wednesday decided not to appoint any independent, actively-practicing, physicians to a 14-member task force to help implement federal health care legislation.

[Star Tribune, July 1, 2010] Twin Cities hospitals and nurses say they have reached an agreement to avert a strike that was scheduled to begin next week.

[MMA News Now, July 1, 2010] The MMA’s effort to reduce the paper work associated with pay for performance programs is paying off.

[MMA News Now, June 28, 2010] President Obama on Friday signed a law canceling a pay cut for Medicare physicians and replacing it with a 2.2 percent pay increase.

[MMA News Now, June 23, 2010] Oncologists are warning that the failure of Congress to address 21 percent Medicare reimbursement cuts due to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula will devastate the country's cancer delivery system and force many oncology practices to stop accepting new Medicare patients.

[MMA News Now, June 24, 2010] The Minnesota Medical Association, in partnership with the Twin Cities Medical Society (TCMS) and the Minnesota Medical Group Management Association (MMGMA), has completed its annual review and summary of the 2010 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (BCBS) Aware Provider Service Agreement. As part of that review process, the MMA indentified a concerning provision that we want to bring to your attention.

[MMA News Now, June 24, 2010] Rishi Kumar, 2010 Chair of the Minnesota Medical Association Medical Students Section (MMA-MSS) has been awarded a Mortar Board Fellowship, a $5,000 award.

[USA Today, June 16, 2010] The Food and Drug Administration launched a website Tuesday where patients and health care professionals can find safety information about recently approved drugs and vaccines.

[MMA News Now, June 24, 2010] The MMA is seeking members to volunteer on its committees for three-year terms beginning January 2011. Service on a committee provides an opportunity for member input on key policy issues.

[MMA News Now, June 24, 2010] A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that it was likely that the House would pass a stand alone bill that would spare doctors from cuts in Medicare payments, according to news reports

[MMA News Now, June 23, 2010] The MMA opposes Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s decision to pass up more than $1.48 billion in federal funds by stopping the state from participating in the early Medicaid enrollment contained in the new federal health care law.

[Star Tribune, June 19, 2010] After a week of partisan wrangling, the Senate on Friday passed legislation to spare doctors a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments looming for months. But the last-ditch effort came too late.

[MMA News Now, June 21, 2010] David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, took time during the 2010 Minnesota E-Health Summit to field questions from doctors about the implementation of electronic health record (EHR) technology.

[MMA News Now, June, 17, 2010] Every U.S. state medical society and more than 35 specialty societies signed a statement on June 16 urging Congress to deal with Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.

[MMA News Now, June 17, 2010] MMA Members serving as Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the American Medical Association attended the AMA Annual Meeting June 12-15 in Chicago. Blanton Bessinger, M.D., MMA member and pediatric cardiologist from St. Paul, Minn., was re-elected to the AMA Council on Constitution and Bylaws at the meeting. Although John Van Etta, M.D., MMA member and internist from Duluth, was not successful in his bid for election to the AMA Board of Trustees, he was praised for his innovative campaign.

[USA Today, June 16, 2010] The Food and Drug Administration launched a website Tuesday where patients and health care professionals can find safety information about recently approved drugs and vaccines.

[Star Tribune, June 16, 2010] Virtually certain of losing a showdown vote in the Senate, Democrats frustrated in their quest to extend jobless benefits and help for doctors facing Medicare payment cuts are scaling back a catchall tax and spending bill.

[MMA News Now, June 16, 2010] Do more than belong—get involved! MMA members help shape the future of medicine, and one of the most effective ways to do that is by serving on an MMA committee. For 2011, all MMA committees have been redesigned to focus on key issues and more effectively engage members in shaping policy and setting priorities.

[MMA News Now, June 16, 2010] St. Paul-based Emergency and Community Health Outreach (ECHO) is making its 20-minute “Understanding Colon Cancer” video available to MMA members free of charge. The presentation is available in English, Somali, Spanish, Lao, and Hmong.

[MMA News Now, June 16, 2010] The Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety’s (MAPS) annual conference will be held November 4 and 5 at The Northland Inn in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Physicians, administrators, and other health care professionals interested in improving patient safety in all clinical settings are encouraged to attend.

[MMA News Now, June 16, 2010] The walls of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare are a lot more colorful thanks to Karolyn Stirewalt, Policy Counsel at the Minnesota Medical Association.

[MMA News Now, June 3, 2010] According to a report released by the Minnesota Department of Health on June 2, spending on health care in Minnesota increased to $35 billion in 2008. This represented an increase of 5.7 percent from the $33 billion that was spent on health care in 2007.

[Rochester Post-Bulletin, June 4, 2010] Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius toured Mayo Clinic on Thursday June 4, 2010 along with Mayo Clinic President John Noseworthy, M.D., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Tim Walz and, from Wisconsin, Rep. Ron Kind.

[MMA News Now, June 10, 2010] The Minnesota Nurses Association launched Thursday what has been billed as the largest nursing strike in American history.

[MMA News Now, June 10, 2010] Some slight revisions were made to the MMA's endorsed version of the Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form, which is a signed medical order form that communicates the patient’s end-of-life health care wishes to other health care providers during an emergency. 

[Brainerd Dispatch, June 2, 2010] While the state did restore General Assistance Medical Care for adults without dependent children, the new rules effective June 1 for the program will make it much more difficult for outstate residents to participate, according to Cass County Health, Human and Veterans Services Director Ane Rogers.

[Start Tribune, June 6, 2010] County officials across Minnesota say they could improve medical care for as many as 5,000 poor, disabled Minnesotans -- adrift in a cobbled-together state health program that took effect under a change in state law last week -- by shifting patients into the state-federal Medicaid program.

[MMA News Now, June 8, 2010] An AMA physician survey shows that many physicians are already limiting the number of Medicare patients they treat.

 [MMA News Now, June 3, 2010] The MMA wants to hear how the new rules for General Assistance Medical Care enrollees are affecting your patients and your practice. The new rules that eliminate fee-for-service payments for GAMC enrollees started June 1.

[MMA News Now, June 10, 2010] Congress failed to stop a 21 percent Medicare cut for the third time this year.

[MMA News Now, May 27, 2010] The House may vote Thursday evening on a bill that would stop a 21 percent Medicare cut from going into effect June 1.

[MMA News Now, May 27, 2010]  The Federal Trade Commission has, for the fifth time, agreed to delay enforcement of the “Red Flags” Rule through December 31, 2010.  During that time, Congress may consider legislation that would affect the scope of entities covered by the Rule.  The Rule became effective on January 1, 2008, with full compliance for all covered entities originally required by November 1, 2008. 

[MMA News Now, May 26, 2010] The Regional Extension Assistance Center for HIT (REACH)—the federal HIT regional extension center—is holding informational calls to help clinics learn about how they can implement health information technology systems and receive bonus payments from the federal government.

[New York Times, May 24, 2010] An alternative to CPAP machines may be throat exercises.

[MMA News Now, May 27, 2010] The American Medical Association released its “Health Insurer Code of Conduct Principles” Tuesday calling on all U.S. health insurance companies to adopt consistent corporate practices that will bring transparency and accountability to the multibillion-dollar health insurance industry.
 

[MMA News Now, May 26, 2010] MMA CEO Robert Meiches, M.D., recently joined with about 60 other health care stakeholders to discuss the future of accountable care organizations in Minnesota.

[MMA News Now, May 19, 2010] The 2010 legislative session was dominated by the need to erase a nearly $3 billion budget deficit. It was in this legislative environment that the MMA set out to achieve three major goals: limit reimbursement cuts, save the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program, and improve the state’s peer grouping initiative.

[MMA News Now, May 18, 2010] The following is a summary of what happened to some of the bills the MMA was monitoring during the 2010 Legislative session.

[MMA News Now, May 19, 2010] Medical clinics should have a few more rights the next time they negotiate contracts with health plans because of contracting legislation passed during the 2010 legislative session.

[MMA News Now, May 20, 2010]  The American Medical Association on Tuesday flatly rejected a bid by Congress to give physicians back-to-back years of higher Medicare payments followed by a $500 billion tab. 

[MMA News Now, May 17, 2010] The 2010 Legislative Session came to an end Monday with lawmakers passing a budget that cut medical service payments and failed to take advantage of more than $1 billion of available federal health care funds.

[MMA News Now,  May 14, 2010] - Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a peer grouping bill Thursday evening that the MMA worked with lawmakers to introduce and get passed.

[MMA News Now, May 13, 2010] Mercury is still Minnesota's main chemical of concern when it comes to eating fish, according to a new study about perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOs).

[MMA News Now, May 13, 2010] DFL lawmakers added substantial last-minute cuts to payments for medical services in the final health care budget bill that passed Wednesday.

[Washington Post, May 12, 2010] Michelle Obama revealed results of the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity: a 124-page report laying out 70 recommendations and a gentle warning that, while the federal government can't solve the obesity epidemic, it is prepared to take action where others don't.

[Star Tribune, May 12, 2010] House and Senate conferees reached agreement early Wednesday on another piece of Minnesota's budget puzzle, a bill that would preserve the state's core health and human services programs while cutting $114 million in the current budget cycle and another $155 million in 2012-13.

[Star Tribune, May 12, 2010] The evidence is strong that GAMC, the safety-net health care program Pawlenty tore down with a veto last May 14, has not been adequately rebuilt. The federal government is tossing Minnesota what is literally a lifeline for thousands of this state's most vulnerable citizens. Pawlenty may want to move to a larger political arena, but he is still Minnesota's governor. With Berglin's help, he ought to catch that line.