http://www.DO-Online.org The AOA, Founded in 1897, is a member association representing more than 61,000 osteopathic physicians (D.O.s). The AOA serves as the primary certifying body for D.O.s, and is the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical colleges and health care facilities. en-gb Copyright 2008 AOIA and AOA http://www.DO-Online.org/webfeeds http://www.DO-Online.org/image/DOOnlineorg_rss.jpg http://www.DO-Online.org http://www.do-online.org/ http://tinyurl.com/cmsMedicare The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on Wednesday several proposals to refine Medicare payments to physicians. These proposals are expected to increase payment rates for primary care services including an update to the practice expense component of physician fees. For 2010, CMS is proposing to include data about physicians’ practice costs from a new survey, the Physician Practice Information Survey (PPIS), designed and conducted by the American Medical Association. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:55:01 CST CMS PQRI U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://www.cms.hhs.gov According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), it is not too late to start participating in the 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and potentially qualify to receive incentive payments. A new half-year reporting period begins on July 1. If you have not yet started, you can still begin reporting Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:23:01 CST CMS PQRI U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Lana Henderson Article http://www.jaoa.org/cgi/content/full/109/6/296 http://www.do-online.org/rss/item20 Personality types have been reported to affect performance among allopathic medical students and dental students on standardized examinations. In the June 2009 issue of JAOA The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, Donald J. Sefcik, DO, MBA, and coauthors explore the relationship of personality types and COMLEX-USA Level 1 scores among osteopathic medical students and suggest that personality profiling may help improve academic performance. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:40:05 CST Lana Henderson Journal of AOA JAOA Personality Types Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://www.do-online.org/flv/aoaTownHallMtg/open_me.htm For those who missed it, the American Osteopathic Association held its first ever virtual town hall meeting on June 22. The meeting, which attracted over 500 participants, addressed Congresss plan for health system reform. AOA Executive Director, John B. Crosby, J.D. who served as host of the hour long interactive broadcast, entertained questions from participants from all over the country. Shawn Martin, Director of Government Relations from the AOAs DC office, provided an overview of the plan. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:56:01 CST Patient Healthcare Healthcare reform Congress Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm http://www.do-online.org/rss/item25 The Department of Government Relations has prepared a frequently asked questions (FAQs) document on graduate medical education and the physician workforce. The FAQs address questions on the disparities in primary care physicians versus general surgeons, the future shortfall of physicians and many other topics. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:42:55 CST Graduate Medical Education Residents Physicians Education Shawn Martin Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://www. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), it is not too late to start participating in the 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and potentially qualify to receive incentive payments. A new half-year reporting period begins on July 1. If you have not yet started, you can still begin reporting Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:33:01 CST CMS PQRI U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm http://www.hhs.gov Information for Eligible Professionals Who Participated in the 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) feedback reports, posted since July 2008, will be archived effective June 30, 2009 and will no longer be available to eligible professionals (EPs) who participated in the 2007 PQRI Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:51:01 CST CMS PQRI U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm http://www.cms.hhs.gov/QualityInitiativesGenInfo According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has become aware of a scam where perpetrators are sending faxes to physician offices posing as the Medicare carrier or Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). The fax instructs physician staff to respond to a questionnaire to provide account information to prevent a gap in Medicare payments. The fax may have the CMS logo and/or the contractor logo to enhance the appearance of authenticity. Please be aware, that Medicare providers should only send information to a Medicare contractor using the address found in the download section of either the MLN - General Information or the Medicare Provider-Supplier Enrollment of the CMS.gov Web site Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:11:02 CST CMS Medicare U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm http://www.do-online.org/iLearn/index.cfm?pageid=ment_about The deadline to nominate the AOA 2009 Mentor of the Year award is July 20, 2009. Through the Mentor Recognition Program, presented in association with Pfizer, Inc., the AOA seeks to recognize these outstanding mentors. While only one person will be named the 2009 Mentor of the Year, every nominee is inducted into the AOA Mentor Hall of Fame. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:43:02 CST iLearn AOA Mentor Chaunessie Baggett Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229B5L93EF7 The American Osteopathic Association is pursuing a proposal on the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimers disease. In developing the proposal, we have put together a few questions to poll our membership. The information from this poll will help us to determine your interest in this topic Members Quick Poll Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:41:01 CST Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) has increased the pandemic level to phase 6, the final alert phase. This indicates that a global pandemic of H1N1 influenza is under way with more than 70 countries now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. It should be noted that the WHO is decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus. Patient Healthcare CDC Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:31:01 CST Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageId=hme_pqriFAQ http://tinyurl.com/pqriFAQ The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a revised list of FAQs dealing specifically with the 2007 re-run. The purpose of the FAQs is to provide detailed answers to common questions regarding what necessitated the re-run and when the data will be available. Read questions about the re-run | Access all PQRI FAQs CMS PQRI U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:35:58 CST Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageId=conv_news Carville and Matalin keynote AOAs Opening Session. The politically dynamic duo James Carville and Mary Matalin will be keynote speakers at the Opening Session of the 114th AOA Convention, 8 am to 10 am, Monday, November 2, in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. One of the most recognizable figures in politics, Carville is an insider who analyzes the political landscape with his signature energy and humor. Read details and register Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:10:02 CST Convention CME Scientific Seminar Gregg Lapin http://www.do-online.org/ http://www.medicarepatientmanagement.com/issues/04-03/mpmMJ09-PQRI.pdf Getting started in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) program can be a daunting task, especially since the reporting process needs to be accurate to ensure qualified participation. PQRI is now in its third program year; the program has expanded the number of measures and number of reporting options over time to facilitate quality reporting by a broad array of eligible professionals. There is still time to qualify for both the 2009 PQRI and e-prescribing incentives. Dr. Michael T. Rapp of CMS, has developed procedures to assist those interested in getting started. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:36:55 CST CMS PQRI U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Lana Henderson http://www.do-online.org/ http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=182954 Through an alliance between the AOAMI and Allscripts, you are invited to attend these free webcasts. Heres what Allscripts says about the webcast. "Allscripts is expanding its commitment to bring stimulus information direct to you by offering this exciting webcast series filled with the most up-to-date information on the Stimulus. Youll understand what defines meaningful use of an EHR to receive the federal incentives, as well as learn best practices for implementation and tips for how an EHR can make your daily work more efficient." Register TODAY! Wed, 27 May 2009 16:38:02 CST Webcast Electronic Medical Records Annette Gippe http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm http://www.do-online.org/pdf/Letter_DeliverySystemReforms.pdf As president of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), I would like to thank you and members of the Senate Finance Committee for addressing the need for reforms to our nation’s health care delivery system through your "Proposals to Improve Patient Care and Reduce Health Care Costs." The AOA shares many of your concerns and looks forward to working with your committee to identify effectivepolicy solutions to the problems plaguing our health care system. Mon, 18 May 2009 08:26:01 CST AOA Advocacy Senate Shawn Martin Letter http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm https://www.do-online.org/rss/item05 Last week, Reps. John Yarmouth, Charles Boustany, and Peter King introduced the "Graduate Medical Education Advancement Act of 2009" (HR 2301). This legislation would clarify two provisions of current law regarding the allowable time resident physicians may spend in didactic and non-hospitals settings for the purposes of reimbursement. Read both the Letter of support and press release Wed, 13 May 2009 08:53:02 CST Physicians Workforce Shawn Martin Press Release http://www.do-online.org/flv/healthPolicyTraining/index.html https://www.do-online.org/rss/item10 On April 18, DOs and others in the professions Health Policy Fellowship program practiced simplifying complex medical topics for mass consumption. "There is an art to explaining these matters," said Chicagos NBC5 News Health Editor Nesita Kwan, who led the seminar. See photos and hear Kwans tips. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:10:03 CST Advocacy Health Care Reform Patrick Sinco Article http://tinyurl.com/cosrsc https://www.do-online.org/rss/item20 To help AOA members track the key players and key concepts in the upcoming national debate on health system reform, the AOA Task Force on Health System Reform posted a Health Care Reform Roadmap on the members-only Health System Reform Web page. The Roadmap provides the fundamentals on health care reform in one convenient document Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:23:55 CST Advocacy Health Care Reform Government Susan Friedman Article http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageID=mem_partnerships https://www.do-online.org/rss/item30 Did you know as a member of the AOA you have access to many discounts? These discounts are available to our members through partnerships we have formulated on your behalf. For example, some of the discounts being offered are for car rental companies like Avis, Alamo, and Budget. There are also discounts on services like financial planning and payment processing. We will continue to reach out to other companies simply because we value you, our member! See your member discounts now Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:07:12 CST Advocacy Practice Management Lana Henderson Article http://tinyurl.com/c266lm http://tinyurl.com/c266lm The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on Monday the fourteen communities around the nation that have been chosen for the agencys Care Transitions Project which seeks to eliminate unnecessary hospital readmissions. The goal of the project is to improve health care processes so that patients, their caregivers, and their entire team of providers have what they need to keep patients from returning to the hospital for ongoing care needs. Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:32:22 CST CMS Medicare U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageId=hme_dimarcoHealthcareprinciples AOA President Carlo A. DiMarco, D.O. today sent a letter to Senators Ron Wyden (D-WY) and Robert Bennett (R-UT), as well as Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and Michael Castle (R-DE), expressing AOA’s support for the health system reform principles set forth in the "Healthy Americans Act of 2009" (S. 391/ H.R. 1321). This bipartisan legislation includes many provisions consistent with AOA policies and represents an essential building block for comprehensive health care reform. Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:20:55 GMT Advocacy Charlene MacDonald Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/healthInfo.cfm?infotype=sg The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) has a program to assist physicians and patients in treatment of such illnesses as diabetes, some cancers and osteoarthritis. Called the "Effective Health Care Program", these informative guides offer comprehensive summarized information on important research reviews. All reports are produced by the John M. Eisenberg Clinical Decisions and Communications Science Center and include guides geared towards clinicians, consumers, and physicians. Read the Osteoarthritis and Diabetes guides. Go to the AHRQ Web site to see more summaries AHRQ Education Advocacy Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:53:01 GMT Lana Henderson Article http://blogs.do-online.org/dailyreport.php?catid=6 https://www.do-online.org/rss/item40 President DiMarco wrote to the Governor of New Mexico on March 27th to request his veto of a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) bill that excludes DOs. Specifically, the bill would direct the New Mexico Human Services Department to implement the PCMH concept, but it would exclude osteopathic physicians from the program. President DiMarco admonished State legislators for this omission, especially since DOs were one of the four founders of the PCMH nationally. The decision to request the veto was made after careful consideration with the New Mexico Osteopathic Medical Association. Government News Education Advocacy Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:48:01 GMT Amy Brengle Article http://www.hhs.gov/childrenshealthinsurance http://www.hhs.gov/childrenshealthinsurance The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Presents an Interactive Webcast - "Affordable Health Care for Kids: Moving Forward without Delay". The HHS would like to invite you to participate in an interactive Webcast on Friday, April 3, 2009 from 1pm to 2pm CST. The Webcast will be an opportunity for you to share your experiences and ideas about how we can help millions of uninsured children get the health coverage they need. See likely panel and submit questions. Government News Education Advocacy Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:27:12 GMT Lana Henderson Article http://blogs.do-online.org/dailyreport.php?catid=6 http://blogs.do-online.org/dailyreport.php?catid=6 President DiMarco wrote to the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on March 23 to oppose SB 505, which would increase the cap on non-economic damages to $710,000 in personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits. If passed, this bill is likely to raise the cost of health care by increasing malpractice insurance premiums, decreasing the number of physicians practicing in high-risk specialties, and forcing physicians to leave Maryland to lower their insurance costs. The AOA feels it is imperative to preserve access to care for patients and affordable insurance premiums for physicians and urged lawmakers to vote "no" on this bil Government News Education Advocacy Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:07:02 GMT Amy Brengle Article http://www.do-online.org/ http://tinyurl.com/dzbdfg According to a NPR report, electronic medical records or EMRs have been slow in gaining acceptance by hospitals. A published study in the New England Journal of Medicine, finds that a meager 1.5 percent of hospitals are fully computerized, and only another 7.6 percent have at least a basic EMR system. Individual practices have also been slow to embrace the technology and some of the reticence can be attributed to cost, concerns of computer failure or steep learning curves. However, since the Obama administration has allocated $19 billion for health information technology – with the majority going to doctors who have electronic records for their Medicare and Medicaid patients – this should provide the added incentive doctors need to take the plunge. Government News Education Advocacy Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:07:02 GMT Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm http://tinyurl.com/dlsm9p AOA President Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, wrote to the Tennessee Senate General Welfare, Health and Human Resources Committee on March 18th to express the AOAs opposition to SB 1630. In addition to increasing a naturopaths scope of practice by authorizing them to dispense, administer, and prescribe drugs, it also authorizes them to repair and care for superficial lacerations and abrasions, including removal of foreign bodies located in the superficial tissues. The AOA opposes SB 1630 because it increases a naturopath’s scope of practice without increasing their educational requirements and it allows naturopaths to use the title "doctor," both of these could pose significant risks to patient safety Advocacy Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:47:03 CST Lana Henderson Article http://www.ahrq.gov/path/tobacco.htm http://cme.medscape.com/viewprogram/17710 Last year the AOA endorsed the U.S. Public Health Service’s (PHS) 2008 Clinical Practice Guideline for Treating Tobacco use and Dependence. Our endorsement helped raise the profile of the nation’s most deadly cause of disease and death. The U.S. PHS has updated their Clinical Practice guidelines which contains peer-reviewed articles and recommendations. In addition, Medscape is offering a free one-hour CME program based on the guidelines. AHRQ Advocacy Government Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:10:22 CST Lana Henderson Article http://tinyurl.com/cawkxw https://www.do-online.org/rss/item50 Medical necessity is a topic that permeates Medicare rules and other regulations governing the delivery of healthcare services. This not only affects Medicare beneficiaries, but also in the private payor arena. See the February billing and coding hint Advocacy Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:35:55 CST Lana Henderson Article https://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageId=hme_DOJObs https://www.do-online.org/dojobs/jobssplash.htm Now more than ever, it is important to spend your time where you’ll get the most benefit. That is why the AOA/AOIA is releasing new enhancements for DO Jobs Online to improve efficiency and to elevate your presentation. In coming weeks, there will be some exciting enhancements to DO Jobs. Enhancements like Resume Builder which will allow you to upload your resume/CV or Professional Profile which will allow you to create a professional presentation of your qualifications. DO Jobs Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:28:55 CST Lana Henderson Article http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/ Not sure how to get started in the PQRI program or curious about eligibility? Well The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has created answers to many of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) on the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). A number of FAQs have been revised, while many new FAQS have been added to the system [since January]. The purpose of the FAQs is to provide detailed answers to common questions regarding the PQRI program. Among the various FAQs included in this update are several related to the 2007 PQRI data re-run. The FAQs may be found on the PQRI section of the CMS website. CMS PQRI U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:57:11 CST Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/ https://www.do-online.org/rss/item60 President DiMarco wrote to the Kentucky Senate Rules Committee on March 4th in opposition to SB 40 which would allow dentists, chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, and chiropodists to be reimbursed at the same rate as licensed physicians for services that are exclusively performed by physicians. SB 40 would require evaluation and management (E and M) services to be paid on every non-physician clinician visit regardless of any determination of medical necessity. As President DiMarco stated, because of the inequality in compensation, SB 40 poses a risk to the standard of care a patient receives and increases insurance costs by directly raising the cost of non-physician E and M services AOA Members Advocacy Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:12:12 CST Lana Henderson Article http://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageID=hme_painMgmt https://www.do-online.org/rss/item70 An ad hoc coalition of leading pain specialists and representatives from key clinical and patient advocacy organizations including the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) convened recently to address the growing problem of misuse and abuse of pain medications, and to strengthen support for recognizing chronic pain as a distinct disease state. AOA Members Advocacy Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:02:02 CST Lana Henderson Article