CMA Alert News on public health policy and medicine from the California Medical Association http://www.cmaalert.org http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:31:15 -0700 Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:31:14 -0700 http://www.cmanet.org/images/alert_logo_mini.jpg CMA Alert http://www.cmanet.org/feeds/cma_alert.xml 144 22 Physicians: Are You Compliant with Recent HIPAA Changes? The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which was enacted last year and took full effect last month, has added additional privacy and security safeguards to existing HIPAA regulations. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd065.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 CMA Publishes Timely Access Guide for Physicians The California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) recently finalized regulations that require HMO patients to be seen within certain timeframes for various levels of care. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd066.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Court Upholds Governor's Furloughs of Medical Board Staff and Shifting of Agency's Funds to Other State Programs Only days after an Alameda County Superior Court ruled that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lacks authority to furlough employees of special fund agencies, including the Medical Board of California, a San Francisco County Superior Court issued a contrary opinion today saying the governor acted legally in furloughing Medical Board staff and shifting the agency's funding to other state programs. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd067.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Congress Stops SGR Cuts through March 31; CMA Fighting for Permanent Repeal Responding to strong pressure from CMA, AMA, and seniors, Congress passed and the President signed HR 4691, legislation stopping the 21 percent cut to Medicare payment rates to physicians through March 31. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd068.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Health Reform Update The health reform debate in Washington took a new turn this week, when President Obama called on Congress to give health reform an up or down vote by March 18. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd069.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 CMA's Council on Legislation Convenes to Set Legislative Priorities for 2010 CMA's Council on Legislation (COL) – comprised of more than 60 physicians from around the state – will meet next week in Sacramento to discuss the association's legislative priorities for 2010. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd070.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Reminder: Blue Cross Healthy Families Continuity of Care Plan Ends 3/31 In March of last year, Blue Cross announced that it would require physicians to sign a separate contract and accept reduced rates if they want to continue treating Blue Cross-insured Healthy Families and AIM patients. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd071.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Tomorrow Is Early Bird Deadline for CMA's 13th Annual Health Care Leadership Academy Registration is now open for CMA's 13th Annual California Health Care Leadership Academy, April 9-11 in San Diego. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd072.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Registration Now Open for CMA's Legislative Leadership Conference Registration is now open for CMA's 36th Annual Legislative Leadership Conference. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd073.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700 Patient Cough and Cold Kits Now Available from the CMA Foundation The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation's Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education (AWARE) Project understands how difficult it is for physicians to deal with the many patients who visit their offices with colds or other viral infections and expect a prescription for an antibiotic. http://www.calphys.org/html/dd074.asp Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0700