Please complete AAFP Member Census

AAFP

Tell the AAFP how they can better support you in this quick, 12-question survey.

A little information can create a lot of influence.  Your responses will allow AAFP  and KAFP to gain a better understanding of who you are and how you practice.
Why is the member census so important? Your information is used to:

  • Define resources and benefits for AAFP members
  • Help your member organization better serve you and your fellow members
  • Advance the specialty of family medicine while trying to save members time and money

Your answers are essential to helping AAFP understand you and how to best support you and our specialty.

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Join AAFP in Las Vegas this spring | Emergency and Urgent Care live course

AAFP

Attend the Emergency and Urgent Care course in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 1–4. Know the latest treatment options in emergency and urgent care settings, gain hands-on skills, and recognize when to treat and when to refer. At the end of this course, you will be able to:
• Prepare treatment plans for patients who present to emergency departments and/or urgent care clinics.
• Evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with acute health needs affecting any number of body systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, maternity, psychological, or musculoskeletal conditions.
• Incorporate emergency plans into practice, including written protocols and necessary equipment/tools for treatment.

Earn up to 26 AAFP Prescribed credits—20 credits for attending the course and another 6 for participating in optional procedural skills workshops (additional fees apply). AAFP members: $995/Nonmembers: $1,295

Optional Workshop Sessions: Participate in the clinical procedural workshops on Mindfulness, ECG Interpretation, Point-of-Care Ultrasound, or Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO®) to enhance your learning and hands-on experience.

Save $100 when you register by April 1. Register now or call (800) 274-2237.

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2019 Medicare Opioid Changes

AAFP/CMS

Effective January 1, 2019, CMS announced new strategies to further help Medicare Part D sponsors prevent and combat opioid overuse including additional safety alerts at the time of dispensing as a proactive step to engage both patients and prescribers about overdose risk and prevention.

The CMS advises, “As the new opioid safety alerts are implemented in 2019, on-going communication among the pharmacist, the Part D plan, and the prescriber will be critical. Physicians and other prescribers can protect their patients’ access to medically necessary drugs by responding to pharmacists’ or plan sponsors’ telephone calls or case management notices. Providers will also want to initiate coverage determinations or exceptions, when clinically appropriate. To avoid a prescription being rejected at the pharmacy, prescribers may proactively request a coverage determination in advance.  The time frame for an expedited coverage determination request applies when the prescriber indicates, or the plan decides, that applying the standard time frame may seriously jeopardize the enrollee’s life, health, or ability to regain maximum function. If the request meets the criteria for an expedited review by the plan, the plan must make its decision and notify the patient as expeditiously as their health condition requires, but no later than 24 hours after receipt of the request.”

Visit the CMS website for further information.

 

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Understand the new ABFM Exam Pilot

AAFP

You have until Jan. 3 to enroll in the new ABFM exam option. Get details about the test, and take the self-check to see if it’s a good choice for you.

Take the self-check
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MIPS Assistance for Solo Practice Doctors & Small Practices

AAFP

How Medicare quality data gets reported this year affects 2020 payment. The AAFP has all the information needed to help you navigate important changes in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for 2018:

* 2018 MIPS Playbook (available only to AAFP members)

* FPM Article: Making Sense of MACRA in 2018: Six Things You Need to Know

* Making Sense of MACRA: Navigate Changes to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) in 2018

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Physician Health First: Your health before all else

AAFP

Physician Health First is a web portal dedicated to improving family physician well-being. Find guidance to address your workplace challenges, tools to assess your risk of physician fatigue, and inspiration to put your well-being first. Learn more.

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FPM Journal Seeking New Medical Editor

AAFP

The AAFP is seeking a knowledgeable, forward-thinking family physician to serve as FPM’s next medical editor. More information about the part-time, paid position (approximately 2 to 3 hours per week) are included in the job description and application instructions (2 page PDF). The application deadline is Jan. 15, 2019.

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Patient Education Focus: Opioid Abuse & Safe Pill Storage

AAFP

The AAFP’s national public service announcement campaign (PSA) for November is a segment on opioid abuse and safe pill storage. Watch the November PSA. Please help educate your patients by referring them to the familydoctor.org website.

Below are past PSAs:

Our hope is that patients will gain a sense of empowerment over their own health after watching the PSAs and hopefully increase their knowledge of important health issues that affect them. The PSAs and familydoctor.org site is intended to help them feel more prepared and willing to talk about these issues with their family physician.

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Comprehensive Payment Calculator Going on the Road

Family Medicine for America’s Health

FMAHealth’s Payment Team developed a Calculator that outlines what a family medicine practice currently being paid in a Fee for Service framework would be paid in a Comprehensive Primary Care Payment (CPCP) framework. To see the Calculator, its User Guide, and the methodology behind it, click here.

After testing the Calculator with a number of practices, the team is taking the Calculator on the road to discuss its utility with payers and employers. Discussions have begun with a major insurer to gauge their interest in the Calculator and the Comprehensive Primary Care Payment framework it puts to use. The first few conversations have opened up an ongoing dialogue about the value of primary care and the importance of paying primary care physicians and their teams in a manner commensurate with the value they provide.

At the same time, the team is in discussions with the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchasing Coalitions and a number of their 50 state coalitions about the value of the Calculator and CPCP for self-insured employers. Coalitions in Nevada, Wisconsin and Business Groups on Health in a number of states have expressed interest in the Calculator and in CPCP. The Alliance in Wisconsin is launching a CPCP pilot project, beginning with 5-10,000 patients and expanding from there. Stay tuned for further updates and let us know if you’re interested in learning more by contacting Wyatt Golledge.

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KAFP EVP Applications Open

KAFP

The KAFP and the KAFP-Foundation boards are jointly seeking an executive vice president to help execute their vision for championing the cause of family physicians and their patients in the state of Kansas. The Kansas Academy of Family Physicians, based in Wichita, Kansas, is the voluntary, statewide association for family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students in Kansas with 1,760+ members.  The Kansas Academy of Family Physicians-Foundation is the philanthropic arm of KAFP, supporting initiatives to encourage family medicine. KAFP is recognized as a leader in developing and delivering outstanding education for family physicians in Kansas, for a strong advocacy presence in Topeka on behalf of its members and for its exceptional public health efforts. The job description and application process are available at: KAFP EVP.

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