Maine Health Exchange Advisory Committee Appointments Announced; First Meeting Sept. 23

The Maine Health Exchange Advisory Committee appointments have been announced by Senate President Justin Alfond and House Speaker Mark Eves.  The Committee will be co-chaired by Sen. Margaret Craven and Rep. Sharon Treat.  The Committee is charged with advising the Legislature regarding the interests of individuals and employers with respect to the federally-facilitated health benefit exchange which becomes operational on Oct. 1, 2013.

The first meeting of the Committee will be held on Monday, Sept. 23, 2013 from 10:00am to 5:00pm at a location yet to be announced.  Further meetings have been set for Oct. 21, Nov. 18 and Dec. 2.

In addition to five legislators (Sen. Craven, Sen. Rodney Whittemore, Rep. Treat, Rep. Linda Sanborn and Rep. Michael McClellan), the following individuals have been appointed representing the interests noted:

• Bob Dawbe, Advocate for enrolling hard-to-reach populations
• Kristine Ossenfort, Representing health insurance carriers
• John Benoit, Representing insurance producers
• Mitchell Stein, Representing navigators or entities likely to be navigators
• John Costin,  Representing individuals expected to purchase coverage through exchange
• Doug Gardner, Employee or an employer expected to purchase coverage via exchange
• Kevin Lewis, Representing health insurance carriers
• Sara-Gagne-Holmes, Representing Medicaid recipients
• Chirstine Alibrandi, Representing dental insurance carriers
• Laurie Kane-Lewis, Representing federally-qualified health centers
• Gordon Smith, Representing health care providers

Both Commissioner Mayhew and Insurance Superintendent Erick Cioppa have declined to participate, presumably a decision made or influenced by the Governor who has opposed the exchange and other elements of the Affordable Care Act.

Register Now for MMA Annual Meeting, Oct. 4-6, in Portland

Registration for the meeting and a full schedule of events is available on MMA's website. Registration materials were also mailed to each member in July.  Room reservations at the Holiday Inn by the Bay can be made by calling 1-800-345-5050.  

Potential exhibitors and sponsors should contact Lisa Martin at MMA (lmartin@mainemed.com or call 622-3374 ext. 221) [return to top]

WINXNET Offers Free HIPAA Security Audits to 20 MMA Members

Compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule can be daunting. It can be even more difficult when you don’t have a firm grasp on the underlying technology. When you dig deep and try to understand the tasks and procedures you need to protect electronic data, you are likely to encounter technical terms and IT buzzwords that are confusing.

Winxnet, a HIPAA compliant IT consulting and outsourcing firm, has worked with hundreds of healthcare organizations to help them understand and cost-effectively address their technology needs.  The Winxnet Security & Compliance Health Check is designed to help healthcare organizations quickly cut through the confusion by providing answers to the question, “Do I have the correct administrative, physical and technical controls in place to pass an audit?”

How does it work? It’s simple and can be completed in one day.  

A team of Winxnet Certified HIPAA Security and Compliance Professionals will conduct a health check which includes the following steps:

1. Review a short list of questions with you.  
2. With your permission, run a secure software program to gather information about the state of your information security.
3. Conduct a vulnerability scan of your internal network (Internal test). 
4. Conduct a vulnerability scan of your firewall (External test). 
5. Review the documented findings with you.  

After gathering the needed information the team will analyze the data, document findings and recommendations, and review them with you with a clear path forward. 

The results of the findings may include steps you need to take towards full compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule.  If you need outside support to address some or all of the recommendation towards full compliance, Winxnet has a team of Certified HIPAA Security and Compliance Professionals ready to assist.

Through the MMA and our strategic partnership, this Health Check valued at $949 is being offered at no cost for the first 20 MMA members.  If interested, send an email to HIT@winxnet.com or call 207.780.0497 and reference the MMA.  [return to top]

New Laws Impacting Your Practice: LD 556 & 1437, Licensing of Physician Assistants

Each week MMA is running weekly articles highlighting new laws passed by the 126th Legislature that impact the practice of medicine in Maine.  We are also happy to present an overview of new laws to your medical staff, practice or specialty society and have posted a summary of laws and explanatory slide presentation on the MMA website. 

LDs 556 and 1437 both make changes to the licensing of physician assistants in Maine.  

Among other things, LD 556: 

• Allows a physician assistant (supervised by MD or DO) to delegate medical acts to a medical assistant employed by the physician assistant or by an employer of the physician assistant as long as that delegation is permitted in the plan of supervision established by the physician assistant and the supervisory physician.
• Adds a PA to both the Osteopathic Licensing Board and Board of Licensure in Medicine. 
• Allows PAs to employ a supervisory physician.
• Directs the two medical boards to draft joint rules licensing PAs and issue one license so that PAs supervised by both MDs and DOs will only have to follow one process and set of rules. 

LD 1437 makes some changes to the discipline statutes, clarifying that mandatory reporting of colleagues includes physician assistants and clarifying that PAs have the same obligation to obtain informed consent as physicians.

The new laws both goes into effect on October 9th; the full text of LD 556 can be found here and 1437 here. 

With questions or for more information contact the MMA at jbarnard@mainemed.com or gsmith@mainemed.com.  [return to top]

MMA Webinars: The Affordable Care Act Marketplace Update, Sept 11 & 25

The Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Update (and more)

September 11th, 12-1:30 pm or 

September 25th, 12-1:30 pm 

Presented by CarePartners - MaineHealth, Consumers for Affordable Health Care, Maine Medical Association/Maine Medical Education Trust, and the Maine Primary Care Association.  

Topics will include: 

• The ACA Overview: What has happened so far
• Details on coverage, enrollment and subsidies for the new health insurance marketplace opening Oct 1 
• Where to send patients for assistance in enrollment and how practices and health systems can help with enrolling the uninsured
• Implications for practices and health care systems

Free and open to any hospital or medical practice staff, administrators or clinicians. To register, contact Jill Barkley at jbarkley@mainemed.com.   Log in information will be emailed after registration.   

Supported with funding from the Maine Health Access Foundation.  

Maine Health Management Coalition Appoints New CEO

The Maine Health Management Coalition/Foundation has appointed Andrew Webber as its new Chief Executive Officer. Webber will be responsible for overseeing the Coalition's collaborative efforts to implement health care payment reforms and public reporting, as well as the Coalition's role in the multimillion dollar State Innovation Model (SIM) Award granted to the State of Maine.

Mr. Webber comes to the MHMC from the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) in Washington, DC where he served as President and CEO for the last 10 years, and where he worked to represent and support purchaser-led health coalitions throughout the country.  Mr. Webber currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative, the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (the combined Bridges to Excellence and Prometheus Payment organizations), and the Center for Advancing Health.  Mr. Webber is also an appointed Member of the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Population Health Improvement.  

Barbara Crowley, MD, Vice Chair of the Coalition's Executive Committee, expressed her excitement at having Andrew join the Coalition. "We are delighted to have Andy joining us here in Maine. He has a strong track record of national health policy leadership, and with his extensive background working with Coalitions we think he is the perfect fit."

Choosing Wisely in Maine Survey & Provider Pilot Opportunity

Maine Quality Counts (QC) is asking individuals and health care providers across the state to share their thoughts and opinions through a brief web-based survey as we launch “Choosing Wisely in Maine," an important effort to help patients, consumers, doctors, and other health care providers make wise choices about their use of health care. 

As we get started, we’re asking for help to complete this brief web-based survey to gather information that will be used to guide our efforts here in Maine. The survey consists of 20 questions, and is expected to take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Individuals who complete the full survey by Friday, September 20 have an opportunity to enter a drawing to receive a free iPad. 

We need to hear from as many Maine individuals and providers as possible so that we can make Choosing Wisely in Maine a success, and encourage you to share the survey link with your friends, family and coworkers! We appreciate your help, and thank you in advance for your participation. 

Click here to complete the survey now 

For questions about the survey, please contact Andrea Gerstenberger at andrea@grantwiseconsulting.com; for more questions about the Choosing Wisely in Maine initiative, please contact Kellie Slate Vitcavage (formerly Kellie Slate Miller) at kslatemiller@mainequalitycounts.org. Thank you! (and best of luck in the iPad drawing!)

Maine Quality Counts is also inviting interested provider groups and organizations to apply for participation as a “Choosing Wisely Provider Pilot”.

 Choosing Wisely® is an initiative of the ABIM Foundation to help physicians, other health care providers, and patients engage in conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures, and support physician/health care provider efforts to help patients make smart and effective care choices.  Recognizing the importance of physicians/health care providers and patients working together, leading medical specialty societies, along with Consumer Reports, have joined Choosing Wisely to help improve the quality and safety of health care in America.    As part of Choosing Wisely,  participating medical specialty societies have created lists of “Five Things Physicians/Health Care Providers and Patients Should Question” that provide specific, evidence-based recommendations providers and patients should discuss to help make wise decisions about the most appropriate care based on their individual situation.

 Maine Quality Counts (QC) is leading a multi-stakeholder “Choosing Wisely in Maine” initiative by building general public awareness, and engaging providers and consumers.  As part of that effort, QC will select and sponsor up to three Choosing Wisely “Provider Pilots" that will receive technical support and mini-grants to implement Choosing Wisely (CW) in a more in-depth, multi-faceted manner.  These provider Pilot Sites may represent health systems, hospitals, or larger multi-site physician group practices across the state that have the capacity to implement a broader set of strategies to support and incent providers to use CW tools.  The QC project team will work with each pilot site to identify current strengths, opportunities and potential barriers to implementing CW through a range of interventions that reflect and leverage multiple drivers of change.

 For more information about the Choosing Wisely Provider Pilot opportunity, please see the QC website at http://www.mainequalitycounts.org/page/2-933/cw-provider-pilots.  Interested and eligible applicant organizations should complete the online application at Choosing Wisely in Maine Pilot Site application by 5PM on Friday, September 27, 2013. 

MaineCare Announces Value Based Purchasing (VBP) Public Forums

This month, MaineCare will be hosting regional forums to discuss our VBP strategy and initiatives within this strategy.

Forum topics will include:

• Behavioral Health Homes Overview (9:00 AM)
• State Innovation Model (SIM) Grant Context and Impact on VBP Initiatives (10:30 AM)
• Accountable Communities Overview and Request for Applications (11:00 AM)

 Forum dates and locations are as follows:

• September 16th: Augusta Civic Center, Penobscot Room
• September 16th: Webinar option
• September 26th: Portland Italian Heritage Center, Columbus Room
• September 30th: Bangor’s Dorothea Dix, Old Auditorium ***A Maine license or State ID is required upon arrival

All forums are scheduled from 9:00 AM -1:00 PM.

Register Now! Because space is limited, please register by September 13th through email to MaineCaretng.DHHS@maine.gov, with “VBP Forum: in the subject line.  Please include the following information about your preferred forum or webinar:

• Date
• Location
• Contact name and organization
• Contact email address/phone number
• In person/webinar option
• Special accommodations required

The webinar link and information will be sent in an email after you register.

If you have questions about the forums or webinar, please email the MaineCare Training Unit.

Medical Group Management Association HIPAA Update, Sept 20th

Medical Group Management Association Maine Affiliate presents: 

HIPAA and Other Updates

September 20, 2013

8:30am - 12pm

Maine Medical Association, 30 Association Drive, Manchester, ME

or by Webinar 

Registration Deadline:  September 13, 2013

SCHEDULE

8:30am Registration

(Light Breakfast Provided)

9am 

• HIPAA Updates
• Social Media in the Workplace
• Consent to Treat Minors
• Consent for Mental Health

10:30am Break

12pm Conclusion

Pricing: $35 for MEMGMA Basic Members

FREE for MEMGMA Premium Members

$45 for MEMGMA Members’ Staff

$60 for Non-Members

$50 for Webinar (per line)

To register or with questions, contact: 

Linda Tardif, Education Chair

Phone:  (207) 783-1449

Email: LTardif@CentralMaineKidneys.com [return to top]

Meet and Greet with New Medicare Contractor, Sept 23rd

On Feb. 22, 2013, CMS made a contract award to National Government Service (NGS) for Jurisdiction K (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York) for the processing of Medicare claims for both Part A and Part B.  The transition will occur on October 25th. 

National Government Services, Inc. is pleased to announce that they are hosting a series of Meet and Greet Open House sessions in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. 

The purpose of these sessions is to provide an overview of National Government Services and to answer questions providers may have about the upcoming Jurisdiction K (JK) Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) transition.

Who Should Attend: 

The target audience for this Meet and Greet session is all Part A, Part B  and Home Health & Hospice providers in the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Providers are especially encouraged to send their billing staff; however, all staff members who handle Medicare claims are encouraged to attend.

Monday, September 23, 2013

1:00 – 3: 00 PM (registration begins at 12:30)

Double Tree Hilton  

363 Maine Mall Road 

South Portland, ME 04106

Registration Information: Registration is free for these Meet and Greet session. Pre-registration is required and seating is limited.

Remarks: Questions regarding the Meet and Greet session should be submitted to: JKPartBPOE@wellpoint.com

Additional Information: Coffee and water will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring a jacket, sweater or dress in layers, as the venue may be cool due to air conditioning.

PLEASE NOTE: Materials used at these sessions will be posted to our events calendar for the individual day. Attendees should print and bring the materials with them.  

To register for one of these sessions, Visit our Web site for registration details at http://www.NGSMedicare.com and select the Part B Medicare contract. On the Provider Specific Portal Home Page select the Training Events Calendar option under the Education and Training category (on the left hand side). Select the link for the session you wish to attend under Event Details and click on the link under Registration Information to register. Your registration is complete only when you receive a confirmation at your e-mail address immediately after submitting your registration. 

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