In This Issue
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
	CMS Issues Final Medicare Physician Payment Rule
	VOTE!
	Signatures being Collected for Citizen Initiated Proposal on Physician Assisted Death
	New Web-based Decision Support Tool Helps With Chronic Pain Treatment
	Health Insurance Marketplace 2019 Open Enrollment Now Through December 15, 2018
	AMA Urges FTC to Act on Insulin Prices
	MaineGeneral to Offer X-waiver Course
	Ten Takeaways from the Surgeon General's Opioid Report
	"Great American Smokeout" November 15th; "Tar Wars" Anti-smoking Education
	Webinar: The Changing Landscape of Retirement - Tuesday, November 13 5pm
128th MAINE LEGISLATURE
	MMA Presentation on Healthcare Issues Considered by 128th Legislature Now Available
	MMA Legislative Committee's Organizational Meeting Scheduled for December 6
UPCOMING EVENTS
	Upcoming Specialty Society Meetings
	Next Steps in Addressing Maine's Opioid Crisis: 11/7 Presentation Scheduled
	Introduction to Lean in Healthcare Full-Day Workshop on Friday, November 9
	Division of Disease Surveillance Annual Infectious Disease Conference - November 14
	MICIS 3-hour Opioid CME Presentation - November 26 in Portland
	Enrollment Underway for Maine’s Physician Executive Leadership Institute - The Advanced Course - Deadline for Enrollment at Discounted Price: November 30th
	Identifying Substance Use Early Saves Lives! - SBIRT with Motivational Interviewing Training - 1-day Sessions Offered on Dec 8, Feb 2, Mar 2, Apr 6
HEALTHCARE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
	Physician – Leeds
	Psychiatric Mental Health NP - Leeds
	Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner - Nasson Health Care
	Primary Care Physician
	PCHC wants to add more Family Physicians at Multiple Locations!
	Outpatient Internal Medicine Physician – Bangor, Maine
	OB/GYN Physician Opportunity
	Franklin Health Behavioral Services is seeking a BC/BE Psychiatrist/Medical Director
	Internal Medicine MD or DO (BE/BC)
	Podiatrist (Non-Surgical)
	Internal Medicine Outpatient Physician
	Seeking Medical Director for Family Medical Practice in Waterville, ME
	Internal Medicine Physician
	Opportunities at the VA for Volunteer Physicians

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The changes are effective for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on or after Jan. 1, 2019.

 

For CY 2019 and beyond, CMS is finalizing the following policies designed to minimize the current administrative burden:

 

• Elimination of the requirement to document the medical necessity of a home visit in lieu of n office visit;
• For established patient office/outpatient visits, when relevant information is already continued in the medical record, practitioners may choose to focus their documentation on what has changed since the last visit, or on pertinent items that have not changed, and need not re-record the defined list of required elements if there is evidence that the practitioner reviewed the previous information and updated it as needed. Practitioners should still review prior data, update as necessary, and indicate in the medical record that they have done so;
• Additionally, CMS is clarifying that for E & M office/outpatient visits, for new and established patients for visits, practitioners need not re-enter in the medical record information on the patient's chief complaint and history that has already been entered by ancillary staff or the beneficiary. The practitioner may simply indicate in the medical record that he or she reviewed and verified this information; and 
• Removal of potentially duplicative requirements for notations in medical records that may have previously been included in the medical records by residents or other members of the medical team for E/M visits furnished by teaching physicians.