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December 17, 2018

In This Issue
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Governor-Elect Mills Nominates Jeanne Lambrew, PhD as HHS Commissioner
MMA Holiday Hours
U.S. Federal Court in Texas Strikes Down the Affordable Care Act
Maine on the Short End of Federal Opioid Funding
Important Notification to Physicians & Staff from CMS
PCSS Offers Free 8-hour X-waiver Course for MAT
Measles Cases Rise, Pockets of Vaccine Refusal Threaten Community Health
End-of-year CME Opportunities Available Through AMA
AMA Podcast on Alternative Payment Models
129th MAINE LEGISLATURE
Legislative Leaders Selected; Constitutional Officers Elected
UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming Specialty Society Meetings
Improving Opioid Prescribing and Patient Safety - Monday, December 17 5pm Augusta
Enrollment Underway for Maine’s Physician Executive Leadership Institute - The Advanced Course - Deadline for Enrollment: January 30, 2019
Identifying Substance Use Early Saves Lives! - SBIRT with Motivational Interviewing Training - 1-day Sessions Offered on Feb 2, Mar 2, Apr 6
HEALTHCARE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Urgent Care Physician - South Portland, ME
Full-time Board Certified/Board Eligible MD/DO
Outpatient Family Medicine - Brunswick, Maine
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner - Nasson Health Care
Primary Care Physician – Family Practice
Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners in multiple locations – BlueWater Emergency Partners
Physician – Leeds
Psychiatric Mental Health NP - Leeds
Outpatient Internal Medicine Physician – Bangor, Maine
Internal Medicine MD or DO (BE/BC)
Anesthesiologist - Kennebec Anesthesia Associates PA
Opportunities at the VA for Volunteer Physicians
Volunteer Opportunity with Partners for World Health

 
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Follow Us:
Important Notification to Physicians & Staff from CMS

All Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, & Supplies
(DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) contracts expire on
December 31, 2018. Starting January 1, 2019, there will be a temporary gap in

the DMEPOS CBP that CMS expects will last until December 31, 2020.
 
During the temporary gap, any Medicare enrolled DMEPOS supplier may
furnish DMEPOS items and services to people with Medicare. In most cases,
people with Medicare won’t need to switch suppliers on or after January 1,
2019. Suppliers must continue to furnish:
 
• Capped Rental items (such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, and continuous
positive airway pressure devices) through the remainder of the 13-month
rental period. Title to the equipment must be transferred from the supplier
to the person with Medicare using the equipment after the end of the 13th
month.

• Oxygen and oxygen equipment through the remainder of the 36-month
rental period. After the 36th continuous month of Medicare payment,
the supplier is required to continue providing the oxygen and oxygen
equipment during any period of medical need for the remainder of the

five-year reasonable useful lifetime of the oxygen equipment.
 
An exception to these two requirements is if people with Medicare travel
or permanently move outside their supplier’s normal service area. Suppliers
that furnish oxygen equipment for the 36th continuous month of Medicare
payment must arrange for people with Medicare to get their oxygen
and oxygen equipment in the new area for the remainder of the 5-year
reasonable useful lifetime of the equipment.

For all other DMEPOS items (for example, diabetes testing supplies, enteral
nutrients/supplies, or IV poles), people with Medicare may have to switch to
another supplier if their current supplier isn’t willing to continue providing the
items on or after January 1, 2019.
 
You can remind people with Medicare to:
 
• Use the Medicare Supplier Directory (www.medicare.gov/supplier) to locate a
supplier.

• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to locate a supplier, ask a question, or
file a complaint.

• Ask if their supplier accepts Medicare assignment. If the supplier doesn’t accept
assignment, the person with Medicare could be responsible for paying higher
coinsurance.

• Beware of aggressive marketing by suppliers:

––Don’t let anyone persuade them to switch suppliers. Talk to their supplier
first because they may not need to make a change.
––Remember that Medicare and Medicaid don’t send representatives to
their homes to sell products or services.
––Don’t be influenced by certain media advertising. Many television and
radio ads don’t have their best interest at heart.
––Report fraud using the HHS Office of Inspector General’s
“https://forms.oig.hhs.gov/hotlineoperations/report-fraud-form.aspx”
online form, or
––Call the Fraud Hotline of the HHS Office of Inspector General at
1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).
 
You have the right to get Medicare information in an accessible format, like large print,
Braille, or audio. You also have the right to file a complaint if you feel you’ve been
discriminated against.
 
accessibility-nondiscrimination.html, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for
more information. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
 
Paid for by the Department of Health & Human Services.

 

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