Medigram - July 3, 2008 | Wisconsin Medical Society

NEWS BRIEFS

New Department of Children and Families unveiled July 1

Wisconsin’s executive branch has reorganized its health care administration as of July 1, with the official creation of the Department of Children and Families. The new department merges responsibilities previously shared by the Department of Health and Family Services and the Department of Workforce Development. The former DHFS is now the Department of Health Services. See the new Department’s Web site here. A list of each department’s responsibilities is displayed here.

The new department was part of the state’s 2007-2009 biennial budget. For more information, contact Mark Grapentine.

Deadline extended for 2008 Quality & Safety Forum call for quality or safety improvement projects

The Wisconsin Medical Society is pleased to join the Wisconsin Hospital Association, MetaStar, the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality and the Wisconsin Health Information Organization in sponsoring the 2008 Wisconsin Quality and Safety Forum October 20-21, 2008 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

A highlight of the forum is the showcase of quality and safety projects from health care organizations around the state. Examples of projects eligible for submission include those that enhance organization-wide improvement culture and structure; are undertaken to improve quality or safety of care; and demonstrate how quality improvement practices are utilized in an organization. Submitted projects will be included on the 2008 Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum Showcase CD and published in a future issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Showcase project submissions will only be accepted via completion of the on-line submission form. All submissions are due Tuesday, July 15, 2008. To learn more, see the Call for Submissions.

Forum registration materials will be available in August. Watch future issues of Medigram for additional information. Click here for the save-the-date flyer.

Free on-line conference to focus on early ID/treatment of kidney disease

Physicians and other clinical staff are invited to join a free WebEx conference covering critical issues regarding chronic kidney disease. The one-hour, on-line seminar will run at both 11 a.m. and Noon on July 23. The discussion will cover the prevalence of the disease, how to identify it and strategies for managing it. The presenters are Victor Rozas, MD, of the Great Lakes Renal Network and Vicki Chesin, MD, Gratiot Family Practice.

Participation requires sign-up at least 24 hours before the event. Click here for more information.

Multi-carrier system release information for July 2008

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires and schedules standard system quarterly updates that each Medicare contractor must load into their claim processing system. These updates take place each January, April, July and October. The July 2008 update will take place the weekend of July 5. The System staff will create a hold edit and place it in the system on July 1, 2008, to ensure that all claims submitted on or after July 1, 2008, with 2008 dates of service, are held in the system until the July update has been completed. Once WPS confirms and validates that the system updates are processing correctly, it will begin releasing the claims from the hold edit. Due to the claims volume, it may take a few business days to release all the claims from the hold.

For more information, visit the WPS Medicare Web site at this link.

IN REMEMBRANCE

William L. Treacy, MD

Former Society President William L. Treacy, MD, 75, died Saturday, June 28. Doctor Treacy most recently served as a rheumatologist at the Clearwater Free Clinic in Clearwater, Fla. and the Greater Milwaukee Free Clinic. He previously served the community at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Milwaukee for 40 years and Dr. Treacy was President of the Society from 1989-1990.

Click here to read the obituary published June 30 in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

QUALITY & EFFICIENCY

As part of Medigram’s continuing series of articles about the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO) and its role in health care transparency efforts underway in Wisconsin, this week's installment focuses on the topics addressed at the Wisconsin Medical Society's June 24 Quality Forum. Previous installments featured Society CEO Susan Turney, MD’s answers to several key questions about WHIO, the views of Society member Tim Bartholow, MD, about WHIO’s Physician Cabinet, and insight from Society member John Hartman, MD, about WHIO’s Clinical Advisory Group. Click here to read more.

CAPITOL INSIDER

More Medicare fireworks after congress’ July 4 recess?

When Congress returns from the July 4th break next Monday, another Medicare showdown is likely in the U.S. Senate. The Senate’s failure to end debate on HR 6331 on June 26 (see previous Medigrams) allowed a scheduled 10.6 percent Medicare physician reimbursement cut to take effect July 1. While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has acted to delay processing Medicare payments for 10 business days, the echoes from last week’s rancorous Senate floor debate on HR 6331 still reverberate (see some coverage here and here). For the AMA’s section-by-section summary of HR 6331, click here.

While both Wisconsin Senators Herb Kohl (D-Milwaukee) and Russ Feingold (D-Middleton) voted to move the bill forward, not enough senators voted with them to allow a final vote on HR 6331. In response, the AMA has turned up the political heat on a variety of senators by launching television and radio ads in states where senators facing reelection this November voted “no” on the motion to end debate on HR 6331 (read the AMA’s press release here). Some state medical societies have taken their own political action, including the Texas Medical Association’s Political Action Committee (PAC) withdrawing its endorsement of Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).

Opposition to the bill has centered around Medicare Advantage funding; the insurance industry has also purchased time to air its own media campaign (see the Wall Street Journal’s health blog story on the media escalation, and another from the Washington Post). The Senate could bring HR 6331 back to the floor on Monday, or attempt to find a compromise that would avert a threatened presidential veto. Much will depend on the pressure targeted senators endure during July 4th festivities in their districts (see one prediction of that pressure in this blog’s headline). Senate Republican leaders are apparently feeling the pressure, urging at least a short-term solution (see story here). Stay tuned to Medigram for continuing coverage of the Medicare reimbursement issue.

For more information, contact Mark Grapentine.

July 4 holiday kicks off election season

Two summer holidays serve as unofficial mileposts for major political elections. July 4th, with a plethora of local parades centered around civic patriotism, is the natural time for politicians to fully ramp up election efforts. The other summer holiday of note comes near the end of the season; Labor Day signals the time when voters begin to pay serious attention to November elections. This is why most political pundits review summertime polls warily, as results in July do not necessarily predict November tallies.

Nonetheless, relentless media coverage of the 2008 presidential race means television talking heads need to fill airtime with analysis of what’s available at the time, and that includes a myriad of polls. Wisconsin has a connection to one of the most comprehensive poll analysis sources around—one of the co-developers of Pollster.com is University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin. For a look at the site’s current summary of the presidential tracking polls, click here.

On the presidential campaign front, Wisconsin’s status as a battleground state is once again confirmed; the Republican National Committee is spending $3 million for an anti-Obama ad to air in four states, including Wisconsin, beginning this Sunday.

Physicians can become more involved in the political season by joining WISMedPAC and WISMedDIRECT programs. Help strengthen the voice of physicians and patients and participate in organized medicine’s political voice by joining WISMedPAC/WISMedDIRECT. Contact Mark Grapentine, Jeremy Levin or Beth Alvin with any questions.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Effectively developing job descriptions–it really matters!

Developing job descriptions is an important skill for all organizations to have fine-tuned. Whether recruiting, discussing performance, planning for career growth, or evaluating salary ranges, a job description should be a key starting point. During this Society-sponsored teleconference, you will review some job description templates as well as discuss common pitfalls employers make in creating descriptions. Join Mary Schils of Schenck Health Service Solutions, as she discusses how well-crafted position descriptions are invaluable tools for every organization July 17. Learn the variety of uses descriptions have, and how to maximize their effectiveness.

For registration information, please click here.

QUALITY CORNER

CMS to host 2008 PQRI national provider conference call July 9

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will host a national provider conference call on the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) from 2:30-4 p.m., CDT, Wednesday, July 9. Topics include accessing the 2007 PQRI Feedback Report (for those who participated in 2007), an overview of the 2008 PQRI participation options, and a question and answer session. Prior to the call, a PowerPoint slide presentation will be posted on the PQRI Web page at this link, and a replay will be available shortly after the call until July 16. To access it, call 800.642.1687 and enter passcode 52755102. If you require services for the hearing impaired, you may e-mail.

FAQ

Question:
If a physician is unable to perform a pelvic examination and pap smear during a preventive medicine evaluation and management service and performs the pelvic examination and pap smear on a date subsequent to the preventive medicine E/M service visit, would it be appropriate to separately report for the subsequent visit?

Answer:
The appropriate preventive medicine E/M service code should be reported for the first visit. As a pelvic examination and pap smear are considered part of a comprehensive OB/GYN preventive medicine E/M service, no additional reporting is necessary for the pelvic examination and pap smear performed on the subsequent date.

For answers to other Frequently Asked Questions about coding matters and more, click here to review our Education Department’s FAQ archive, or e-mail efaq@wismed.org.