January 24, 2012
Member of the Month: Lisa Doggett, M.D., M.P.H.
Austin physician “makes a difference” by caring for the underserved
Meet January’s Member of the Month, Lisa Doggett, M.D., M.P.H., of Austin. In her 10 years as a family physician, she has dedicated her career to caring for the uninsured, underinsured, and others in need, following in the footsteps of her parents for whom “public service is a way of life.”
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AAFP launches renewed push to block Medicare payment cut and repeal SGR
With the U.S. Congress back in session after its holiday break, AAFP has launched a renewed campaign to urge Congress to repeal the flawed SGR formula and end the cycle of threatened cuts and temporary fixes that keep doctors and Medicare patients in a continual state of fluctuation. Without action, the 27.4 percent cut in physician payment will go through March 1.
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Richard Young, M.D., selected to be a CMS innovation advisor
Congratulations to TAFP member Richard Young, M.D., the only Texas physician appointed to participate in the CMS Innovation Advisors Program. As one of 73 advisors, Young will work with the Innovation Center to test new models of care delivery, form partnerships with local organizations to drive delivery system reform, and improve his own health system to achieve better health and lower health care costs for his community.
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HHSC eliminates Medicaid payments of Medicare Part B coinsurance, deductibles for dual-eligible patients
As of Jan. 1, 2012, HHSC stopped paying for Medicare Part B coinsurance and deductibles on services provided for patients eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid coverage. The change amounts to as much as a 20 percent cut in reimbursement for many of those services.
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CMS accepts appeals for e-prescribing and PQRS
Physicians who received a penalty for not e-prescribing can request an appeal through CMS’ informal appeals process to determine whether CMS made a mistake in its calculations.
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Sign up to hold a Brain Injury Awareness Month bike helmet giveaway this March
Brain Injury Awareness Month, previously held in October, has moved to March. Physicians can use the event to encourage youth helmet safety during cycling, skating, and other wheeled activities through TMA’s Hard Hats for Little Heads initiative. Because of TAFP’s partnership with TMA, physicians who are members of both organizations can receive up to 100 helmets at no charge.
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TAFP seeks applicants for 2012 awards, NCSC delegates and scholarships, and ALF scholarships
Nominate yourself or a colleague for one of TAFP’s annual awards: Physician of the Year, Physician Emeritus, Public Health Award, Exemplary Teaching Awards, and the Special Constituency Leadership Award, or apply to represent Texas as a delegate to AAFP’s National Conference of Special Constituencies and Annual Leadership Forum. Award nominations, delegate applications, and applications for the NCSC and ALF scholarships are all due Friday, Feb. 10.
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EDUCATION UPDATE
Make progress toward your ABFM certification at the C. Frank Webber SAM
Come a day early to the C. Frank Webber Lectureship for the Self-Assessment Module Group Study Workshop on Preventive Care and make progress toward your ABFM maintenance of certification. The SAM will be held at the Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark Thursday, March 1, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., and space is limited. The C. Frank Webber Lectureship will be held Friday, March 2. Find more information in the C. Frank Webber section of www.tafp.org.
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