The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Kerry Weems sent a letter (see link below) to U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss yesterday. It details the process that CMS will use to handle claims during the current period of uncertainty surrounding Medicare payments.
Read CMS' letter to Sen. Chambliss
The 10.6 percent reduction in Medicare physician fees went into effect today, July 1. MAG and its leaders are actively engaged in an advocacy campaign to address the Medicare payment reduction to protect the interests of physicians and patients in Georgia. That effort included a conference call with Georgia’s U.S. Senators on Sunday, June 29.
Read July 1 MAG alert and H.R. 6331 summary
Reflecting physicians’ frustration with a group of Senators who blocked action last week on legislation that would stop harsh Medicare physician payment cuts, the AMA began airing new TV and radio ads urging opponents of H.R. 6331 to put patients’ access to care before insurance profits.
Read AMA's press release
View the impact of Medicare physician pay cuts in Georgia
Dr. Chapman provides members with an update on the critical issue of Medicare payments and the steps that MAG leaders are taking to protect the interests of physicians and patients in Georgia - highlighted by a conference call with our U.S. Senators yesterday morning.
H.R. 6331 will reportedly be reconsidered as soon as next Monday, July 7. Dr. Chapman is asking every physician in Georgia to call Sen. Chambliss and Sen. Isakson using AMA's Grassroots Hotline at 800.833.6354 and urge them to support H.R. 6331 when the Senate reconvenes following the July 4 recess. Tell them that we must have a Medicare payments solution so we can provide our patients with timely access to the health care and the peace of mind they deserve.
Read Dr. Chapman's full alert
Download AMA's talking points on H.R. 6331
This month the Medical Association of Georgia filed an amicus curiae brief in the Georgia Supreme Court urging the court to uphold a Court of Appeals decision holding the HIPAA privacy rule does not prohibit ex parte communications between a medical malpractice defendant and the patient’s prior treating physicians as permitted under state law.
Click here for more information
The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University will host the second part of the trauma care forum series - Trauma Services in Georgia: Where Are We Now? Where Should We Go? - on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at 14 Marietta Street Northwest, 7th floor, in Atlanta.
Click here for more information
MAG has an exclusive agreement with Rx Security, Inc. – a leading supplier of affordable, counterfeit-resistant prescription pads – to provide discounts to MAG members!
MAG Members, please click here or on the logo below for discounted prices and to place your orders! Through our exclusive agreement with Rx Security, MAG Members can save up to 14 percent off orders! For questions or to place an order over the phone, please call 800.667.9723.
Click link above for full coverage including: MAG's letter to Members, letter to Aetna, MAG's Issue Brief, AMA's Guide & details on MAG's request for information regarding tiering.
Take a look at recent Amicus Briefs that MAG has filed.
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07.25
Executive Committee
6 p.m., MAG Headquarters
07.26
Board of Directors
10 a.m., Doubletree Hotel Atlanta Northwest-Marietta
