Posted January 11, 2021 As part of the federal Economic Aid Act that became law just before the New Year, a new round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans was established for businesses that can show a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters of 2019 and 2020. Provisions of the law, much like the previous PPP program, make these loans forgivable under certain circumstances. Those who previously received a PPP loan may be eligible for a second loan. But less

Posted January 5, 2021 We’re only a few days in, but 2021 is already shaping up to be a monumental year for healthcare and physicians. Despite the rollout of the much-anticipated vaccine, the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging across the country. Just last week we sadly lost another Kentucky physician to the virus. Dr. Don Miller was an emergency room physician from Bowling Green who tested positive in early December. He will be deeply missed by his colleagues, family, friends

In Your Own Words: Valerie F. Briones-Pryor, M.D. KMA is sharing the first-person accounts of physicians from across the state and their experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic. KMA is currently seeking submissions of photos and/or essays from physicians who have received a COVID-19 vaccine. These stories will also be published at kyma.org/covid19. If you are interested in submitting an account, please email Emily Schott, schott@kyma.org. Valerie Briones-Pryor, M.D. has been director of the COVID-19 unit at the University of Louisville

On Monday, Congress passed a second stimulus agreement, along with a federal budget. The legislation awaits the President’s signature at the time this alert was drafted. The legislation will, among other things, provide funding for the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine and additional funding for states to conduct testing, tracing and coronavirus mitigation programs. The legislation also includes provisions regarding small businesses, including physician practices, to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loans similar to those offered earlier in

KMA is distributing this urgent letter from Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Steve Stack, M.D. regarding COVID-19 immunization. The copy has been provided below, and the full letter is available here. “Thank you for your commitment to the people of Kentucky. Your compassion for your patients and our citizens during these trying times is testament to your dedication to the healing arts. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) includes healthcare personnel in phase 1a of COVID-19 vaccine deployment. There

Healthcare workers at the University of Louisville, including three physicians, were among the first Kentuckians to receive the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. The vaccine is a two-dose series administered intramuscularly three weeks apart. The majority of the 38,025 doses included in Kentucky’s initial shipment will be given to residents and staff of nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The remaining 12,675 doses will go to front-line workers at hospitals. The eleven hospitals receiving the first shipment of

Posted December 4, 2020 It may be hard to believe but this is my last President’s Message for 2020. Or perhaps for you, it isn’t hard to believe we’ve already come to the close of another calendar year. 2020 has certainly been a year unlike any other, and events like what we’ve experienced over the last nine months sometimes do funny things to our concept of time. Either way, I always find it important to acknowledge the close of one

Posted December 2, 2020 LOUISVILLE, KY– The Kentucky Medical Association (KMA), the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky (FHKy) and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky have welcomed new partners to the “Raise Your Guard, KY” campaign for a special focus on flu vaccination across the state. Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana, WellCare of Kentucky and the Kentucky Hospital Association will join the original partners of the Raise Your Guard, KY campaign to amplify the importance of all

Posted December 2, 2020 KMA physicians are encouraged to engage with their legislators to promote priority issues as the Association hosts a virtual “Advocacy in Action Month” throughout February 2021. Advocacy in Action Month will replace “Physicians’ Day at the Capitol,” the in-person KMA advocacy event held in Frankfort each year, out of concern for the health and safety of Kentucky’s physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be a number of ways members can participate, including a virtual member

Posted December 2, 2020 Kentucky Revised Statute 218A.182, passed by the General Assembly in 2019, mandates the electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) in Kentucky effective January 1, 2021. The Kentucky mandate is similar to the federal Medicare Part D EPCS mandate effective January 1, 2021, but applies to all controlled substances prescribed in Kentucky, regardless of payer. Some controlled substance prescriptions will be exempt from the Kentucky EPCS mandate. The complete list of exceptions is found in KRS 218A.182.