Posted August 22, 2019 This morning, KMA, KFMC and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky announced a partnership that will provide campus signage to school districts across the state who agree to comply with the recently passed tobacco-free schools law. KMA President Bruce Scott, M.D., said, “Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States and it is estimated that today there are 119,000 kids under the age of 18 in Kentucky who will ultimately

Posted August 20, 2019 Our society is more and more focused on today and now, and less concerned with planning for the future. Nowhere is that more evident than health care. Our health care system is not designed to fix something today in order to save the patient – and the system – pain, time and money later. Primary care physicians and psychiatrists know this. Emergency room physicians encounter the effects.  Endocrinologists and other specialists try to encourage patients to

Posted August 5, 2018 Russell Coleman, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, and other law enforcement and public health officials will headline Saturday’s Kentucky Physicians Leadership Academy at the 2019 KMA Annual Meeting to discuss “Opioids and the Federal Law Enforcement Perspective.” Coleman is the chief law enforcement officer for the 53-county area, serving a population of more than 2.2 million, including two military installations and federal courthouses in Louisville, Bowling Green, Paducah, and Owensboro. The Office

Posted August 2, 2019 KMA has teamed up with the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky for an initiative aimed at promoting tobacco-free schools across the state. With the passage of House Bill 11 in 2019, which established Kentucky’s first tobacco-free schools law, KMA and the Foundation will work together to provide participating school districts with signage designating the campus as tobacco-free. Each sign will include the logos of both organizations, further establishing KMA as a leader and champion for public

Posted July 25, 2019 Today’s health care landscape is evolving rapidly, diverging from years past and presenting new realities for patients and physicians alike. Policymakers at the state and federal levels have been quick to call for and implement changes that directly impact physicians and how we deliver care in communities across Kentucky and throughout the United States. In the wake of these changes and with more to come, physicians have a responsibility to advocate for their patients—not just within

Posted July 15, 2019 Last week, KMA leaders traveled to Washington, DC to meet with members of Kentucky’s congressional delegation regarding legislation related to out-of-network or “surprise” billing. KMA Secretary-Treasurer Bob Couch, MD, along with KMA Executive Vice President Pat Padgett and KMA Deputy Executive Vice President/Director of Advocacy Cory Meadows met with both Kentucky Senators and its six Representatives. The meetings were well-received and came at a crucial time for the legislation, as discussion has continued to intensify. KMA

Posted July 15, 2019 The recording of the Kentucky TeleHealth Summit June 11 school telehealth webinar will is now available here: https://kytelecare.med.uky.edu/kytelecare-other-tele-health-programs

Posted July 3, 2019 Avoid denials by using place of service – 02 On July 1, 2019, the telehealth regulation requires the Department of Medicaid Services (DMS), Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) and commercial health plans to cover medical services provided via telehealth to the same extent they cover medical services provided in-person.  The Medicaid rate for telehealth services will be 100 percent of the fee schedule. In June, Kentucky Medicaid distributed a provider letter that outlined the use of

Posted July 1, 2019 In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and in women, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths when men and women are combined, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s expected to cause about 51,020 deaths during 2019. But with increased screening and treatment, the number of deaths from colorectal cancer has been dropping for several decades. Piet C. de Groen, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Division of

Posted June 27, 2019 KMA’s delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA) proudly represented the organization during the 2019 AMA Annual Meeting June 8-12 in Chicago. Delegates provided testimony on a variety of issues and voted on important policy to the body of medicine. Alternate Delegate Shawn Jones, M.D., served on a reference committee focused on issues surrounding science and technology. University of Kentucky  medical student Anita Shanker began her service as AMA Medical Student Section Alternate Delegate to the