Registration is now available for KMA’s first-ever virtual Annual Meeting, to be held throughout the month of August 2020. The online platform offers member connection, engagement and networking, as well as several opportunities for CME, including KMA’s popular “Meet the Mandates” program. Offered in partnership with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML), Meet the Mandates enables physicians to obtain all state-mandated CME before the end of the three-year cycle. Attendees may also take part in a series of live town hall style forums focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. The first town hall session, “Clinical Considerations of COVID-19,” will be held Aug. 6 from 12-1:30 p.m. ET and will include a discussion of symptoms, transmission, treatment and emerging research related to the virus.
The 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting can be accessed via the web or by downloading the Whova app, available for iOS or Android. Visit https://kyma.org/2020-kma-annual-meeting/ for more information.
“Resilience in the Age of COVID-19” CME Opportunity
The Greater Louisville Medical Society and the Northern Kentucky Medical Society, with CME provided by the KMA, have partnered to present a free online 60-minute CME opportunity for physicians on resiliency and recognizing burnout, to be held Thursday, July 29 at 7 p.m. ET.
Members are invited to join Shawn C. Jones, M.D., FACS, author and physician burnout expert and Rebecca Tamas, M.D., DFAPA, Board Certified Psychiatrist specializing in mood and anxiety disorders for a discussion on burnout and mindfulness. The session will explore how to recognize signs of burnout and how to care for your mental well-being amid COVID-19.
To register and for more information, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7SQ4LkBtTeOc-AD4PRkV9A.
Telehealth Impact Study
The American Medical Association (AMA) is inviting members to complete a Telehealth Impact Study Provider Questionnaire. The study has been approved by the Mayo Clinic IRB and is part of the AMA’s efforts in the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition to address the pandemic. The goal of this project is to learn more about physicians’ experience with telehealth to identify the challenges and barriers, as well as benefits.
Response will help inform additional resources needed across the industry and health care community, provide insights to federal and state policymakers, and identify gaps in current research. Respondent and organization information will remain confidential and will only be reported in aggregate. The findings will be shared and made available to all on the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition website, as well as shared by the various organizations participating in the Coalition Telehealth Workgroup*.
Please click here to start the survey: https://src.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6KAkyEVfhtGj3vL. The survey is expected to take up to 15-20 minutes and we ask that you complete the survey by August 13th, 2020. Please remember to press submit when you get to the end of the survey.
If you have colleagues who use telehealth, please consider forwarding this invitation to them.
Workers’ Compensation Medical Treatment Guidelines Update
The Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims (DWC) has announced the implementation of medical treatment guidelines for use in treatment of workplace injuries and occupational diseases. The implementation of treatment guidelines was mandated by House Bill 2, which was passed by the General Assembly in 2018. Treatment options in the guidelines are generally designated as either “Recommended,” “Not Recommended,” or “Conditionally Recommended.” Treatment designated as “Recommended” does not require preauthorization and is presumed reasonable and necessary. When a medical provider seeks preauthorization for treatment designated as “Conditionally Recommended” or “Not Recommended,” the medical payment obligor must consider any sound medical reasoning submitted by the provider in support of that treatment.
The treatment guideline regulation may be accessed online at https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/803/025/260.pdf.
The guidelines were initially planned to take effect on September 1, 2020. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting impact on medical office operations, the application of the guidelines has been suspended until January 1, 2021. The DWC plans to announce and offer a training webinar in conjunction with ODG.
Questions about the treatment guidelines regulation may be directed to Scott Wilhoit at 502-782-4532 or Scott.wilhoit@ky.gov. Support and training is also available through the ODG Helpdesk at 800-488-5548 or online at odghelp@mcg.com.
Passport Health Plan Selling Key Assets to Molina Health
Molina Health is buying certain assets of Passport Health Plan for $20 million, including its name and brand, operations and agreements from health providers to accept Passport payments.
Molina Health will replace Passport as one of the state’s five Medicaid managed care organizations. Passport was not awarded a contract during the bidding process in 2019 held by then-Gov. Matt Bevin, and lost out again this year under Gov. Andy Beshear.
