Help #MGMAAdvocacy: Urge Congress to support physician practices during COVID-19 pandemic

Originally published in the August 6, 2020 issue of MGMA’s Washington Connection. Reprinted with permission from MGMA.

As Congress continues to negotiate the next COVID-19 package, it is imperative that they hear from physician practices. Use MGMA’s template letter to tell Congress that any final legislation must:

• Include direct financial support to medical groups experiencing an adverse economic impact from COVID-19;
• Continue telehealth flexibilities past the expiration of the public health emergency;
• Add flexibilities for Medicare accelerated and advance payments, such as eliminating interest rates and lowering recoupment amounts; and
• Amend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide a more simplified process for borrowers seeking PPP loan forgiveness, including personal protective equipment as eligible covered the cost, and allow for 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations to be eligible for PPP loans.

Thank you for joining our advocacy effort and supporting medical practices during the COVID-19 pandemic!

Send Us Your Advocacy Day Questions!

Have Questions for Our Advocacy Day
Panelists and Speakers?

Send in your questions early to info@ncmgm.org to ensure they are asked of our speakers and panelists. Topics and areas of interest include:

• • Medicaid Transformation
  • State Health Plan Changes
  • State Legislature Issues – General

If you have not already registered for Advocacy Days, sign up today. Early registration discounts end today, February 27th. Complete event details, including registration, can be found below or on our website here.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday March 13, 2019
11:00 AM – 5:30 PM	Legislative Program Sessions:
	11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Josh Stein, North Carolina Attorney General Join us for a candid discussion as the NC Attorney General, Josh Stein, updates NCMGMA membership on how the Department of Justice is working to protect the business of North Carolina’s healthcare industry including updates on medical marijuana and the current opioid crisis.
	12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Bowtie Briefing LIVE Chip Baggett, North Carolina Medical Society Always a fan favorite, hear about the many hot topics affecting medical practices in North Carolina. Chip Baggett will provide the group with insight into all that is happening in downtown Raleigh during the current session.
	1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Cody Hand Senior VP, Advocacy & Policy; Deputy General Counsel North Carolina Healthcare Association
	2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Dale Folwell, State Treasurer of North Carolina Mr. Folwell will present on high-priority items including reimbursement changes for State Health Plan patients, the state’s relationship with Blue Cross, and the cost-saving measures the treasury department has demanded. Don’t miss this opportunity to talk to the Treasurer face-to-face about how the proposed fee schedule will impact your practice!
	3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Dr. Mandy Cohen, NC Department of Health & Human Services Hear the latest updates on Medicaid transformation and the critical timelines you need to know as the program moves forward. DHHS has announced their selections for PHP insurers, and we will be prepared to answer questions onsite about the carriers that will administer Medicaid benefits and claims adjudication, and the state’s role in overseeing the contracting and credentialing process and ensuring carrier compliance.
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM	Medicaid Managed Care Panel Chris Paterson, Carolina Complete Health Jesse Thomas, BCBS Candice Bowen, WellCare Anita Bachmann, United Healthcare
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM	Networking Reception Sponsored by Medical Mutual Join fellow Advocacy Days attendees, speakers and sponsors for an evening of fellowship and networking before we gear up for Thursday’s assembly meetings and legislative visits.
Thursday March 14, 2019
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM	Organized Legislative Visits and General Assembly Meetings

Registration

Registration
Advocacy Days registration includes educational sessions, lunch and Medical Mutual reception on Wednesday, March 13th, and organized legislative visits on March 14th. The cost to register is $95 for NCMGMA members, $125 for non-members and $45 for students. The early registration cutoff is February 27th. After 2/27, the cost of registration increases $20 per-person for members and non-members, and $10 per-person for students.

Click here for online registration!

General Information

Hotel Accommodations
Reserve your room now at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. Limited standard rooms are available at the discounted rate of $189/night for single/double occupancy plus tax. To reserve your hotel room, please call the hotel directly at 1 (888) 236-2427. Guests making such reservations must identify themselves as members of the NCMGMA. All reservations must be accompanied by a first-night room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card. If a guest does not cancel a reservation within 48 hours before 6:00 PM of the guest’s check-in date, then Hotel may charge the credit card one night’s room fee plus any applicable taxes.

Registration Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations must be received in writing. Cancellations received on or before 5:00 PM on March 5th are entitled to a full refund less a $25 processing fee. No refunds will be awarded for cancellations after 3/5 or for no-shows.

Questions?
If you have any questions about the NCMGMA Advocacy Days, please contact the NCMGMA offices at 800-753-MGMA (6462) or by email at info@ncmgm.org.

New Year, New ACMPE Updates

Incentives to Join MGMA-ACMPE

• Possible “New Year, New You” campaign: January 14-31st, $50 off certification and Fellowship applications.

ACMPE Volunteer Opportunities: Opening Soon

• MGMA will be introducing a new volunteer portal; however, they are recruiting for the ACMPE Fellowship Submission Committee, the Examinations Committee, and the Body of Knowledge Standing Committee. Visit the volunteer opportunity web page soon for more details.

MGMA Website Updates

• MGMA has launched the new website and they are working daily to optimize the user experience.
• The ACMPE claiming of continuing education has been launched under “Manage My Account.” New features will continue to be added including export and transcript details.
• Information on Board Certification and Fellowship can be found under “Career Pathways.”

Offering ACMPE credit for state educational programs

For an activity to meet the criteria for ACMPE continuing education credit hours, it must:

• Be relevant to the Body of Knowledge for Medical Practice Management.
• Be delivered in a structured learning environment.
• Have an element of interactivity.

What the 2019 Changes Mean

For Nominees:
If you do NOT hold a bachelor’s degree or have 120 college credit hours by Dec. 31, 2018 you will need to:

• Complete and pass both examinations by the Dec. 1-15 exam cycle. Exam results expected late January.
• Log all 50 hours of continuing education (CE) hours under the current CE requirements, starting 30 days prior to their acceptance date. If your exams are passed, you will receive a 6 months extension to complete your 50 hours by June 31, 2019 under the 2019 continuing education requirements.

If you have a bachelor’s degree, 120 college credits or are currently in the process of completing your degree, you will remain as a nominee and will need to begin working toward the following starting on Jan. 1, 2019:

• Earn your CMPE credential within three years. If accepted before Jan. 1, 2019, you will have until Dec. 31, 2021 to complete the program.
• Log 50 hours of CE credit under the new 2019 CE requirements.

For CMPEs pursuing Fellowship:
If you have a bachelor’s degree AND seven years of healthcare management AND two years in a leadership role; OR if you have a master’s degree with five years management, AND two years in a leadership role, you will need to begin work on the following starting Jan. 1, 2019:

• Complete Fellowship within two years of your application date. If accepted before Jan. 1, 2019, you will have until Dec. 31, 2020 to complete.
• If you have a paper outline submitted and accepted prior to Jan. 1, 2019, you may continue working on your paper manuscript up until two years from your outline approval date. Starting in 2019, business plan submissions will be the only acceptable submission if no outline is previously accepted.
• Log 50 hours of continuing education (CE) every three years following the new 2019 CE requirements. These CE requirements also apply to maintain your current CMPE credential in 2019.

Study Groups

• Fellowship Preparation Series is available on-demand presented by Lee Ann H. Webster, FACMPE and Nina Chavez, FACMPE.
  • Session 1 – ACMPE Fellowship: Requirements and the Submission Process
  • Session 2 – Developing a Fellowship Manuscript or Business Plan
• ACMPE Board Certification Study Group Series
  • Registration is open for on-demand, For CE credit, you must also register for the post assessments for each session.
    Topic:
    • Board Certification Program Overview
    • Financial Management
    • Operations Management
    • Risk and Compliance Management
    • Human Resources Management
    • Organizational Governance and Patient-Centered Care

Upcoming Exam Dates

• March 9-23, 2019
  Exam registration: January 22 – February 7, 2019
• June 8-22, 2019
  Exam registration: April 22 – May 6, 2019
• September 7-21, 2019
  Exam registration: July 22 – August 7, 2019
• December 7-21, 2019
  Exam registration: October 21 – November 4, 2019