October 3, 2020
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LSMS Needs You!
LSMS President Katherine Williams, MD, is challenging engaged LSMS members to get involved and amplify their voices to protect the practice of medicine in Louisiana! The Society will begin a new and engaging process to move resolutions through a virtual process in the coming months and we need talented and engaged physicians such as yourself to be our subject matter experts. The Councils on Legislation, SocioEconomics, Member Services, and Public Health play vital roles as primary work groups of the Society. Member-physicians consider pressing issues, then debate and provide recommendations to the Board of Governors and to the House of Delegates on appropriate action. The LSMS also has Standing Committees which were established in the Society bylaws and are expected to meet at least once a year to perform duties as specified by its charge, the House of Delegates, or the Board of Governors. For more information on the councils and committees, click here.
The LSMS Foundation, previously known as the Educational & Research Foundation (LSMS ERF) was established for the purpose of funding educational endeavors, medical student scholarships and other activities to enhance the educational opportunities for physicians and medical students in Louisiana. Opportunities to serve on this board are also available.
All interested members should send their CV and the name of the council or committee they wish to be considered for to LSMS Communications Manager, Shawn Zeringue, shawn@lsms.org
Member Honored with TGMC Golden Stethoscope Award
LSMS Member, Brian J. Matherne, MD, was named the recipient of the Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) Golden Stethoscope Award.
The prominent Golden Stethoscope Award publicly recognizes a TGMC physician for his or her exceptional level of professionalism, integrity, and teamwork in caring for patients and families, as well as interacting with hospital staff members and other physicians. Nominations can be made by physicians, employees, patients, and volunteers and recognizes two physicians a year.
LSMS & LSBME COVID-19 Survey Results
In a collaborative effort with the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME), the LSMS conducted a survey to gather more information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its affects on practicing physicians. Over 1,000 physicians participated and completed the survey, providing keen insight into various topics. The LSMS will use this information to continue to serve our membership and develop additional programming to ensure your needs are met. We would like to thank everyone who participated and provided feedback!
Deadline Approaching: 21st Century Cures Act
The 21st Century Cures Act was signed in December 2016. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published final rules in the Federal Register addressing multiple provisions, including two that may require action by you: information blocking and interoperability on May 1, 2020.
These rules focus on advancing interoperability and expanding the access, exchange, and use of electronic health information by requiring patients to be provided access to all the health information in their electronic medical records without charge by their healthcare provider beginning on November 1, 2020. This includes consulting notes, discharge summary notes, history and physical, imaging narratives, laboratory report narratives, pathology report narratives, procedure, and progress notes.
The ONC rule forbids three categories of actors from taking part in information blocking. ONC defines information blocking as "a practice that, except as required by law or covered by an exception...is likely to interfere with access, exchange, or use of electronic health information." These actors include yourself, as the health care provider, as well as health information networks or exchanges and electronic health record vendors.
The rule includes a series of deadlines between 2020 and 2022:
| Activity |
Effective Date |
| Information blocking requirements begin |
11/01/2020 |
| Event notifications required to be in place |
05/01/2021 |
| Payer API requirements (Patient Access API, Provider Directory API) |
07/01/2021 |
| Payer-to-payer exchange |
01/01/2022 |
Click here for regulatory deadline information.
HealthSYNC Welcomes More New Participants!
HealthSYNC would like to welcome the following new participants:
- Renal Associates (Baton Rouge, LA)
- Baton Rouge Multi-Specialty Clinic (Baton Rouge, LA)
- Arthritis & Diabetes Clinic (Monroe, LA)
- Dr. Brian K Calhoun (Monroe, LA)
In case you missed it, HealthSYNC has recently connected with FMOL, Baton Rouge Clinic, Ochsner Health System, St. Tammany Parish Hospital, North Oaks Health System and Ochsner Christus facilities in Lake Charles, LA.
Contact Jeremy Lapeyrouse, HealthSYNC Director, for more information.
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Louisiana Medicaid: Providers Should Confirm Medicaid Eligibility Using MEVS
Due to recent hurricanes in the area, some Louisiana Medicaid members were forced to evacuate their homes. Those members may seek medical services from providers even though they do not have access to their Medicaid and health plan cards. Members are not required to have these cards in hand to receive services. All member information can be found by searching the Medicaid Eligibility Verification System (MEVS).
Click here to access the official release.
Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force
The eleventh public meeting of the executive committee members of the state task force met on September 25, 2020 wherein an update on task force activities featured several guest presentations.
Dr. Frank J. Welch, Medical Director, Office of Public Health Immunization Program, provided an update on the state's plans for COVID-19 immunizations, once a vaccine is available.
Dr. Eboni Price-Haywood, Ochsner Health System, Center for Outcomes and Health Services Research, provided information on Hospitalization and Mortality among Black Patients and White Patients with COVID-19.
Dr. Dereck Rovaris, LSU, Vice Provost for Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer, demonstrated the advertisements on various platforms (print, online, digital) across the state focused on encouraging the wearing of masks, as well as reducing stigma around COVID-19 testing.
Dr. Rebekah Gee, LSU Health Care Services, Chief Executive Officer, reported that the state did not have crisis standards of care in place in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, and because of that decisions were made "either due to perceived or real scarcity [of hospital equipment such as ventilators] that need to be addressed on an ongoing basis." She said the subcommittee is continuing to discuss and formulate recommendations on crisis standards of care.
Click here for the full recap. Click here to view the presentation.
Louisiana Legislature's 2nd Special Session Begins
The Louisiana Legislature convened its second Special Session on Monday, September 28. Currently, there are more than one hundred instruments that have been filed for consideration. Each of those instruments must fall within the 70 item call that was issued last week. So far, the vast majority of the instruments filed focus on the Public Health Emergency and how it has been handled by the Executive Branch of the Louisiana government. The Legislative Branch has been very frustrated by its inability to be involved in the decision making process in response to COVID-19. As representatives of their constituents, legislators are looking for changes that allow them to insert themselves into the process. As we are in an emergency related to health, LSMS will be carefully watching related bills and will report on actions as they occur.
On Wednesday, September 30, Senate Health and Welfare convened with Sen. Barrow Peacock, R-Shreveport, bringing three pieces of legislation to add Louisiana to interstate compact licensure commissions. The three bills cover physicians, EMTs/EMS practitioners, and audiologists. Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, contended the immunity language, which was intended to apply only to the board created by the bill, was overly broad and could be applied to individual practitioners. The committee moved to defer the bills for a week to further review language, particularly regarding the immunity language.
Sen. Robert Mills, R-Minden, had his SB 12 also deferred for a week. This bill attempts to avoid liability issues with facilities as some hospitals are prohibiting pastors from visiting patients in the wake of the pandemic. The author cited the need for "religious liberty" and avoiding "the federal government getting involved." Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, himself a pastor and author of HB 33, noted the importance of "total care of the total person." Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, said liability cannot be waived ahead of time, as the bill seeks to indemnify hospitals from liability from clergy entering a facility. The Louisiana Department of Health indicated it could achieve the goal of this legislation by rule and expressed concern about definitions. More to come regarding these bills in the weeks ahead.
For a list of all bills LSMS is tracking, please click here. We will archive weekly recaps on this landing page as they are finalized. Please feel free to share this page with a colleague to show them how LSMS is more than a membership - it's advocacy in action!
For more information regarding the Special Session, please contact Maria Bowen, Vice President of Governmental Affairs.
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As Insurers Move This Week to Stop Waiving Telehealth Copays, Patients May Have to Pay More for Virtual Care
Starting Oct. 1, several private health insurers will no longer fully pay for virtual visits under certain circumstances - effectively reinstituting costs for patients reliant on the virtual care that has been heralded as a lifeline at a time when COVID-19 is still killing more than 700 Americans each day.
The insurance giant UnitedHealthcare is ending a "virtual visit" benefit that had been expanded to many members during the COVID-19 pandemic, through which it was covering the full cost of visits - without any cost to patients - for individuals who were seeing in-network providers virtually for medical issues not related to COVID-19.
Opposition to Medicare Mental Health Access Act
The Louisiana State Medical Society stands with the American Medical Association (AMA) in opposition to H.R. 884/S. 2772, the "Medicare Mental Health Access Act," which would change the definition of "physician" under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. A letter was sent to Congress on Tuesday, September 22, aimed to serve as a tool in helping to oppose the passage of H.R. 884/S. 2772, which would put patient safety at risk by allowing psychologists to offer services they are not trained to perform.
Trump Administration Announces $20 Billion in New Phase 3 Provider Relief Funding
Under the leadership of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is announcing $20 billion in new funding for providers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Eligible providers may begin applying for funding Monday, October 5, 2020 through Friday, November 6, 2020.
Under this Phase 3 General Distribution allocation, providers that have already received Provider Relief Fund payments will be invited to apply for additional funding that considers financial losses and changes in operating expenses caused by the coronavirus. Previously ineligible providers, such as those who began practicing in 2020 will also be invited to apply, and an expanded group of behavioral health providers confronting the emergence of increased mental health and substance use issues exacerbated by the pandemic will also be eligible for relief payments.
For more information on the methodology and application process, the full press release can be found here.
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