SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

News

Physicians slam fee schedule cuts, calls for Medicare payment reform
Revcycle Intelligence 
The American Medical Association (AMA) and other physician advocacy groups are calling on CMS to reverse proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule updates, which would slash Medicare payment for physicians next year. | READ MORE

U.S. FDA to review Perrigo's birth control pill for OTC use in November 
Reuters 
Perrigo Co Plc (PRGO.N) said on Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has scheduled a meeting of external experts on Nov. 18 to review the application of its daily birth control pill for over-the-counter (OTC) use. | READ MORE

Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce loan applications now open 
Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce 
The GBHCW administers service-cancelable loan repayment programs for physicians, dentists, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses. | READ MORE

Value-based is the new for-profit healthcare industry 
Truthout 
Over the last decade, a new industry has emerged that may eventually contribute as much to administrative waste as the insurance industry does today. | READ MORE

AMA, state medical societies join class action lawsuit against Cigna
Healthleaders
The American Medical Association (AMA), as well as the Medical Society of New Jersey and the Washington State Medical Association, have joined a class action lawsuit against Cigna alleging underpayments for claims through the MultiPlan network, the nations' largest third-party network. | READ MORE

375 healthcare organizations urge Senate to ensure expanded telehealth access
mHealth Intelligence
Signed by 375 stakeholders and co-led by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and its advocacy arm ATA Action, a letter to the US Senate asks that expanded telehealth access be solidified for the next two years while working toward a permanent extension of the flexibilities and waivers currently in place.| READ MORE

House passes bill to install electronic prior authorization in Medicare Advantage plans 
Fierce Healthcare 
The House passed key legislation that creates an electronic prior authorization process for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and other reforms aimed at a major headache for providers. | READ MORE

MAG Call for Candidates: MAG to elect 2022-2023 Officers at HOD 

The Medical Association of Georgia will conduct the elections for its officers for 2022-203 during the House of Delegates meeting at the Hyatt Regency Savannah on Saturday, October 22. 

The HOD will elect MAG’s president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and second vice president. The HOD will also elect four American Medical Association (AMA) delegates and three AMA alternate delegates. The balance of MAG’s Board of Directors will be elected at the county and district levels.

MAG members who are interested in running for a MAG office should contact Deralyn Swilley at dswilley@mag.org or 678.303.9291. The only requirement to run for a MAG office is that the candidate must be a MAG member for the past two years.

The following is a list of the candidates who have announced their plans to run for a MAG office for 2021-2022:

President-Elect

• Michael Davidson Brown, MD, MBA, FCCP 
• Charles Wilmer, MD FACC FSCAI  

Second Vice President – Nydia Bladuell

Speaker – James W. Barber, M.D. 

Vice Speaker – John L. Sy, DO, MS, FACEP  

Treasurer – Randy F. Rizor MD 

AMA Delegate - John S. Antalis, M.D.

AMA Alternate Delegate - Shamie Das, M.D.

Their candidate letters can be viewed on the MAG HOD website here.

MAG President-elect Thomas Emerson, M.D., will be installed as MAG’s president for 2022-2023 on October 22.

California Passes Historic Bill Allowing Optometric Surgery

The state's nearly 7,000 ODs will soon have the opportunity to pursue laser procedures, lesion removal, several types of injections and corneal crosslinking. | READ MORE

MAG is the leading organization defending the practice of medicine across all specialties in the State of Georgia. Bolster our efforts by ensuring you’re a member, contributing to GAMPAC and attending the MAG House of Delegates. | CONTRIBUTE TO GAMPAC

MAG House of Delegates

MAG House of Delegates Registration Open
The 2022 MAG House of Delegates, MAG's primary policy-making body, will meet this year at the Hyatt Regency Savannah from October 21-23. | READ MORE

MAG House of Delegates CME Event Preview

Active Shooter CME 

Today we live in a world where terrorism, the actions of unstable people, and the dangerous impulses of friends and relatives are very real and becoming increasingly more frequent. Massive bleeding from any cause, but particularly from an active shooter or explosive event where a response is delayed, can result in death. Attendees will learn how to act as an immediate responder and save lives. 

Emergency Cardiac Care CME 

According to the mission of the American Heart Association, Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC) programs are intended to reduce disability and death from acute circulatory and respiratory emergencies, including stroke, by improving the chain of survival in every community and in every health care system. Attendees will learn to define the clinical scenarios requiring Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC), to explain how systems of care can increase survival in patients with Cardiac Emergencies, to depict how disparities in care can be ameliorated by initiating systems of care for Cardiac Emergencies, to delineate new treatments for Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest, and discuss if it is time for a Nation-Wide system of ECC like Trauma and Stroke Centers.

GAMPAC Events