The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is holding a listening session on the MACRA Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule on Tuesday, May 10, from 2-3 pm. This National Provider Call is an opportunity to provide CMS early feedback on proposed policy for the Quality Payment Program. Review the proposed rule here or visit the NCMS Quality Time page for a summary prior to the listening session. To register visit the MLN Connects Event Registration. Space may be limited, register early. Learn more about the proposed rule at the website and through the  press release and fact sheet.


The NC MGMA will hold its Annual Conference, May 11-13, in Charleston, SC. This year’s conference, “Making Connections,” will tie together the various aspects of what health care administrators are challenges with every day featuring content on finance, customer service, legal, social media and human resources. The Practice of the Year Award also will be presented at this gathering. Learn more and register.


The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will host a webcast on 2015 Mid-Year QRURs Webcast, Thursday, May 19 from 1:30 to 3 pm. The webcast will give an overview of the 2015 Mid-Year Quality and Resource Use Reports (MYQRURs) and explain how to interpret and use the information. The 2015 MYQRURs were recently released to groups and solo practitioners nationwide and are for informational purposes only. They contain interim information on a subset of the quality and cost measures used to calculate the 2017 Value Modifier (VM). Learn more on the 2015 QRUR and 2017 VM webpage. To register for the webcast visit MLN Connects Event Registration. Space may be limited, register early.


Third Annual National Plant-Based Prevention of Disease 2016 Conference will be held May 19-22 in Raleigh at the McKimmon Conference Center on the North Carolina State University campus. The conference will examine how clinicians may use nutritional measure in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions in their patients. More information and registration.


The 129th Annual Scientific Session of The Old North State Medical Society “Integrative Medicine: The Future of Healthcare” will be held June 24th-25th, 2016 at The North Raleigh Hilton in Raleigh. The Session provides ONSMS members, physicians and medical professionals with up-to-date education and peer networking opportunities. Included are a Pre-Conference Training Session to qualify for prescribing Buprenorphine and a broad selection of presentations and breakout sessions, providing an opportunity for up to 22 CMEs for participation at the Conference. For more information, visit the ONSMS website.


MAHEC, working with the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, The Governor’s Institute on Substance Abuse and Project Lazarus: A Project of CCNC, is offering A Guide to Rational Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain, an online education course. The course is designed for all prescribing health care practitioners who are interested in an overview of the rational prescribing approaches for persons with chronic pain disorders. It will fulfill the North Carolina Medical Board’s requirement of at least one hour of continuing education designed specifically to address prescribing practices for chronic pain management. The course cost is $15 for the first 6 months. Offers 3 hours of AAFP, AMA/AAFP Equivalency, and CDE; www.mahec.net/opioid


Watch seven new MLN Connects videos on the Medicare Quality Reporting Programs, focusing on the requirements you need to meet in 2016.  For those who participated in the webinars held in February, the information in these modules mirrors the information shared on those calls:
Introduction: Medicare Quality Reporting Programs: What Eligible Professionals Need to Know in 2016. Run time: 15 minutes.
Module 1: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) Preview. Run time: 6 minutes.
Module 2: 2016 Incentive Payments and 2018 Payment Adjustments. Run time: 9 minutes.
Module 3: 2016 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Updates. Run time: 20 minutes.
Module 4: 2018 Value-Based Payment Modifier (VM) Policies. Run time: 17 minutes.
Module 5: Physician Compare Updates in 2016. Run time: 6 minutes.
Module 6: Meaningful Use of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) in 2016. Run time: 16 minutes.