Suspected Overpayments from BCBSNC

Recently the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) learned that Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) has been overpaying claims for bilateral procedures. Some providers have reported receiving double the expected amount. We believe the problem is limited to individual and small group plans. The issue seems to have started over a year ago. Any practice billing for bilateral procedures…

Welcome Carteret Health Care!

The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) extends a warm welcome to Carteret Health Care, our latest group to join the medical society. We’re glad you’re part of the NCMS community and look forward to meeting and working with you all. The relationship with Carteret extends back nearly a year when NCMS Vice President for Rural Health Initiatives Franklin Walker opened discussions with the group’s…

NC HealthConnex Adds Three of NC’s Largest Health Care Systems

Last week, the state’s Health Information Exchange Authority, NC HealthConnex announced that Duke Health, Novant Health and Carolinas HealthCare System have signed agreements to connect to NC HealthConnex. Coastal Connect, a regional HIE in southeastern North Carolina, also has formally agreed to connect to NC HealthConnex. This connection will add five hospitals and more than 100 data…

NC DHHS Welcomes Two New Staffers

Betsey Tilson, MD, will be joining the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) as State Health Director and the department’s Chief Medical Officer beginning Aug. 14. Dr. Tilson, a pediatrician and preventive medicine physician, currently is the Medical Director for Community Care of Wake & Johnson Counties, serves as the Chief Network Medical Director for Community…

WCMS Launches Healthy Healer Program

The Western Carolina Medical Society (WCMS) recently launched its Healthy Healer program for its physician and physician assistant members. The program is designed to help create and sustain a vibrant, healthy and functional medical community in Western North Carolina. It offers WCMS Members (including physicians, residents, medical students and physician assistants) counseling and coaching,…

Workers' Comp and Legal Fees

HB 26 – Workers’ Compensation/Approval of Disputed Legal Fees Primary Sponsors: Rep. Sam Watford (R – Davidson), Rep. Lee Zachary (R – Alexander) This bill states that if a dispute arises between an employee’s current and past attorney regarding a fee approved by the Commission, the Commission will hear it. Additionally, the Commission would notify the attorneys of the total fee amount before…

What the STOP Act Means to You

On June 29, Gov. Roy Cooper signed the Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Act of 2017 into law. Aimed at curtailing the opioid abuse epidemic in the state, the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) supported this legislation. Read the law and a comprehensive history of its passage on the NCMS 2017 Legislative Blog. This new legislation may impact how you prescribe opioids. The North…

Regulate Massage & Bodywork Therapy

HB 451 - Regulate Massage & Bodwork Estmts. Primary Sponsors: Rep. Allen McNeil (R- Moore), Rep. Bert Jones (R-Caswell), Rep. Rena Turner (R-Iredell), Rep. Pat Hurley (R-Randolph) House: This bill was withdrawn from the House Regulatory Reform Committee on March 23, 2017, and re-referred to the House Finance Committee. This bill passed the House Finance Committee on June 15, 2017. This bill…

Access These New Tools to Be Successful Under MACRA

Under the leadership of North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) CEO Robert W. Seligson, and others, the Physicians Advocacy Institute (PAI) has developed a comprehensive set of resources you can use to assess whether you are ready for the new Medicare reimbursement system under MACRA, and then learn how to be most successful within it. Watch Seligson explain how these tools can help you. As…

Federal Update: Sen. Hatch Asks for Feedback on AHCA

United States Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) asked health care organizations for recommendations to improve the American Health Care Act (AHCA) as passed by the US House of Representatives and now under consideration in the US Senate.  Read the AMA’s comments. In the response to Sen. Hatch, the AMA primarily focuses on premium affordability, insurance market stabilization…

NCMS Statement on BCBSNC's Announcement

Today Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Amerigroup (part of insurance giant Anthem) announced an agreement to jointly pursue participation in the forthcoming Medicaid managed care program. Here is a statement from the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) on this announcement: In January the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) working in conjunction with the North…

Federal Health Care News Round-Up

North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) CEO Robert W. Seligson has been monitoring the health care legislative and regulatory scene at the federal level. Here are a few recent highlights. The NCMS issued a statement when the US House of Representatives passed a revised version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on May 4. Read the NCMS statement as well as what other prominent health care…

NC Health Plan

HB 916 – North Carolina Health Plan Primary Sponsors: Rep. Cecil Brockman (D – Guilford), Rep. Verla Insko (D – Orange) This bill would provide for the North Carolina Health plan to cover all state residents with comprehensive health benefit coverage. This bill would be referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

Amend CON Law

HB 901 – Amend Certificate of Need Primary Sponsors: Rep. Jeff Collins (R – Nash), Rep. Beverly Boswell (R – Dare), Rep. William Richardson (D- Cumberland) This bill would exempt ambulatory surgical facilities and certain activities by smaller community hospitals from Certificate of Need review. This bill would require that ambulatory surgical facilities to have an agreement with a hospital…

No Helmets for Those Over Age 21

HB 91 – Require Safety Helmets for Those Under 21 Primary Sponsors: Rep. John Torbett (R – Gaston), Rep. Michael Speciale (R – Craven) SB 66 – Require Safety Helmets for Those Under 21 Primary Sponsor: Sen. Wesley Meredith (R – Cumberland) This bill has been filed in both the House and Senate. It intends to revise the NC motor vehicle laws to allow individuals over the age of 21 to operate and…

Enforcement of Rear Occupant Seat Belt Use

HB 672 – Rear Occupant Seat Belt Use/Enforcement Primary Sponsor: Rep. John Faircloth (R – Guilford) This bill would increase enforcement of the law requiring seatbelt use by rear seat occupants of a motor vehicle. This would remove the law that failure of a rear seat passenger to wear a vehicle would not be justification to stop a vehicle. The bill would also increase the penalty for the rear…

Duty to Call 911

HB 785 - Duty to Call 911/Violation Misdemeanor Primary Sponsor: Rep. Frank Iller (R – Brunswick) This bill would require any person who knows or has reason to know that another is in need of emergency assistance has a duty to dial 911 to summon police, fire department or ambulance. Failure to dial 911 under these circumstances would be a class A1 misdemeanor. This bill has been referred to the…

Mark Your Calendar for the M3 Conference

Be sure your calendar is marked for Sept. 14-16 to attend the second M3 – Merging Medicine and Management – Conference, which will be held this year at the Marriott Crabtree Valley in Raleigh. The preliminary schedule is up on the website, and we’re working on exciting and relevant content to inspire you and your staff. Registration will open in late May, so stay tuned!

Repeal CON Laws

SB 324 – Repeal Certificate of Need Laws Primary Sponsors: Sen. Ralph Hise (R – Madison), Sen. Trudy Wade (R – Guilford) HB 640 - Repeal Certificate of Need Laws Primary Sponsors: Rep. Beverly Boswell (R - Dare) This bill was filed jointly in the House and Senate. This bill would repeal North Carolina’s Certificate of Need Laws. The bill redefines “health service facility” as a hospital,…

2017 Governor's Budget

HB 537 – 2017 Governor’s Budget Primary Sponsors: Rep. Dollar (R – Wake), Rep. Linda Johnson (R – Cabarrus),  Rep. Chuck McGrady (R – Henderson), Rep. Donny Lambeth (R – Forsyth) SB 430 - 2017 Governor’s Budget Primary Sponsors: Sen. Harry Brown (R – Jones), Sen. Kathy Harrington (R – Gaston), Sen. Brent Jackson (R – Johnston) This bill has the following funding appropriations: HEALTH AND HUMAN…

Whole Women's Health Act

HB 563 - Whole Women’s Health Act Primary Sponsors: Rep. Susan Fisher (D – Buncombe), Rep. Carla Cunningham (D – Mecklenburg), Rep. Graig Meyer (D – Orange), Rep. Bobbie Richardson (D – Nash) SB 588 - Whole Women’s Health Act Primary Sponsors: Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D – Wake), Sen. Terry Van Duyn (D – Buncombe), Sen. Angela Bryant (D – Nash) This bill seeks to repeal laws in conflict with the United…

Why Should You Care About MACRA?

Physicians and their teams gathered at the NCMS Center for Leadership in Medicine yesterday for a free, day-long workshop presented by the National Rural Accountable Care Consortium (NRACC), a Practice Transformation Network. Learn more about NRACC and what a Practice Transformation Network is and how it can help your practice here. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA)…

Exempt Ocular Surgery from CON Laws

HB 344 – Exempt Ocular Surgery from CON Laws Primary Sponsors: Rep. Michael Speciale (R – Craven), Rep. Mike Clampitt (R – Swain) This bill would exempt ophthalmologists who perform certain ocular surgical procedures from CON laws. This bill defines an “ocular surgical procedure” as a procedure that requires local, regional or general anesthesia and less than 24 hours of post-operational care.…

NC HealthConnex Turns One

NC HealthConnex, the state’s Health Information Exchange (NCHIE), turned a year old on March 1. Since then, the exchange has 6 million unique patient records 131 live data connections 855 facilities connected (that includes 22 hospitals, including UNC Health Care System, 23 county health departments, 8 FQHCs, and ambulatory practices). View the full list of providers who are live in…

House GOP Plan on ACA Draws Controversy

A House Republican plan that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has generated dissension among Republican House members casting more confusion and uncertainty over the future of the health care law. Among the provisions in the House’s draft legislation are: Eliminating the individual insurance mandate; Rolling back federal Medicaid spending by eliminating Medicaid expansion;…

NC Welcomes Mandy Cohen, MD, as NC DHHS Secretary

Mandy Cohen, MD, former Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff for CMS in Washington, started her new position as Secretary of NC Department of Health and Human Services this week. Dr. Cohen was tapped by Governor Roy Cooper to lead the agency’s 15,000 employees and oversee an annual budget of $20 billion. Prior to her role as COO at CMS, Dr. Cohen held positions in the Center for Consumer…

Student Athlete Safety

HB 116 – Student Safety in Athletics Primary Sponsors: Rep. Harry Warren (R - Rowan), Rep. Greg Murphy (R – Pitt), Rep. Donny Lambeth (R – Forsyth), Rep. David Rogers (R – Burke) If passed, this bill would require the State Board of Education and the local Boards of Education to educate all students and parents on sudden cardiac arrest, heat exhaustion and concussions.  Additionally, it would…

Happy (Re)New Year!

Have you renewed your membership for 2017?  If yes, thank you! If you're not sure about your membership status, please give NCMS Member Services a call at 1-800-722-1350, and we'll be happy to help answer your questions. You may also log into the NCMS website and review your membership status on your personal homepage. Renew online for your free gift! Renew your membership online now and receive…

Guess what's just down the road?

Get a Head Start and Renew Your NCMS Membership Now Believe it or not, the New Year will be here before you know it. Why not get a head start on those end-of-year activities and renew your North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) membership now? Renewal notices should already be arriving in your mailbox, so watch for that mailing. OR, cross NCMS membership renewal off your to-do list right away by…

Update from NC HealthConnex

The North Carolina Health Information Exchange Authority’s (NC HIEA) vision is to build a more robust health information exchange, now called NC HealthConnex, to link all health care providers across North Carolina enabling them to access information to support improved health care quality and outcomes. Here are several updates on progress toward that goal: Clinical Notifications – Participants…

Dr. Angus McBryde Remembered

Angus McBryde, Jr., MD, formerly of Charlotte, died in a car accident in Alabama on Oct. 4.  Dr. McBryde, 79, practiced orthopaedics in Charlotte at the former Miller Clinic for many years and was a longtime member and supporter of the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) and the Mecklenburg County Medical Society. A South Carolina native, Dr. McBryde trained at Duke. He was a professor and…

NCMS Presents 2016 Anderson and Estes Awards

Bonnie Brown with her award. The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) presented the John Huske Anderson Award and the E. Harvey Estes, MD, Physician Community Service award at the M3 Conference in Greensboro on Saturday evening, Sept 17. The John Huske Anderson Award recognizes those outside of the medical profession for their contributions to the work of physicians and physician assistants.…

NC Attorney General Roy Cooper Addresses M3 Conference Attendees

Roy Cooper addresses the M3 audience. NC Attorney General Roy Cooper, who is running for governor against incumbent republican Gov. Pat McCrory, delivered remarks during the legislative portion of the M3 conference on Sunday morning. He told the nearly 100 in attendance that he understands the challenges physicians face and vowed to work with the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) to ensure…

Learn more about the M3 Conference and why you should attend…

What is M3? The NC Medical Society (NCMS) and the NC Medical Group Management Association (NCMGMA) have joined forces to present the inaugural M3 Conference, which serves as the annual meeting for each organization. This merging of medicine and management means more networking and educational opportunities for you. The conference is scheduled for Sept. 15-18 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro,…

Project Access Celebrates 20 Years

Project Access® is celebrating two decades of providing access to comprehensive medical care for low-income uninsured Buncombe County residents. More than 2,500 low-income individuals in Buncombe County receive health care each year through Project Access® thanks to a network of more than 500 physician volunteers along with Mission Hospital, local pharmacies, the Western Carolina Medical Society…

NC Senate Budget Addresses Use of CSRS

The North Carolina Senate released its proposed budget late Tuesday and various Senate committees started to review the $22 billion spending plan first thing this morning. Review the Senate’s budget bill here. One significant provision for North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) members in the North Carolina Senate’s recently released budget concerns the state’s Controlled Substance Reporting…

Update on BCBSNC Payment Problems

Physicians throughout the state continue to encounter significant difficulties in their interactions with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). Common complaints range from delays in claim and payment processing to long hold times for authorizations, eligibility checks and general support. The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is communicating with BCBSNC staff as we assist…

Here’s Your Chance To Be Heard

The Physicians Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to empower physicians to lead in the delivery of high-quality, cost-efficient health care, has launched its fourth national Survey of America’s Physicians, one of the largest physician surveys ever undertaken in the United States. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to add your voice to the thousands of other physicians…

2016 NC Doctor of the Year Named

As part of the NC Doctors’ Day celebration, Jason Stopyra, MD, has been named 2016 NC Doctor of the Year. Dr. Stopyra is an emergency physician, and is Medical Director of Emergency Services in Randolph and Surry counties and an Assistant Professor at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. He received the most online votes of the 10 NC…

Cast Your Vote for NC Doctor of the Year By Sunday

The 2016 NC Doctors' Day celebration is nearing it's exciting culmination with the presentation of the NC Doctor of the Year Award on National Doctors' Day, March 30. Cast your vote for one of the 10 finalists for the award at www.ncdoctorsday.org before the polls close this Sunday, March 27. And be sure to tell your friends, family and colleagues to do the same. Happy Doctors' Day!

Have You Voted for NC Doctor of the Year?

The nominations have been tallied and the top ten physicians named -- it's time to vote for your favorite NC doctor! Visit www.ncdoctorsday.org and learn more about the finalists. This online award contest is part of the second annual NC Doctors’ Day celebration. The winner is the doctor who garners the most online votes by National Doctors’ Day on March 30. The award comes with a check for…

Get the Facts on MACRA

If you are still uncertain what MACRA is all about, get the facts by downloading the recording of last week’s webinar on MACRA hosted by North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Director of Health Policy Jennifer Gasperini and sponsored by the NCMS Foundation and the NC Medical Group Managers Association (NCMGMA). “I thought the material and how it was presented was well thought out.  I am very…

NCMS Members Are Leaders

Several recent announcements highlight once again the accomplishments of many of our North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) members and the leadership positions they hold. Dr. Dev Sangvai Former NCMS President and Leadership College alumnus Dev Sangvai, MD, recently was named to a two-year term as vice-chair of The Joint Commission’s Ambulatory Care Professional and Technical Advisory Committee…

DHHS Secretary Brajer Meets NCMS Board

Secretary Brajer North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Rick Brajer told the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Board of Directors at their meeting on Jan. 9, that he is committed to thoughtful and inclusive Medicaid reform for the state. “We’re going to take our time on this,” he said. He shared that he has been meeting with hundreds of representatives from health…

Save the Date for M3

Be sure Sept. 15-18 is blocked out on your calendar so you can be part of the new M3: Merging Medicine and Management conference at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro that weekend. The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) has partnered with the North Carolina Medical Group Management Association (NCMGMA) to launch a new educational conference, bringing together physicians, physician assistants…

M3 Conference Marks Dawn of New Era for NCMS

Next fall you will have the opportunity to participate in an exciting new conference, marking a new era in the 166-year history of the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS). The NCMS has partnered with the North Carolina Medical Group Management Association (NCMGMA) to launch a new educational conference, bringing together physicians, physician assistants and other health care providers along…

"Med School of the Future" Grant Goes to UNC

The American Medical Association (AMA) awarded the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine a $75,000 grant over three years to implement innovative curricula to help shape the medical school of the future. UNC was one of 20 schools nationwide to receive the award as part of the AMA’s grant program for changing medical education, bringing the total number of schools in the…

New NCMS Governance System Makes Board Accountable to YOU

The newly updated North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) constitution and bylaws, reflecting the House of Delegates recent decisions to make the NCMS Board of Directors directly accountable to the Society’s membership, has been posted on our website for easy reference. In keeping with this change in governance, following is the schedule of upcoming Board meetings, which will now be held throughout…

Delegates Vote To Change NCMS Governance Structure

Delegates to the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) House of Delegates voted overwhelmingly in favor of changing the Society’s constitution and bylaws to move the governance and policymaking functions of the organization from the House of Delegates to the Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting on Oct. 23-24 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro. After lengthy discussion and debate over the…