Monday Rx: Monkeypox Update, Covid-19 Update, Solutions Portal, Trends and HOD Update September 12, 2022 151st House of Delegates, California, california medical association, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Climate Health Crisis, CMA, Compensation Trends, COSi, COVID-19, Dodger Healthcare Appreciation Night, HIV, House of Delegates, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Medical Practice Makeover, Member Benefits, Member Discounts, Monkeypox, Physician, public health emergency declaration, Solutions Portal, telehealth 1332 Monkeypox Update A second possible death from monkeypox in the U.S. is under investigation in Los Angeles County, according to officials. Chief Medical Director Rita Singhal of the county's Public Health Department said details were unavailable at this early investigation stage. "This is one of two deaths in the United States that are under investigation to determine whether monkeypox was a contributing cause," she said at a public briefing Thursday. In California, 4,140 cases were reported last week; 1,694 were in Los Angeles County, health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in a weekly report on monkeypox that a case analysis found that 61% of people in the U.S. who have developed the viral disease also had HIV or another sexually transmitted infection or disease. The centers said that people who had HIV and monkeypox were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized, although the exact reason for treatment wasn't known. COVID-19 Update Although the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration is slated to expire at the end of October, it is expected that the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra will issue another extension. HHS has previously indicated that when a decision is made to terminate the declaration or let it expire, the agency will provide 60 days’ notice before termination. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, through continued advocacy from CMA and LACMA, public and private health plans expanded their coverage and reimbursement for services provided via telehealth. These policies remain in effect as long as the nation continues to be in a public health emergency, these policies remain in effect. Congress also recently extended the current COVID-19 pandemic telehealth waivers for five months beyond the end of the public health emergency. Policymakers at the state and federal levels are making decisions that will shape the future of telehealth for years to come. CMA published a Telehealth Policy Update that summarizes what has already been done and provides some next steps that physicians can watch for throughout 2022. LACMA Solutions Portal is Designed for Practices, Groups Since LACMA launched the new portal and marketplace featuring over 100 partners, only a dozen members have taken advantage of registering to date. With significant discounts, incentives, a personal concierge service to help members navigate the best solution and so much more, the goal is to continue to educate members and nonmembers alike. The LACMA Solutions Portal, or LSP, is the most comprehensive, member-centric platform in the industry. No other medical association platform features so many companies, personal service, and support, a user-friendly experience based on what our members need. Visit the Portal Physician Compensation Trends Healthcare employers are reevaluating how they compensate physicians, with experts forecasting years of potential uncertainty. The clinical shutdowns experienced at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 upended traditional productivity-based physician payment models. The same year, the federal government announced significant changes to the physician fee schedule, raising reimbursement for those providing office visits while decreasing reimbursement for others. Patient volume has begun to rebound in the meantime, driving up demand for doctors. As a result, many employers’ payment structures are in flux. Some organizations have switched to value-based payment for physicians. Others have recalibrated how they structure productivity-based plans by offering salary floors that protect doctors from unexpected drops in patient numbers. Extra incentives, such as flexible scheduling and remote work opportunities, have also been frequently included in recruiting offers. “They’ve had to manage their compensation plans so they’re not creating unintended windfalls or creating financial problems for the organization,” said Josh Halverson, partner and division leader of provider financial services at ECG Management Consultants. “It’s going to be a turbulent period over the next few years. Until that shakes out, organizations are going to have to adjust,” Halverson said. COSi Event Update: How to Build a Profitable & High Growth Medical Practice On Saturday, the Los Angeles County Medical Association hosted COSi at LACMA HQ in Downtown LA. It was an interactive morning with 19 practices in attendance! Thank you to our speaker Vaughn Hartunian, Ph.D. for going over the advanced business tools, techniques, processes, and skills necessary to transform practice operations into a profitable high, growth business. Speaker Contact Information: Vaughn Hartunian, Ph.D. – President Direct: (626) 246-5400 Email:Vaughn.Hartunian@learncosi.com www.learncosi.com 151st Annual House Of Delegates The 151st Annual Session of the California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates (HOD) will convene October 22-23, 2022, at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE. The HOD establishes broad policy on current major issues that have been determined to be the most important issues affecting members, the Association and the practice of medicine. This year’s major issues are: Physician Workforce, Health Care Reform and Mental Health. If you are interested in joining as a guest, please reach out to Lisa Le at lisa@lacmanet.org. The Fall Round of the Practice Makeover Closes Wednesday! We are here to support your practice needs! If your practice needs additional assistance to hire staff, invest in technology, engage any one of LACMA’s 100+ preferred partners, or needs assistance to improve billing, reimbursement, and revenue generation, simply fill out the application. The deadline for the Fall 2022 cycle is September 14, 2022. Six medical practices will be selected to receive financial grants and free practice assessments. Additional details and FAQs for this member-exclusive program are available here. LACMA is here to help! We encourage you to APPLY TODAY! Still have questions? Email Stephanie Mares. Previous Medical Practice Makeover Winners! LACMA Family and Friends Dodger Healthcare Appreciation Night If you registered for the LACMA Dodger Healthcare Night, electronic tickets with assigned seating have been distributed! Important to note, attendees will need to download MLB Ballpark App to accept and access tickets for entry to the stadium. Have not received an email notification? Contact Stephanie@lacmanet.org to have tickets resent. We are so excited to see you all there! Understanding the Climate Health Crisis and How California Physicians Can Make an Impact This will be an engaging two-part panel discussion that will explore the health impacts of climate change in California and the opportunities for California's physicians to advance policy-level climate solutions with enormous public health co-benefits. Sponsored by Climate Health Now and the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy (CFEE) in coordination with CMA. Please note: This event is available to attend either in-person or virtually via Zoom. During registration, please choose the registration option for how you intend to view this discussion. Register Date: Friday, October 21, 2022 Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Location: Marriott LA LIVE, Diamond Salon 10 #MondayMessage "We are not just products of our past; people in our present also influence us and help mold our character." Gustavo Friederichsen Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles County Medical Association “If it matters to our LACMA members, it matters to me.”