May 22
IN THIS ISSUE / May 22, 2019
- What's happening to practice ownership?
- DW Insights and Inquiries: Breaking the terbinafine laboratory habit for onychomycosis
- Do you know how to get to 30 points to avoid a MIPS penalty?
- Augmented intelligence: The synergy of man and machine to improve patient care
- Maryland passes under-18 indoor tanning ban
- CMS takes action to lower prescription drug prices, increase transparency
What's happening to practice ownership?
A new study conducted by the American Medical Association (AMA) shows that for the first time in the United States, employed physicians outnumber self-employed physicians, highlighting the gradual shift in distribution of physicians away from private practice.
In 2018, employed physicians were 47.4% of all physicians — up 6 percentage points since 2012, while self-employed physicians were 45.9% of all physicians — down 7 percentage points since 2012. The majority of physicians (54%) worked in physician-owned practices in 2018 either as an owner, employee, or contractor. Although this share fell from 60% in 2012, the trend away from physician-owned practice appears to be slowing since more than half of the shift occurred between 2012 and 2014.
Concurrently, there was an increase in the number of physicians working directly for a hospital or in a practice at least partly owned by a hospital (34.7% — up from 29.0% in 2012). Despite the trend of physicians shifting toward larger practices and hospital-owned practice, 40% of physicians still worked in practices that were both small (10 or fewer physicians) and physician-owned.
Younger physicians and women physicians are more likely to be employed. Nearly 70% of physicians under age 40 were employees in 2018, compared to 38.2% of physicians age 55 and over. Among female physicians, more were employees than practice owners (57.6% vs. 34.3%). In contrast, more males were practice owners than employees (52.1% vs. 41.9%).
Find out what which practice model may be right for you by taking an assessment quiz to learn more. The June issue of Dermatology World will have more information on the state of practice ownership in dermatology.
Related Content:
- The future of dermatology practice settings – Dermatology World (September 2016)
- Dermatology Employment Manual: A guide to Personnel Policies and procedures
- 2019 Coding Webinar All-Access Pass
DW Insights and Inquiries: Breaking the terbinafine laboratory habit for onychomycosis
Are you a creature of habit when it comes to checking laboratory tests for certain prescriptions? I am. I get nervous if the quantiferon TB test is not checked annually for patients on biologics. If my patient is on SSKI, I want to see a thyrotopin level (TSH) after two months. If I’m treating a patient for onychomycosis with terbinafine for a standard 12-week course, I routinely check a complete blood count (CBC) and liver function tests (LFTs) at baseline and at six weeks. Why? Because that is what I’ve been doing for years. Keep reading!
Do you know how to get to 30 points to avoid a MIPS penalty?
If you know you’ll be participating in the 2019 MIPS program, it’s time to start earning those points! To avoid the 7% penalty, you will need to score at least 30 points, which you can do by reporting the following:
- 5 quality measures one time each* (between Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2019) PLUS 6 bonus points automatically added for small practices to numerator
- 1 high-weighted improvement activity (for 90 consecutive days; last day to begin participation Oct. 2, 2019)
*The AAD strongly recommends practices report more than one time as an insurance policy in the event of submission issues or inaccuracies. Failure to correctly report in 2019 will result in a 7% penalty in 2021.
The Academy has created a 5-step 2019 MIPS reporting guide to help walk you through the process.
Related Content:
- DataDerm™: The Academy’s clinical data registry
- Get ready for MIPS in 2019 – Dermatology World (February 2019)
- AADA MACRA Resource Center
- 2019 MIPS Reporting Module
- Dermatologists discuss how DataDerm™ drives their success and the specialty’s – Dermatology World (January 2019)
Augmented intelligence: The synergy of man and machine to improve patient care
The AADA Board of Directors recently approved the Academy’s position statement on augmented intelligence (AuI). The statement anticipates the needs of patients and dermatologists and provides guidance on the development of technology tools support superior and compassionate patient care. Justin Ko, MD, chair of the Task Force on Augmented Intelligence shares his perspectives on how AuI enhances members’ ability to deliver accessible, high-quality, patient-centered, dermatologist-led care.
Maryland passes under-18 indoor tanning ban
Gov. Larry Hogan has signed legislation into law that bans minors under the age of 18 from indoor tanning. Maryland is the 21st state to ban indoor tanning for minors. Previously, four counties in Maryland banned indoor tanning for minors under 18. The legislation will go into effect on Oct. 1.
Are teens actually tanning less? Find out in Dermatology World.
Related Content:
- Banning the bed – Dermatology World (May 2017)
- Taking on tanning – Dermatology World (August 2014)
- Academy Position Statement on Indoor Tanning
CMS takes action to lower prescription drug prices, increase transparency
Last week CMS released its final rule on modernizing Part D and Medicare Advantage programs to lower drug prices and reduce out-of-pocket expenses. The final rule requires Part D plans to adopt tools that provide clinicians with information so that they can discuss out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs with patients at the time the prescription is written. Access to such a tool must be integrated into a clinician’s electronic prescribing or electronic health records system. By empowering patients with information on the cost of their prescription, the final rule will ensure pharmaceutical companies have to compete on the basis of prices, said CMS Administrator Seem Verma.
Additionally, the final rule will also require the Explanation of Benefits document that Part D enrollees receive each month to include information on drug price increases and lower-cost therapeutic alternatives to help patients and clinicians better understand the cost of prescription drugs and seek out high-value options. Read the CMS fact sheet for more information.
Learn more about the required disclosure of drug list prices in direct-to-consumer television advertisements in last week’s DW Weekly.
Related Content:
- Why are physicians out of the loop on current drug prices and costs to patients? – Dermatology World (February 2019)
- A tangled web: What's happening with drug prices and what's being done to bring costs down? – Dermatology World (September 2017)
- How copay accumulator programs escalate the battle between insurers and drug makers – Dermatology World (March 2019)
