Academy News
ICD-10 Available Resources
The long-awaited transition to ICD-10-CM occurred on October 1, and with it came more stringent documentation requirements. The need to include greater specificity in documentation for ICD-9-CM was not nearly as high as what the health care industry can expect with ICD-10.
Ultimately, the responsibility to meet the rigorous specificity requirements under ICD-10 lies with the physician who is treating the patient. AAPM&R and other organizations have developed resources to support physicians in this effort.
Your Academy offers ICD-10 resources to help you fully transition your practice, including ICD-10 and coding/reimbursement workshops, hosted in partnership with AAPM&R and KarenZupko & Associates, Inc. (KZA).
View the full course description and speaker bios. 
Focused ICD-10 Training for PM&R
Friday, November 13, 2015; 12:30 pm-5:30 pm
Chicago, IL
Strategic Coding and Reimbursement Workshop
Saturday, November 14, 2015; 8 am-4:30 pm
Chicago, IL
Check out other coding resourcesavailable on mē®:
The American Medical Association (AMA) has also revised its
online ICD-10 information and resources, including:
Informal Review Request Period for the 2016 PQRS Value Modifier Now Open through November 9
Authorized representatives of group and solo practitioners can access the 2014 Annual Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) on the CMS Enterprise Portalusing an Enterprise Identify Data Management (EIDM) account with the correct role. For more information on how to access the 2014 Annual QRURs, visit How to Obtain a QRUR.
For groups with 10 or more eligible professionals (EPs) that are subject to the 2016 Value Modifier, CMS established an informal review period to request a correction of a perceived error in their 2016 Value Modifier calculation. These groups may request an informal review of their 2016 value modifier determination now through
November 9, 2015.
Additional information about the 2014 QRURs and how to request an informal review is available on the 2014 QRUR website, through the QRUR Help Desk at pvhelpdesk@cms.hhhs.govor by calling (888) 734-6433 (select option 3).
End-of-Year CME Claiming
As 2015 comes to a close, sign in to mē® to take care of some important year-end tasks:
- Document CME credits for 2015.If you need documentation of CME credits earned in 2015 for licensure, credentialing, or Maintenance of Certification®(MOC®) – your CME credit claim must be processed by December 31, 2015. If you wait until 2016 to claim, your CME credits will be applied to 2016 without exception. CME credits for completed activities and live events will not be awarded until you have claimed the CME.
- Claim CME for the 2015 AAPM&R Annual Assemblyif you did not do so on-site in Boston.
- Need more CME credits before the end of 2015?
All are available in the mē®Catalog.
EHR Incentive Programs Final Rule Presentation on CMS Website
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT recently released a series of final rules on the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Meaningful Use program, and specifically Stage 3 regulations. To help you better understand the rules, CMS has added the presentation and recording from the webinar titled, “EHR Incentive Programs Final Rule Overview and What You Need to Know for 2015,” to the 2015 program requirements and eHealth events web pages. The presentation covered topics including an overview of the EHR incentive programs final rule, requirements for the EHR incentive programs in 2015-2017 (modified Stage 2), Stage 3 requirements for 2018 and beyond, what you need to know to participate in 2016, and new CMS resources.
Now is the time to let CMS know that Meaningful Use is not working:
CMS is allowing a 60-day comment period to hear feedback on Stage 3, and how it can be improved and better aligned with the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and alternative payment models. Unfortunately, the rules do little to address the fact that the Meaningful Use program is not working. The final rules will continue to threaten physicians with a regulatory gauntlet that could lead to less time with patients, more poorly performing EHRs, and costly penalties for non-compliance. Please share your personal experiences and challenges with EHRs directly to CMS. Learn more about the proposed rule here.
Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Exam Last-Minute Study Resources
The ABPMR MOC* exam takes place November 16, 2015. If you are registered to take this exam, act now and use our study resources:
- Assess what you know.If you don't know where to begin or haven't taken an exam in a while, use AAPM&R's MOC|3 Online Mock Examination*. This study tool has 800+ practice questions addressing 12 PM&R core topics outlined on the exam and will help you identify which areas you may need more help in.
- Brush up on unfamiliar topics.If there are clinical areas you do not see in your daily practice, catch up with MOC|3 Online Review Courses*. Each course is developed by an expert in that area and includes a slide presentation, detailed lecture, and post-test.
*The MOC|3 Online Review Courses and the MOC|3 Online Mock Examination are not endorsed by ABPMR nor was ABPMR involved in the creation of these study tools.
*Maintenance of Certification®(MOC®) was developed by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) to improve patient care by ensuring continuous lifelong learning and professional development throughout a physician’s medical career. For board-certified physiatrists, the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) sets MOC requirements that are customized to the specialty and ensure compliance with ABMS Standards. Recognizing that physicians participating in that process want a variety of options to meet these requirements, your Academy has developed a series of resources that satisfy the different components of MOC. All Academy tools available to help you meet MOC requirements can be found on mē®.
CMS Requests Survey of Trigger Point Injection Codes 20552 and 20553
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have requested review and revision of tendon sheath injection CPT code 20550 and trigger point injection CPT codes 20552 and 20553. If you are randomly selected from the AAPM&R membership database to participate in an AMA/RUC survey of physician work and you have direct professional knowledge of the service, we ask that you complete the survey. This survey will help our society to ensure that relative values will be accurately and fairly presented to CMS during this revision process.
Your input is vital to obtain estimates of the time and complexity required in performing these procedures and we appreciate your time and effort. If you are inappropriately contacted regarding this survey, please notify AAPM&R immediately. If you have any questions, contact Jenny Jackson, manager of health finance and reimbursement via email at jjackson@aapmr.org.
Young Investigators Urged to Apply for USBJI Grant Mentoring Program
Your Academy is a founding member of the United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) and
Bone and Joint Canada. USBJI is dedicated to increasing research of musculoskeletal diseases and has developed a grant mentoring program to provide early-career investigators an opportunity to work with experienced researchers to assist them in securing funding and other survival skills required for pursuing an academic career.
The spring workshop will be held April 29-May 1, 2016 in Chicago. The deadline to apply is January 15, 2016. Learn more and apply here.
Take Advantage of the PQRSwizard®
Utilize the PQRSwizard®to help you collect and report quality measure data for the PQRS program. Your deadline for reporting is February 26, 2016. Don’t delay – start reporting today!
AAPM&R Members in the News
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Cheri A. Blauwet, MD,physiatrist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will speak at a celebration lecture of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Thursday, October 29 at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Learn more.
- Steven Edgley, MD,physiatrist at the University of Utah Hospital, helped a Logan to Jackson (LOTOJA) stroke survivor finish the 206-mile bike race 2 years later. Check out this inspirational story.
- Susan Ehrenthal, MD,physiatrist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod, presented “Ten Things You Wish Your Doctor Had Told You,” on Thursday, October 15. Learn more.
- Robert Krug, MD,president and CEO/medical director of Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital, has been named the William and Barbara Weldon chair and director of the new Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine's Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine and Center for U.S. Veterans Rehabilitation. Congratulations, Dr. Krug! Learn more.
- Kevin Pak, MD,physiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens, recently spoke at a community event held at the Meadow Park Rehabilitation and Care Center. Learn more.
- Judith Peterson, MD,physician at Yankton Medical Clinic, has been named to the editorial board ofMedical Problems of Performing Artistsjournal. Congratulations, Dr. Peterson! Learn more.
- Marshall Poole, DO,physiatrist at the Munson Medical Center, presented at the Grand Traverse Bay Area Stroke Club’s “Ask a Physiatrist” on Wednesday, October 14. Learn more.
- Martin A. Schaeffer, MD,physician at the Specialty Surgery Center of Central New York, has been chosen as a Distinguished Doctor® based on peer reviews and ratings, numerous recognitions, and accomplishments achieved throughout his career. Congratulations, Dr. Schaeffer! Learn more.
- Timothy M. Silver, MD,medical director of Sheltering Arms Hospital – South, has been selected to the “America’s Best Physicians” 2015 registry. Congratulations, Dr. Silver! Learn more.
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Greg Vigna, MD, JD,physiatrist and certified life care planner, recently published his article, “Acute Rehabilitation is Necessary Care for Lower Extremity Crush Injuries.” Learn more.
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