TO:  AMC/NOMA members (E-mail)
FROM:  AMC/NOMA Staff
SUBJECT:  AMC/NOMA Notables

Date:  May 31, 2002

AMC/NOMA provides print materials through fax blasts, our magazine - The
Cleveland Physician, fact sheets, mailers and through our Web site at
www.amcnoma.org.  Periodically the physician members with e-mail addresses
will receive the AMC/NOMA Notables.

EMTALA Proposed rule change
     Proposed rule changes to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active
Labor Act (EMTALA) have been published in the Federal Register by the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The changes, in a preliminary
review, seem favorable to physicians and hospitals and are a major
improvement over the current EMTALA policy, according to the AMA.  The
American Medical Association's EMTALA Task force continues to push to return
EMTALA to its original intent and is advocating for reasonable payment for
screenings and stabilization services.
     Congress originally passed EMTALA in 1985 to ensure patients in need of
emergency care were not refused treatment due to their inability to pay.
This Act has now grown from a five-page law to more than one hundred pages
of interpretive guidelines causing many physicians to cut back on their
availability for emergency care.
*The rule may be viewed through a link provided by the AMA at:
www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/print/article/1751-6271.html
     Comments, ideas, or proposed changes must be received by CMS no later
than 5:00PM on Monday, July 8, 2002 and should be addressed to:
     Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
     Dept. of Health and Human Services
     Attn: CMS-1203-P
     P.O. Box 8010
     Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
     The American Medical Association has also posted a Quick Reference
Guide concerning EMTALA on their site.  To access this information go to
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2650.html

HIPAA:  Employer Identifier Number to be used in transactions
     The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced the
use of an Employer Identification Number (EIN) as the standard unique
identifier for employers in the filing and processing of health care claims
and other transactions. Mandated by the HIPAA in 1996, the EIN should help
to eliminate paperwork, simplify activities such as enrollment in health
plans and payment of health insurance premiums.
     EIN numbers will be used in certain transactions in the Department of
Health and Human Services to which HIPAA standards have been adopted.  For
example, the EIN would be used to enroll an employee in a health plan.
Health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers that
conduct standard electronic transactions will be required to use the EIN if
the employer needs to be identified in the transaction.
     The EIN will be issued and maintained by the Internal Revenue Service.
Businesses that pay wages to employees already have EINs.  The final rule
establishing the EIN as a standard identifier will be published in the
Federal Register on May 31st with the effective date of the final rule being
July 30, 2002.
For more information on this topic visit the CMS Web site at
www.cms.gov/hipaa/.

HHS committee advises elimination of E&M guidelines
     Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform
recently voted, 20-1, to recommend eliminating guidelines for evaluation and
management services (E&M).  The recommendation was sent to HHS Secretary
Tommy Thompson.  Healthcare associations and professionals have notified HHS
and the committee that E&M documentation guidelines are the single, largest
paperwork burden imposed by the Medicare program.  There is no information
as to whether a back-up plan or determination of code use would be developed
if the guidelines were eliminated.

West Nile Virus Alert
     West Nile Virus (WNV) has been identified in birds collected from
University Heights.  This represents the first positive finding in Cuyahoga
County this year (2002).  Final results form mosquitoes collected in the
vicinity are currently pending.  Positive birds (WNV) have been identified
earlier in the season than expected.
     This may result in potential human cases (WNV) earlier than expected.
     Appropriate laboratory analysis and prompt reporting of confirmed or
suspected cases of mosquito-borne diseases (WNV, La Crosse, St. Louis
Encephalitis and Aseptic Meningitis) will help to detect potential mosquito
borne disease outbreaks and will expedite appropriate public health
follow-up.
      Free testing is available at The Ohio Department of Health Laboratory
(ODHL) on all hospitalized patients with viral encephalitis, viral
meningo-encephalitis or aseptic meningitis.  Testing should be arranged by
calling 614-387-2775.   The Ohio Department of Health Laboratory can be
reached at 614-644-4659 for additional information regarding serological
testing.

AMC/NOMA to offer HIPAA compliance seminar
     The HIPAA electronic code sets and transaction standards have been
delayed by one year; however, extension is not automatic.  In addition,
there have been several recent changes made to the HIPAA privacy rules that
will affect physicians.  The Academy of Medicine of Cleveland/Northern Ohio
Medical Association is pleased to offer our members and their staff a
two-hour seminar on HIPAA.
     Topics discussed will include:  HIPAA Basics; Business
Associates-Partners/Transaction Set; Maintaining Network Security;
Compliance Rules; Use-Disclosure, Consent and Authorization; Maintaining
User Security; Notice of Privacy Practices; Administrative Requirements;
Business Associates; How to File an Extension.
     Presenters will be: Mr. Richard S. Cooper, Manager of the Health Law
Department at McDonald, Hopkins, Burke and Haber Co., L.P.A.  Attorney
specializing in health care law, representing clients in corporate,
regulatory, reimbursement, contractual and venture matters; and Mr. Ron
Amrich, NextMED Systems, Inc.  Senior Executive Vice President in charge of
practice management operations, product development and client practice
transitions and the relationship executive for some of NextMED's largest
clients.
     The seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at the AMC/NOMA
offices, 6000 Rockside Woods Blvd., Suite 150, Independence, Ohio 44131,
from 4:00-6:00PM.  The cost is $20 per person for members and their office
staff and $50 per person for nonmembers and their office staff.
Reservations are required and must be made by June 21st.  Please call
AMC/NOMA to make a reservation or to obtain additional information at
520-1000, ext. 314.

Note:  "AMC/NOMA Notables" includes links that provide direct access to
Internet sites other than the AMC/NOMA site, the AMC/NOMA takes no
responsibility for the content or information obtained on those other web
sites, and we do not have any editorial or other control over those web
sites.  Additional information on these topics may be available on our web
site at www.amcnoma.org.