New Podcast on Family Medicine Set to Begin in Early September.

MEMBERSHIP & MEMBER SERVICES

Two State Family Physicians of the Year will host innovative show

The NC Academy of Family Physicians is pleased to announce the start of a new podcast entitled “The Family Physician: Lessons Learned…Wisdom Shared.” The NCAFP is partnering with two past state Family Physicians of the Year to develop the podcast.

NCAFP Past President and 2020 NC Family Physician of the Year Dr. Thomas R. White will interview well known family physicians in North Carolina and beyond, asking them to share their pearls of wisdom and lessons learned throughout their career. The podcast will be produced by another past NC Family Physician of the Year, Dr. Lee Beatty ('16), who is now retired and living in Durham. The podcast will offer both a historical look at Family Medicine in our state and beyond, but also offer pearls of wisdom to current and future family physicians.

In the inaugural episode of the podcast, Dr. White will interview Dr. Beatty about his decades-long career in Mt. Holly. Future interviews already confirmed include Dr. James G. Jones, the founding Department Chair of Family Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, with more to be announced soon.

The podcast adds a second offering sponsored by the NCAFP. Greg Griggs, Executive Vice President and CEO, will continue to host the monthly podcast NCFM (North Carolina Family Medicine) Today discussing issues of importance to the NCAFP and outlining efforts the Academy is undertaking to assist our state’s family physicians. NCFM Today will continue to be published around the 15th of each month.

“The Family Physician: Lessons Learned…Wisdom Shared” will also be produced monthly and will be published at the beginning of each month. Each will be available on the NCAFP’s website, via Buzzsprout, and on the Google Store and Apple Store. Look for the first episode of “The Family Physician: Lessons Learned...Wisdom Shared” around September 1st.

Dr. Thomas White

Dr. Lee Beatty

Retired, Interrupted Practice or Moved out of NC?

If your status has changed and you have either retired or interrupted practice, please notify the AAFP as soon as possible so your 2022 invoice will reflect your proper status.

If you have moved out of NC, a relocation to the state in which you live or work is required to maintain AAFP membership.

Please contact the AAFP at 1-800-274-2237 between 9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. M-F.

COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is Now Ending: What Does This Mean for Telehealth?

By Sam Cohen, Senior Vice President of Health Policy, Curi

Whether practices will be able (or willing) to continue telehealth services at pandemic levels in a postCOVID-19 world is still up in the air. While there is a growing demand for the continued availability of telehealth offerings, concerns regarding new provider licensure requirements and payment parity will significantly affect the decision to continue or abandon providing these services following the pandemic. As your practice grapples with this decision, leaders will need to keep a close eye on upcoming legislation to ensure services comply with changing requirements and decide if your business model can sustain potential changes to reimbursement rates.

Patient Demand

After polling more than 2,000 Americans, a recent survey from Sykes revealed that less than 20% of respondents had used telehealth prior to March 2020, increasing to over 61% just one year later. As for the demand for the continuance of telehealth services, more than 88% of those respondents report that they would like to continue non-urgent consultations via teleconference with their physician.

Unfortunately, potential legislative moves may make the continued use of telehealth services difficult for providers as state-wide emergency waivers lift. Depending on the practice’s state, physicians and other medical providers will need to achieve a certain set of requirements to continue providing telehealth services, and many may even require additional licensure applications.

Furthermore, changes in payment parity may become a significant obstacle as billing requirements change or revert to pre-COVID-19 models. While telehealth visits were reimbursed at the same payment rate as in-person visits during the pandemic, new legislation (or the ending of temporary executive orders and regulatory waivers) may result in lower reimbursement, making it difficult or even impossible for many practices to continue offering these services.

Physician response

According to an MGMA Stat poll conducted in February regarding telehealth usage in 2021, providers appear to be evenly split in their expectations, with 31% expecting increased usage, 35% expecting decreased usage, and 34% expecting no change. Those who planned to increase usage cited patient demand and convenience. However, those expecting a decrease in usage cited coverage and reimbursement concerns that may make it more difficult for their practices to continue telehealth services.

What Lies Ahead

At the federal level, the benefits of virtual care have caught the attention of congressional lawmakers, and we are seeing bipartisan efforts underway to permanently repeal some of the statutory restrictions that served as roadblocks to telehealth usage pre-COVID-19. Currently, there is no new information regarding upcoming laws, yet there may be new federal legislation to take effect later this year.

At the state level, it’s critical that practices turn to their state’s medical boards to stay abreast of new developments. Many organizations, including medical societies, practice administrator organizations, and licensing bodies may also serve as important resources for critical information. In addition, practices can learn more about telehealth policy changes by following the Center for Connected Health Policy. At Curi, we advise that all practices use these resources to closely monitor any announcements.

Check curi.com/news for updates on new legislation and reach out to one of our risk management experts at 800-662-7917 if you have any questions.