October 2, 2006
TOA Presidents Update
  

David Teuscher, M.D.		 I hope by now you are enjoying and looking forward to our weekly TOA E-Connect. 

This week one of our members called to thank us for the information he saw on one of the recent E-Connects which announced another TMLT premium decrease. Because of this timely information, he was able to negotiate his premium with another company for an additional $7,000 savings from his invoiced premium. That savings is over 14 times what he paid in TOA dues this year. 

Since we are on the subject, how many of you pay for CME at national and regional meetings? 
Did you know that your TOA membership entitles you to at least 25 CME Category 1 hours free of charge each year? At $475, that is $19 per CME hour. Compare the “bang for the buck” you receive from other organizations you belong to.

Those of you who have attended TOA meetings know that the gatherings offer not only free CME, but excellent food and libations at no cost to members, as well as, hotel rates negotiated for you so you can economically stay at the finest resorts in Texas. Just consider the cost of an evening of dinner with wine for you and your spouse, then throw in two lunches and a couple of continental breakfasts. For these deals, you can’t beat TOA’s annual dues of only $475. 

You simply can’t get a better value when you consider the political information and influence that our staff and volunteer members in Austin deliver to you. Add in our member services/discounts, communication vehicles and innovative programs all working for you, now that's a deal!

Finally, consider the value of the camaraderie of your Texas orthopaedic colleagues and the pride in belonging to the elite state Orthopaedic society in America…..Priceless!
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On The TOA Radar Screen: Trailblazer's Analysis of Your Billing

Veiled as an “educational tool to alert you to potential problems with documentation and billing,” you may have received a similarly worded letter from Trailblazer (a CMS contracted intermediary) regarding your billing practices.  CMS maintains that an unacceptably high percentage of benefit dollars have been paid in error for Evaluation and Management (E/M) services.   Thanks to members’ alerts, this letter and its attached “Comparative Billing Report” have shown up on the TOA radar screen

Consequently, we need to know what percentage of our membership Trailblazer has “found through statistical analysis to bill the CPT codes 99201-99205 in a significantly different pattern as compared to their peers during July through December 2005.”  This could be a real problem.  This could be a subtle way of encouraging physicians to under-code.

Please call the TOA Executive Office (800-370-1505) and let our staff know if you received a similar letter...even though you know you have been coding appropriately.  This information will be kept strictly confidential.  Just identify yourself as a TOA member and let the staff know the city in which you practice.  Also, add any other comments such as, “I would consider an elderly woman’s hip revision to be a medical decision of moderate complexity.” These comments will help staff understand which codes are being questioned.   

TOA needs to be ready to respond if the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT), a CMS program “handled by an outside entity,” shows us contradictory information. 

If you feel comfortable enough to respond by email, you may contact Donna Parker, TOA Executive Director via email.  All replies to this issue will be held in confidence.
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Texas District by District: Kirk Watson
  

Kirk Watson

Kirk Watson - The Next State Senator For Travis County.  Former Austin, Texas, Mayor Kirk Watson has been described by Texas Monthly Biz magazine as "...a man with a vision of what the community wants and the moxie to carry it out." First elected Austin Mayor in 1997, Watson was reelected in 2000 with a record 84 percent of the vote. During his terms of office, Forbes and Fortune named Austin the best city and best place for business in America. Texas Monthly Biz magazine also named him the best mayor in Texas for business, while Governing Magazine recognized Austin as one of the top two cities in America for the way it was governed during his terms. 


Watson graduated first in his law school class at Baylor University Law School in 1981 and served as Editor-In-Chief of the Baylor Law Review. He clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and in the early 1990's, Watson overcame cancer. He served on the original Board of Directors for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and is a former member of the local chapter of the Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society. The father of a juvenile diabetic, he is active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Additionally, he is involved on several other boards, including KLRU (the Austin public TV station best known for Austin City Limits), Ballet Austin, and Community Partnership for the Homeless. He is Chair of the Texas Advisory Board for Environmental Defense and the immediate past Chair of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Born in Oklahoma City, Watson grew up in the Fort Worth area and attended public school in Saginaw, Texas. He has been married for 26 years to Liz McDaniel Watson. They have a 16-year old son, Preston, and a 10-year old son, Cooper.
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Worth Repeating - One In Four Physicians Use E-Mail With Patients

AAOS sent us this article we feel is worth repeating. Study: one in four physicians use e-mail with patients. In its new Physician Survey, the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) finds that one in four of physicians (24 percent)used e-mail to communicate clinical issues with patients in 2004-05. This represents an increase from the 2000-01 figures when one in five doctors used e-mail to communicate clinical issues. 

HSC's Community Tracking Physician Survey attributes the lack of reimbursement for e-mail consultations as a barrier for physician e-mail consultations and the fact that some patients lack Internet and e-mail access. The survey found that HMOs, medical school faculty practices, and group practices of more than 50 physicians reported greater use of e-mail in communicating with patients. [more]
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Bone and Joint Decade National Action Week, Oct. 12-20
  
The United States Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD) web site offers physicians and health care organizations numerous resources to help them increase awareness of National Action Week (NAW), Oct. 12-20. 
The site includes a media tool kit, suggested NAW activities, Bone and Joint Decade background information and data, media strategy and sample press materials. [more]
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