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Blue Shield to significantly cut reimbursement of E/M services billed with modifier 25 and will no longer pay consult codes

Blue Shield of California recently notified physicians of two upcoming changes to the payor’s policies. Effective July 14, 2024, Blue Shield will no longer reimburse for face-to-face consultation services (CPT codes 99242-99245 or 99252-99255). Additionally, the notice states it is changing its Global Surgical Period Payment Policy, which will significantly reduce reimbursement for evaluation and management (E/M) services billed with modifier 25.     Consultation Codes Blue Shield is the latest payor to announce it will no longer reimburse consultation services. Consultation services, including telehealth consults, previously represented by CPT codes 99242-99245 and 99252-99255 ...

Honorable Senate President Pro Term Mike McGuire to Keynote CMA Legislation Day

The California Medical Association (CMA) is honored to announce that Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire will be our featured speaker at CMA's 50th Legislative Advocacy Day, happening on April 10, 2024, in Sacramento! Register now to receive hands-on experience and learn the essentials of advocating for your patients and profession. About Our Speaker The President pro Tempore of the California State Senate is the presiding officer of the Senate. They are elected by their fellow senators and serve as the Senate's leader in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor. Senator McGuire ...

Congress Fails to Stop Entire Medicare Physician Payment Cut

As Congress prepares to pass legislation that reverses only half of the 3.37% Medicare physician payment cut implemented on January 1, 2024, the California Medical Association (CMA) is exasperated that for the fourth straight year physicians will face a payment cut. The cut totals 1.68% but coupled with medical inflation, physicians will experience a devastating 6% real cut in 2024. “While CMA appreciates the support from many lawmakers in Congress, this legislation will continue the staggering ‘death by a thousand cuts’ that Congress has allowed for the last two decades,” said CMA president Tanya W. ...

CMA Joins Governor Newsom in Prop 1 Campaign for Mental Health

The California Medical Association (CMA) is proud to announce its support for Proposition 1, which will appear on the March 2024 ballot and aims to expand mental health and addiction services for Californians, in part by securing funding for the training and education of more mental health professionals. CMA—represented by Executive Committee member Jack Chou, M.D.—today joined Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, along with a coalition of health organizations and community groups in Los Angeles for a press conference in support of Prop. 1. "As a ...

Register now for CMA's 50th Legislative Advocacy Day!

Event: CMA Legislative Advocacy Day  Date: April 10 Location: Sacramento, CA  The Santa Clara County Medical Association (SCCMA) has reserved a bus that will depart the SCCMA office in San Jose on Wednesday morning to go to Sacramento and return in the late afternoon after the last scheduled legislative meeting. If you would like to reserve a spot on the bus, please email SCCMA Governance and Advocacy Associate, Emily Coren at emily@sccma.org.   Reserve your spot for the California Medical Association’s (CMA) 50th Legislative Advocacy Day, happening on April 10, 2024, in Sacramento! Click here to register now to receive ...