Vital Signs This Week
July 17, 2015
State Budget Targets Opioid Addiction Prevention and Treatment; Gov. Baker Requests Additional $28 Million to Fight Epidemic
Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday signed the state’s $38 billion fiscal year 2016 budget into law this week. The plan provides $111 million for substance abuse prevention and treatment. 
 
The budget includes several provisions that the MMS has long supported, including requiring pharmacies to report within 24 hours when they dispense federally controlled substances. The current requirement is seven days. It also contains a provision directing the DPH to conduct a root-cause analysis of opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts.
 
 “We thank Massachusetts legislators and Gov. Baker for their work on this comprehensive budget with important resources to fight opioid addiction ,” said MMS President Dennis M. Dimitri, MD. “The state’s physicians will continue to work closely with public officials to combat the opioid overdose epidemic in Massachusetts.”
 
Shortly after signing the budget into law, Gov. Baker proposed an additional $28 million to combat addiction in a supplemental appropriations filing. The proposed funding includes $15.2 million for DPH substance abuse services; $5.8 million to move women jailed for substance abuse problems into hospital care; $3.8 million for school-based substance abuse prevention; and $3 million for MassHealth substance abuse treatment and prevention. The state legislature must approve Baker’s proposals before they can move forward.
 
In May, the MMS launched its own comprehensive program to educate physicians, other prescribers and the public.  Read more about the MMS campaign here. 
 
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MMS Testifies in Strong Support of Legislation to Regulate E-Cigarettes
This week, MMS officials offered testimony before the legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Health in strong support of several proposed bills that would control tobacco products and protect the health of minors, including bills that would ensure tobacco products were not marketed to youth, require child-resistant packaging for liquid nicotine products, and ban the sale of all tobacco products to anyone under 21 years of age.
 
Stephen Epstein, MD, a physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, said: "We know that nicotine is a very addictive, harmful substance, but who knows what else is in this stuff? We think the public has a right to know." Read details about the bills and MMS testimony here.

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Help Available to MMS Members with Claims Problems
The MMS regional offices are hosting annual Individual Claims Consultation Days, which are in-person troubleshooting sessions that are designed to allow MMS members and their practice staff to schedule 30-minute appointment with Massachusetts major payers to focus on adjudication of troublesome claims. Upcoming sessions are scheduled in Holyoke, Lakeville and Waltham.  Information and registration available here.
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Benefit Buzz: Open Enrollment for Legal Advisory Plan
There is still time to renew or enroll in the Legal Advisory Plan for July 2015 through July 2016. This valuable benefit provides enrolled members with legal assistance in the event of a Board of Registration in Medicine complaint or investigation. This is a service developed exclusively for MMS members. Don’t miss your opportunity to take advantage of it. Learn more here. 
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Live CME Activities 
Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at MMS headquarters, 860 Winter St., Waltham, MA
 
 
Patient Experience Certificate Program
Wednesday, September 30 and Tuesday, October 27, 2015
 
 
 
Managing Workplace Conflict
Thursday, November 19 and Friday, November 20, 2015
 
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
 
Featured Online CME Activities – Risk Management Credit
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
For additional risk management online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme.
Children's Hospital Plans to Expand in Boston, Waltham
 
Boston Children's Hospital plans to add 48 beds to its outpatient facility in Waltham as it pursues a $1.5 billion expansion and renovation of its Massachusetts facilities to meet growing patient demand.
 
Lynn Group Tries to Nurse Union Back to Health
 
Whatever happens with Partners HealthCare's plans for Union Hospital, it was apparent Wednesday night that it won't be without a fight from the citizens of Lynn.
 
Maureen Chung Takes Reins at Southcoast's Breast Care Program

Chung, with offices in Fall River and Dartmouth, is performing surgery at Charlton Memorial Hospital. She said she joined Southcoast because its "culture of caring" was in line with her own thinking and goals.
 
Insurers Asked to Improve Health Cost Websites
 
The state's three biggest health insurers are doing a mediocre job of meeting a state requirement to give consumers estimates of what their care will cost, according to the advocacy group Health Care for All.
 
State Eyes Ways to Reduce Churn Among MassHealth Enrollees

State Medicaid officials are looking at ways to reduce "churn" among enrollees of  the six main managed care organizations that serve MassHealth patients.
 
Medical Device Makers Paid Millions to Doctors, Hospitals

Massachusetts pharmaceutical and medical device makers paid out more than $500 million to doctors and research hospitals in 2014, according to newly released data by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.
 
Official: Mosquito-borne Illnesses Could Hit Mass. “Anytime Now”

If 2015 turns out to be a typical year for mosquito-borne diseases, positive cases should start turning up "anytime now," according to a state veterinarian who said a gap remains in understanding the annual cycle of the deadly eastern equine encephalitis.  Related news: Mosquito Control Agencies Already Hard at Work  and  First Case of West Nile Virus Detected in Massachusetts Mosquito
 
Report: Suicide Rates Climbing Among Bristol County Men

Bristol County's middle-aged white men are dying, by suicide, more often on average than their peers across the state.
 
Advocates Want To Screen  All Public School Students for Substance Use

Eight Massachusetts schools are now testing the screening process, and starting this fall seven more districts will do so.
 
Hampden County Scores High for Kindergarten School Vaccination Rates
 
According to the most recent immunization data from the website of the Health and Human Services, Hampden is the only county in Western Massachusetts to reach the percentage of kindergartners completing their series of required vaccinations to provide community immunity.
 
Brockton Grocery and Health Clinic Team to Deliver Better Health
 
An unusual partnership — a grocery store and a community health center, sitting right next door, sharing a mission — may be able to solve a problem neither could tackle alone
 
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