FW: Week in Review (February 9, 2012)

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From: The American Chiropractic Association [mailto:memberinfo@...] Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 3:54 PMvsaboe@...Subject: Week in Review (February 9, 2012) Having trouble viewing this email? Click here CTOP Stories Still Time to Register for " Ultimate Head, Shoulder and Neck Symposium " ACA's " Ultimate Head, Shoulder and Neck Symposium " will officially kick off Saturday morning, Feb. 18, at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. This highly anticipated event will feature the presidents of ACA's councils discussing clinical nutrition, sports injuries and physical fitness, chiropractic pediatrics, orthopedics and more. DCs will have the opportunity to learn from the profession's most distinguished chiropractic specialists while earning as many as 16 continuing education units (CEUs) for an extremely low price. Adding to the overall value of this event, registrants will receive a complimentary breakfast both days, admission to ACA's president's reception on Saturday night and a free USB flash drive containing presentation handouts. These leading professionals' combined knowledge and experience will ensure that this symposium equips participants with the tools and resources needed to implement new and improved chiropractic services into their practices. Register today for the best continuing education opportunity of 2012!On-site registration also available. Use your e-mail address to login to Members' Only sections of ACA's Website. Forgot your password? Update your account information Join ChiroVoice.org ACA and Summit Partners Will Present Unified Voice to Congress For 37 years, hundreds of doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic students from across the country have gathered in Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress to discuss crucial chiropractic issues. The 2012 National Chiropractic Legislative Conference (NCLC), taking place next week, provides DCs the opportunity to advocate for the profession and work toward establishing chiropractic's role in health care reform. ACA is joined this year by the Chiropractic Summit--41 organizations, includ­ing ACA, the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations and the International Chiropractors Association--in hosting the conference. ACA's collaboration with its Summit partners will ensure that the chiropractic profession speaks to lawmakers in a clear, unified voice. This year's theme, " The Power of Cultural Authority: Staying Essential in Health Care Reform, " will explore the challenges facing the profession as implementation of the health care reform law continues at the national and state levels. Enhancing the chiropractic profession's cultural authority and placing individual DCs on key state committees will set the stage for full chiropractic inclusion as the law's provisions are put into place around the country. ACA looks forward to seeing everyone next week as the profession once again educates our nation's leaders about the benefits of chiropractic and its essential role in the healthcare system. Your Action Needed on Loan Repayment Bill As part of the Access to Frontline Health Care Act (H.R. 531), DCs who practice in underserved areas would be eligible for student loan repayment. Introduced by Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), H.R. 531 would create a new loan repayment program for frontline health care providers. Specifically, " frontline providers " would be defined as those who agree to practice in designated underserved areas for at least two years. To increase the likelihood that the bill will be passed, we need your local member of Congress to sign on as a cosponsor of H.R. 531. Use ACA's Legislative Action Center to contact your representative in the U.S. House and urge support. PQRS: What You Need to Know About Participating in 2012 Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), participation in Medicare's Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), previously known as PQRI, will be mandatory starting in 2015. However, PLEASE NOTE that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently ruled that providers not successfully/satisfactorily participating in PQRS by the 2013 reporting period (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2013), will have their Medicare reimbursement decreased by 1.5 percent beginning in 2015, and 2 percent in 2016. Therefore, the 2012 reporting period is the last opportunity providers have to voluntarily participate in PQRS and learn how to report successfully/satisfactorily while incentives are still offered and their Medicare reimbursement is not subject to penalties.If you have never participated in PQRS, you may not know where to begin. To get started, review ACA's 2012 PQRS Guidebook, which provides step-by-step information on quality reporting. If you have any questions, contact gr@.... CMS Provider Call on PQRS & eRx Claims-Based Reporting The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and Electronic Prescribing National Provider Call on Claims-Based Reporting for physicians and their office staff on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 1:30-3 p.m. EST. CMS experts will provide an overview on claims-based reporting for both programs. To register, click here. Feeling Lucky? ACA-PAC Drawing Next Week! ACA-PAC will give away three prizes at this year's National Chiropractic Legislative Conference (NCLC) in Washington, D.C. (Feb. 14-19). Raffle participants have the opportunity to walk away with a 3-D television, Apple iPad 2 or American Express gift card! Help support the only political action committee dedicated to supporting pro-chiropractic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Enter now in order to participate in the prize giveaway drawing!Special Thanks to NCLC's Sponsors and Vendors ACA would like to thank all of the sponsors and vendors participating in next week's 2012 National Chiropractic Legislative Conference. Their contributions are vital to the success of this event each year. Learn more about the sponsors and vendors that are participating here. In The Media Huffington Post Mentions DCs' Eligibility for IHS Loan Repayment Program This week, a Huffington Post article talked about the recent inclusion of DCs, naturopathic doctors and acupuncturists in the Indian Health Service's (IHS) student loan repayment program. The article goes on to mention that two tribes requested the addition of chiropractic care to the program. For details about the program and how to apply, visit http://www.ihs.gov/JobsCareerDevelop/DHPS/lrp. ACA Education Free Webinar Next Week! ACA will host its first free webinar of 2012 on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. EST. Participants of this ACA member benefit will learn how to create a patient care plan. To register, click here or visit www.acatoday.org/webinars. Specialty Councils Council on Occupational Health Releases Latest Newsletter ACA's Council on Occupational Health released its newsletter, Occupational Health Briefs, earlier this week. This edition offers a variety of information on council events, continuing education opportunities and a letter from council president Brown, DC. Read the full edition here. For more information on ACA's specialty councils, visit www.acatoday.org/Councils Deadline for DABCI Exam Applications (3/15 preferred) Spring ACA Rehab Council 12th Annual Educational SymposiumMarch 30-April 1 Council on Diagnostic Imaging Symposium April 21-22 Member Benefits and Products ACA's 2012 Coding Manual Has Arrived! ACA members looking for the most up-to-date coding, reimbursement, Medicare and E/M information need look no further! ACA's 2012 Chiropractic Coding and Compliance Manual has finally arrived. With updated information on CMS services, template appeal letters, ICD-10 information, ICD-9 codes and more, ACA is confident that the 2012 manual will help any practice save time and money and avoid headaches. ORDER YOURS TODAY!With each purchase you make on ShopACA.com, you help ACA implement new initiatives that benefit the profession. Thank you for your support! ACA Members Receive 15% Discount on BodyZone Posture Tools BodyZone is a leading provider of educational resources, software programs and products for posture rehab, biomechanics and exercises that DCs can use to coach patients on healthier living.Since 2000, BodyZone has trained wellness professionals to build posture practices on fundamental concepts that raise patient awareness and teach appropriate rehabilitation exercise techniques. ACA members can receive a 15% discount on Posture Practice tools and CPEP certification. Learn more about BodyZone here. Staying Fit as You Age Some patients feel it gets harder to exercise as they age. Seniors benefit greatly from an exercise regimen. Teach your patients how to develop a sustainable plan for an exercise program with an ACA Healthy Living Patient Fact Sheet. Event Marketing Meets Social Media A well-balanced marketing plan includes external events. Utilizing social media to market such events gives you valuable exposure. Learn more in the February ACA News business and practice feature. Diagnostic Imaging Evaluation in Suspected Pediatric Lumbar Spondylolysis This column discusses how a doctor of chiropractic might utilize the literature to effectively deal with a third-party provider that denies an examination for a patient. Read on...Welcome Aboard New Corporate Members! Please see our directory for a complete list of affinity, endorsed and corporate members. www.acatoday.org/partners Forward emailThis email was sent to vsaboe@... by memberinfo@... | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.The American Chiropractic Association | 1701 Clarendon Blvd. | Arlington | VA | 22209