GOVERNOR ISSUES PROCLAMATION
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL NURSE PRACTITIONER WEEK
Senator King Speaks on Senate Floor in Support of Expanding Base of Opioid Treatment Professionals:
"Nurse Practitioners are unsung heroes."
"Nurse practitioners deliver life-saving treatment services in the fight against opioid addiction, particularly in rural counties. I spoke on the Senate floor
to encourage my colleagues to amend a recent opioid bill to give nurse practitioners the authority to provide medically-assisted treatment to those suffering from addiction."
view video by clicking here
SAVE THE DATE
MNPA Annual Spring Conference 2019
April 24, 25, 26, 2019
Point Lookout, Lincolnville, Maine
Health Home Applications Opening Monday, November 12, 2018
The Health Home program is a vital component of Maine’s Value-Based Purchasing strategy, a multi-pronged MaineCare initiative designed to improve the healthcare system, improve population health, and reduce cost. Health Home practices partner with Community Care Teams and Behavioral Health Home organizations to serve MaineCare members with chronic physical conditions and mental health needs. Participating practices receive a per member, per month payment to provide Health Home services. Both adults and children may be enrolled in the Health Home program.
- Applications open Monday, November 12, 2018 and close Friday, December 7, 2018. Practices with more than one location must complete a separate application for each location. To access the online application on or after November 12, please see the Health Home Application January 2019 Implementation.
- Practices that apply and qualify will be able to participate in Health Homes as of January 21, 2019. To review current MaineCare policy for Health Home Services, please see the MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 91: Health Home Services.
- A webinar for interested primary care providers will be held on Friday, November 30, 2018 at 12:00 PM. To register for the webinar, please send your organization’s name, participant name, phone, and email address to the Value-Based Purchasing Unit.
- Additional information about the Health Home programs and a PDF of the Health Home application can be found at MaineCare's Value-Based Purchasing website.
New
A Prescriber’s Guide to the New Medicare Part D Opioid Overutilization Policies for 2019
This MLN Matters Special Edition Article is intended for physicians and other prescribers who prescribe
opioid medications to patients with a Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit
New
2019 Medicare Part D Opioid Policies: Information for Prescribers
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized new opioid policies for Medicare drug plans
starting on January 1, 2019. Providers are in the best position to identify and manage potential opioid
overutilization in the Medicare Part D population. The new policies include improved safety alerts when opioid
prescriptions are dispensed at the pharmacy and drug management programs for patients determined to be
at-risk for misuse or abuse of opioids or other frequently abused drugs.
Licensing Boards Issue New Joint Rule Chapter 21 re: Opioid Prescribing
(from "Maine Medicine Weekly Update")
Most significantly, the Joint Rule requires the use and documentation of Universal Precautions in prescribing controlled substances. The precautions including conducting a risk assessment to minimize the potential for adverse effects, abuse, misuse, diversion, addiction and overdose, developing a treatment plan, obtaining informed consent, employing a treatment agreement, monitoring, and creating and maintaining adequate medical records to document compliance. There are appropriate exceptions for emergency situations which MMA requested in comments filed on the rule in 2017. The definition of a "medical emergency" is defined in Section 2 of the rule.
The Rule clarifies the obligation of licensees when illegal acts occur and cross references the CDC Guidelines for prescribing opioids issued in 2016 (CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain- United States, 2016).
For more details, click here.
Are you interested in Integrative Healthcare?
MNPA member Kathy Coleman, ANP is a member of the Integrative Wellness Council of Maine. She welcome's participation in the council's work from other NPs. Please check out the website. ContactTisha Bremner, council chair, t[email protected], or Meneah Haworth, [email protected] for more info.
http://integrativewellnessme.com/
The Integrative Wellness Council of Maine is a group of like-minded medical providers and holistic health practitioners who are joining together in an opportunity to network and create a platform for continued community support and education of the ways in which complementary and alternative therapies may help our patients, clients, and students lead healthy, well, and whole live.
We would love to see more APRNs involved with the Integrative Wellness Council of Maine!
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