Resources & Links

Legislative/Bill Tracking

New Web Site for Accessing California Legislative Information

Communicating with Lawmakers:

Find Your Lawmakers:

Communicating with Intermediaries and Carriers:

Medicare contracts cover the rights and obligations of Intermediaries, Carriers, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requests for action or information not specifically authorized by such contracts should not be made. Any questions in this regard should be addressed to the Office of Internal Customer Support, Acquisition and Grants Group, Division of Medicare Contractors. Email to: OICS-AGG-DMC@HCFA.GOV

Understanding MICRA: Facts and Basics

CMA Legislative Hot List Updates

View it online at http://www.cmanet.org.
CMA’s Legislative Hot List provides a summary and current status of CMA-sponsored bills, as well as the progress of other significant legislation followed by CMA’s Center for Government Relations. The hot list represents only a small sampling of the hundreds bills CMA is following this year. For the current status or more information on a specific bill, please contact the appropriate lobbyist identified at the end of each bill summary by e-mail or by calling CMA’s Center for Government Relations at 916/444-5532.
View the Hot List

Urology Organizations:

Advocacy Sites:

Health Insurance Company Quality Rating System

Practice Management Sites:

Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF) spearheads the California Technology Assessment Forum (CTAF), which was established to assess new and emerging medical technology. CTAF is one of the preeminent independent medical technology assessment organizations in the country. A multidisciplinary group of medical providers, researchers, ethicists, and consumer advocates work to discuss and formulate positions on the safety and effectiveness of new and emerging technologies. Approximately 15 new technologies are reviewed each year, including devices, procedures and diagnostics.

CTAF uses the following criteria in its assessment process: 1) the technology must have final approval from the appropriate government regulatory bodies; 2) the scientific evidence must permit conclusions concerning the effectiveness of the technology regarding health outcomes; 3) the technology must improve net health outcomes; 4) the technology must be as beneficial as any established alternative(s); and 5) the improvement must be attainable outside the investigational setting.

EHR Resources

CMS’ Meaningful Use Attestation Guide
CMS MLN Matters article on the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Payment Process
FAQs: EHR Incentives
Meaningful use final incentive rule

Visit the ONC Health IT Web site for more information regarding the new EHR incentives and “meaningful use” requirements

California Technology Assessment Forum

Government Sites:

CMS
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Office of Inspector Genenral
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Home Page
Including: About HHS, HHS Agencies on the Internet, News & Public Affairs, What’s New, Research Data, Policy, Topic Index
Office of Personnel Management
Information for Federal employees — new legislation, job availability, retirement, pay schedules and more.
The Social Security Administration
Departmental Appeals Board Home Page
Decisions search form, Practice Manual, appeals guidelines, governing regulations, Alternative Dispute Resolution Service.
GRANTSNet (HHS)
Information on HHS and other grants.
THOMAS
Legislative information on the Internet.
White House Federal Briefing Room: Health Statistics
This site contains statistical health information updated on a monthly basis. Topics include: Vital Statistics, Use of Health Services, Prevention and Risk, Health Status, Reportable Diseases, and Health Care Expenditures.
FedWorld
One-stop location for U.S. Government information including: U.S. Government information servers, recent Government reports, FedWorld FTP site with more than 10,000 files, FedWorld Telnet site with detailed information from over 50 agencies.
.HHS Office of the Inspector General The DHHS Data Council (DDC)
Information on the activities of the Department’s Internal advisory group on data policy, including national health data standards.
The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS)
Information on the activities of the Department’s External advisory committee on data policy, including national health data standards.
YAHOO: Government: Agencies: Executive Branch
Links to Executive Branch agencies.