Skip to Navigation

Featured News

Dec
26

CMS Announces Decision on Coverage of Obesity Counseling

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced primary care physicians will now be able to bill Medicare for obesity behavioral counseling services provided to beneficiaries with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. CMS estimates more than 30 percent of the Medicare population will qualify for the new benefit beginning on January 1, 2012.

Dec
22

Congress Reaches Deal on Temporary SGR Extension

According to multiple news sources, Congress has reached a last-minute compromise that will avert the 27.4 percent cut in Medicare physician payment that would have gone through Jan. 1, 2012.

The U.S. House of Representatives agreed to vote on and pass the Senate tax bill, which will provide a two-month extension of the Medicare physician payment rate as well as a two-month extension of Social Security payroll tax cuts and federal unemployment benefits.

Oct
29

NJAFP Calls Attention to Developing Primary Care Desert

What began as a concern raised by the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians (NJAFP), has escalated to a state-wide problem receiving national attention. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has concurred with New Jersey's designation as a "Distressed Practice Environment" and has expressed a willingness to research and support strategies for addressing this plight.

Sep
13

NJAFP Represented at AAFP Congress of Delegates

The NJAFP is well-represented at the American Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates in Orlando.  Specifically, our issues were front and center at the Town Hall meeting held on Sunday night. Attended by approximately 300 family physician leaders from across the country, one of the major topics discussed was the concept of "distressed practice environments," which the NJAFP originally introduced to the AAFP.

Sep
1

Information on Vaccine Spoilage as a Result of Hurricane Irene

As much of NJ continues to clean up after Irene, many members have asked the NJAFP for advice on dealing with vaccine spoilage.  We recommend that members with this concern begin by making a log of the product, the amount, and the lot numbers/expiration dates. Then contact the manufacturer's national service center to confirm that their vaccines are no longer viable and to ascertain the manufacturer's individual emergency procedures.

Aug
13

NJAFP Galvanizes Community and Physician Support for the NJMS Department of Family Medicine

The NJAFP has learned that the Department of Family Medicine at New Jersey Medical School is in jeopardy of being terminated as an independent department, or closed entirely.  While we are concerned that at a time when New Jersey citizens, particularly those citizens in in the greater Newark community, face the prospect of our state becoming a primary care desert, the university would consider closing the only department whose sole mission is the production of the exact primary care physicians so critical to the health of our state now and in the future, we recognize that the support o

Aug
13

Physician Practices Make Significant Economic Impact on NJ Economy

NJAFP, in partnership with other medical specialty societies in New Jersey, funded an economic impact study on private medical practice in the state.  The report estimates there are approximately 9,100 private practice physicians' offices employing nearly 70,000 medical professionals and other staff in New Jersey as of 2009.  In addition to providing vital healthcare services, the ongoing annual expenditures associated with operating private practices result in significant annual economic and fiscal benefits to the state's economy.

Apr
26

NJAFP Petitions AAFP Board to Withdraw From RUC

The RUC, or the AMA Relative Value Scale Update Committee, makes annual recommendations regarding new and revised physician services to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and performs broad reviews of the RBRVS every five years. In short, it provides support to CMS in determining physician payment schedules. Late last month, the NJAFP board sent a letter to the AAFP board encouraging them to publicly withdraw from the RUC.

Apr
18

Participate in NJAFP Summer Celebration Through Social Media Portal

For the third year in a row, NJAFP's Summer Celebration and Scientific Assembly will give you a higher level of participation, input and interaction than ever before, with a fully-integrated, new and improved SOCIAL MEDIA program during the entire gathering.

Last year, NJAFP members - and family physicians from across America -  participated in live video webcasting and blogging from our House of Delegates, townhall meeting and keynote address.  Comments were lively and provocative and the conversations helped move discussion forward.

Feb
14

Help AAFP and NJAFP help you.

The AAFP has created a new tool to gather information on member preferences in an attempt to more closely track the needs of members in terms of products, services and actions of the Academy. The Member Census tool is designed to gather information about individual members so the Academy can

Syndicate content