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Arizona Medical Political Action Committee Announces 2020 Endorsements

July 22, 2020 (Phoenix) – The Arizona Medical Political Action Committee (ArMPAC) is pleased to announce its 2020 candidate endorsements for Arizona’s State House of Representatives and Senate. Comprised of physicians across Arizona and led by an 18-member Board of Directors, ArMPAC is a nonpartisan political action committee that supports candidates for office who understand the challenges physicians face today.

“These candidates were thoroughly vetted by our diverse board and we are excited about their promising impact on the direction and changes needed for Arizona’s healthcare,” stated Gary Figge, MD, ArMPAC Board Chair. “Arizona’s physicians care deeply about the effect healthcare policy has on the ability to treat their patients, and this concern is reflected in these outstanding endorsements.”

Incumbent Endorsements Include:

Arizona House of Representatives

• Rep. Daniel Hernandez — LD2
• Rep. Alma Hernandez — LD3
• Rep. Regina Cobb — LD5
• Rep. Thomas “T. J.” Shope — LD8
• Rep. Randall “Randy” Friese, MD — LD9
• Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley — LD9
• Rep. Joanne Osborne — LD13
• Rep. Jeff Weninger — LD17
• Rep. Diego Espinoza — LD19
• Rep. Lorenzo Sierra — LD19
• Rep. John Kavanagh — LD23
• Rep. Amish Shah, MD — LD24
• Rep. Speaker Russell “Rusty” Bowers — LD25
• Rep. Michelle Udall — LD25
• Rep. Kelli Butler — LD28
• Rep. Aaron Lieberman — LD28

Arizona Senate

• Sen. President Karen Fann — LD1
• Sen. Victoria Steele — LD9
• Sen. Vince Leach — LD11
• Sen. Warren Petersen — LD12
• Sen. Sine Kerr — LD13
• Sen. Heather Carter — LD15
• Sen. Sean Bowie — LD18
• Sen. Rick Gray — LD21
• Sen. Tyler Pace — LD25
• Sen. Kate Brophy McGee — LD28

New Candidate Endorsements Include:

Arizona House of Representatives

• Coral Evans — LD6
• Felipe Perez, MD — LD11
• Jarret Hamstreet — LD15
• Lisa Godzich — LD16
• Kathy Knecht — LD21

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About Arizona Medical Political Action Committee

The Arizona Medical Association Political Action Committee (ArMPAC) is the nonpartisan PAC for the Arizona Medical Association, the largest organization in the state representing the interests of physicians. ArMPAC endorses candidates who support Arizona physicians and the patients they care for and is committed to the highest quality of healthcare for all Arizonans. For more information, visit www.ArMPAC.org and follow ArMPAC on Facebook and Twitter.

PPP Extension Act Moves Loan Application Deadline to August 8

On Saturday, President Trump signed the PPP Extension Act into law—extending the application deadline for loans offered through the Paycheck Protection Program to August 8. The program allows small businesses negatively impacted by the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 to request financial assistance directly from the federal government. The original deadline to apply for PPP loans was the night of June 30, but $130 billion still remained out of the $660 billion that had been initially allocated to the fund. Both houses of Congress unanimously approved the extension earlier in the week.

Businesses can use PPP loans for the purpose of payroll, rent, and other vital costs to keep afloat. These federal loans can be forgiven if businesses use at least 60% of the funds on payroll. About $520 billion in loans to almost 5 million small businesses have been distributed since the inception of the program. Controversy erupted last month when it was discovered that several multimillion-dollar corporations had received the maximum of $10 million in loans.

Click here for more.

Medicare Will Now Cover COVID-19 Testing for Nursing Home Residents

Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instructed Medicare Administrative Contactors and notified Medicare Advantage plans to cover COVID-19 diagnostic laboratory tests for nursing home residents and patients. This news comes on the heels of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent update of COVID-19 testing guidelines for nursing homes that provides recommendations for testing residents and patients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, as well as for asymptomatic individuals who have been exposed to the virus. Additionally, original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans will cover COVID-19 lab tests consistent with CDC guidelines.

Medicare Advantage plans must also continue to not charge for cost-sharing (including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance) or apply prior authorization or other utilization management requirements for COVID-19 tests and testing-related services. You can read more about how this news will affect Medicare Advantage plans here.

Click here for more information about Medicare coverage for COVID-19 testing.

URGENT: HHS to Host Webcasts for Physicians on the Application Process for New $15 Billion Relief Fund Money

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched an application portal to distribute $15 billion in CARES Act Provider Relief Fund payments to eligible Medicaid and CHIP physicians & organizations. The payment will be at least two percent of reported gross revenue from patient care, and the final amount will be determined based on submitted data, including the number of Medicaid patients served. Eligible physicians have until July 20, 2020, to submit their application and report other necessary information, such as annual patient revenue data.

Two common questions related to the Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal are…

Why is there a new Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal?

The Portal will initially be used for new submissions from Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers seeking payments under the Provider Relief Fund starting Wednesday, June 10, 2020. At this time, this portal will serve as the point of entry for providers who have received Medicaid and CHIP payments in 2017, 2018, 2019, or 2020 and who have not already received any payments from the $50 billion Provider Relief Fund General Distribution.

What is the difference between the first Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal and the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal for the Medicaid Targeted Distribution?

The first Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal was used for physicians who received a General Distribution payment prior to Friday, April 24th. These physicians were required to submit financial information in order to receive approximately 2% of gross revenues derived from patient care. HHS has developed the new Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal for physicians who did not receive payments under the previous General Distribution, including those physicians who bill Medicaid and CHIP (e.g., pediatricians, long-term care, and behavioral health professionals.)

Upcoming HHS Webcasts

HHS is hosting two webcasts at 2:00 p.m. EST—one set for tomorrow on Tuesday, June 23, and a final webcast on Thursday, June 25⁠—for physicians and other health care professionals who are interested in learning more about the application process. Registration is required! Click on the dates above to be taken to the respective registration pages. More information can also be found on the Provider Relief Fund website.

Governor Ducey Announces Local Officials Can Mandate Face Coverings

On Wednesday afternoon, Governor Ducey announced that Arizona’s mayors are free to mandate face coverings in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The decision, effective immediately, applies to local officials across the state. Previously, the governor was hesitant to allow mayors to enforce such a mandate not in line with statewide policy.

Wednesday’s announcement comes after growing calls from leaders within the healthcare community for the state to take more aggressive action against the virus. Roughly 10,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Arizona Department of Health Services in the last week. Tuesday alone saw a record increase of 2,392 new cases.

In the hours following Governor Ducey’s announcement, the mayors of Phoenix, Tucson, and several other cities said that mandatory face-covering policies were already being considered.

Click here to read more.

Senator Carter Wins Endorsements from Governor Brewer, Greater Phoenix Chamber

Last week, Senator Heather Carter scored two major endorsements from former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

“Senator Heather Carter is one of the most fearless lawmakers when it comes to the pursuit of doing what’s best for Arizona,” the former governor said in a statement. “She is a stalwart defender of good governance which has resulted in balanced state budgets, $1 billion rainy-day fund, and reinvestment in critical state programs that benefit children and the most vulnerable.”

Arizona’s physician and patient communities need a champion like Senator Carter in office now more than ever. Visit voteheathercarter.com to help the cause and click here to read the full news release on Governor Brewer’s endorsement.

Nearly Half of Americans Are Delaying Medical Care Due to the Pandemic

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 48% of Americans said they or a family member has skipped or delayed medical care because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and 11% of them said the person’s condition worsened as a result of the delayed care. Medical groups have noted a sharp drop-off in emergency patients across the country. Some, including the American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association, have publicly urged people concerned about their health to seek care.

According to the poll, nearly 7 in 10 of those who had skipped seeing a medical professional expect to get care in the next three months. Unfortunately for many physicians, patients are not returning to the doctor’s office fast enough. Physicians of all kinds, and particularly those who own and operate their own private practices, are struggling to survive as the downturn in patient visits continues to create overwhelming financial hardships.

For the full story, click here.

AzAAP Launches “Back to the Office” Campaign as Pediatrician Visits Plummet

Up to 80% of Arizona’s children are not seeing their pediatrician right now, according to findings released by the Arizona chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AzAAP. As a result, AzAAP is launching its “Back to the Office” campaign to boost the number of children checking in with their local pediatrician, even if it is done virtually. The American Academy of Pediatrics launched its own “Call Your Pediatrician!” campaign earlier this week.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in Arizona has not only disrupted immunization schedules but also delayed children from receiving the care they need for ongoing health problems. Doctors are seeing flare-ups of asthma, diabetes, and other chronic conditions because of missed visits, says Dr. Sean Elliott, a Tucson pediatrician and member of the academy. Delayed or skipped newborn health checkups, which might include screenings for jaundice and failure to thrive, can pose life-or-death risks for an infant.

Elliott, an infectious-disease specialist, says pediatricians are also seeing an increase in the number of children and teens needing professional help for pandemic-related mental-health problems brought on by stress, fear, and social isolation.

For more on this story, click here.