Welcome to the IOMA Website
The Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association is a voice for osteopathic physicians in Iowa. There are over 1,000 osteopathic physicians licensed in Iowa. There are approximately 61,000 D.O.s in the United States practicing in all areas of medicine from neurology to sports medicine to dermatology to emergency medicine.
As complete physicians, D.O.s are able to prescribe medication and perform surgery. In addition, D.O.s have added training in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), a hands-on treatment tool that they can use to diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. OMT can be used in conjunction with and sometimes in place of medication or surgery to restore mobility and function.
The Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association is located at 950 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa. The phone number is 515-283-0002 and fax is 515-283-0355.
| 6th Annual e-Health Summit The 6th Annual Iowa e-Health Summit is set for Thursday, August 5, at The Meadows Events and Conference Center. The event is sponsored by IFMC, the Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (HITREC) for Iowa. The theme of the Summit is Meaningful Use - Not If, When? and will focus on the national meaningful use initiative. The Summit will also highlight the clinical value, current status and statewide vision for e-health initiatives to improve health care for Iowans. |
| EHR Selection: Tips for Choosing Webinar by IFMC Health IT Regional Extension Center. |
| Updated Information on Medicare Payments More information has been released regarding the 2.2% update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payment rate through the new law signed by President Obama last week. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has directed its contractors to discontinue processing claims at the negative rate and to temporarily hold all claims for services rendered 6/1/10 and later until the new 2.2% update rates are tested and loaded into the Medicare contractors' claims processing systems. CMS expects to begin processing claims at the new rates no later than 7/1/10; claims for services rendered prior to 6/1/10, will continue to be processed and paid as usual, while claims that were paid reflecting the previous 21.3% cut will be reprocessed as soon as possible. Physicians should not resubmit claims already submitted to their Medicare contractor. Information reported from the 6/30/10 AOA Daily Report. |
| Update on Red Flags Rule As previously reported, the American Osteopathic Association joined with the American Medical Association last month to file a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to challenge application of the “Red Flags Rule” to physicians. After the lawsuit was filed, the FTC, at the request of Congress, announced it would delay enforcement of the rule until 12/31/10. Now, the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia has issued a joint stipulation, which provides that the FTC will not pursue enforcement of the rule against physician members of the AOA and AMA until after the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, reviews a trial court decision about enforcement of the rule against law firms. In other words, if the FTC elects to pursue enforcement of “Red Flags” after 12/31/10, it still cannot enforce the rule against physicians until after the appellate court’s decision. |
