The California Medical Association (CMA) Center for Economic Services (CES) has now recouped $12 million from payors on behalf of CMA member physicians. These monies, recovered over the last six years, represent actual physician reimbursements that would have likely gone unpaid without the intervention of the CES team.

Founded in 1999, CES provides CMA members with one-on-one assistance for billing, contracting and payment problems. With more than 125 years of combined medical practice operations experience, CES staff helps members with issues ranging from underpayment or denials by payors to assisting with contract analysis during negotiations. Assistance from CES also includes education on how to increase practice efficiency and direct intervention with payors or regulators. This support is reserved exclusively for CMA members.

In 2016, the CES team is continuing its support of local office manager forums and county medical society outreach programs by conducting in-person educational seminars throughout the state. Seminar titles include “Contract Renegotiations: How to Get Past "No" with a Payor,” “Getting Paid: A Physicians Guide to Taking Charge of Accounts Receivable,” and “CMA Presents Medicare Updates.” If you are interested in attending one of these seminars, contact your local county medical society to request they host one.

CES also provides physicians and their staff with access to an invaluable newsletter – CMA Practice Resources (CPR). CPR is a free monthly bulletin from CMA’s practice management experts that focuses on critical payor and health industry changes and how they directly impact the business of a physician practice. Each issue includes tips on reimbursement and contracting related issues along with information on the latest practice management news.

Anyone who would benefit from a free subscription can sign up on the CMA website.

For practice management tools and other online assistance, see the CMA Practice Management page.