The Show-Me-State Update is your source for the latest news and information impacting the medical community. Time-sensitive information and requests related to healthcare, advocacy issues, and professional development opportunities from MAFP are included.

October 2024 – MAFP News & Events

FHFM Silent Auction Silent Auction Fundraiser

Don’t miss our auction supporting the Family Health Foundation of Missouri (FHFM). The FHFM supports family medicine residents and students as they train to become our future family physicians. Online bidding starts a week before the conference and continues during the event. Consider donating an item to support a great cause—find out more at moafp.formstack.com/forms/auction.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and Their Long-Term Impact into Adulthood Recording Available

The MAFP hosted a virtual webinar on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and Their Long-Term Impact into Adulthood from Jay Lee, MD, MPH, FAAFP from Jay Lee, MD, MPH, FAAFP as part of a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics.  You can view the 2-hour webinar,  scroll through the slides, or access the other resources available on the MAFP webpage.  Please note that no CME is available for this webinar.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $3,700,000 with no percentage financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the US government.

Preceptor Tax Credits Available – Deadline January 31, 2025

As we come to a close of 2024, don’t forget to apply for the Preceptor Tax Credit before January 31, 2025.  Eligibility, application information, tax credit issuance, and other information is available online.  The MAFP supported the passage of this legislation to increase the number of medical student and physician assistant preceptors in the state.

Medical Compact Announcement

The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (Compact) offers an expedited pathway to licensure for qualified physicians who wish to practice in multiple states. Through the Compact, an eligible physician can apply for separate and full licenses in any or all states that are participants in the Compact. The State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts has been actively engaged with other state entities and the Compact Commission to address foreseeable issues in order to integrate existing procedures and to ensure a smooth rollout for Missouri physicians as well as physicians seeking licensure in Missouri. The Board anticipates activating the Compact on October 28, 2024.  For those seeking additional information on eligibility and the application process, the Compact website can be found at https://www.imlcc.org/

Register for Final Virtual CME of the Year

The last session is on October 17: “Primary Care Dermatology in Skin of Color” from Winfred Frazier, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Members are encouraged to visit www.mo-afp.org/cme-events/virtual-cme to register for and view information from the virtual CME sessions that have already been delivered.

Recorded sessions with videos and informational slides are available on previous sessions, including MAFP 2024 Advocacy and Legislative Review, Harm Reduction Strategies for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder, Coronary CT in Chest Pain: A Paradigm Shift, A Comprehensive Guide to STD Management, and How Sick Are Your Patients? Reflecting Patient Disease Burden Using the HCC Risk Adjustment Model. CME can only be claimed by those who pre-register and view these sessions Live.

MAFP Seeks Authors for Magazine

The Missouri Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) is accepting articles for its 2025 issues of the Missouri Family Physician, a quarterly magazine with a print and digital distribution of more than 2,200 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical student members in Missouri.  Please review the Article Submission Form for details on the accepted article types, eligibility criteria, and contribution guidelines. Space is limited, and articles will be accepted at the editorial team’s discretion on a first-come-first-served basis.  Please contact Bill Plank (bplank@mo-afp.org) with questions or for additional information.

AAFP Request for Commission Nominations

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has released its Request for Nominations for AAFP Commissions, the AAFP Delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA), and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Director.

At the December 2024 meeting, the AAFP Board of Directors will fill 35 commission vacancies, including five Chapter staff positions on eight AAFP commissions, five AMA Delegation positions created by expiring terms of members, and five nominees to be submitted for consideration of appointment to the ABFM for its Board of Directors.

Missouri members interested in applying must contact Kathy Pabst (kpabst@mo-afp.org) before applying for a support letter. The deadline for commission nomination submission is October 15. Members can use online application forms for the commissions, the AAFP AMA Delegation, and the ABFM Director nomination process.

The AAFP is working with lawmakers to secure positive, inflation-based annual updates for Medicare physician payment, They are also advocating for a payment system that enables family physicians to invest in practice transformation and adopt alternative payment models — something that is out of reach for most primary care practices given the long history of undervalued payment for primary care.  Without reform, the current Medicare payment system will further destabilize primary care practices, accelerate consolidation, and erode the primary care physician workforce.

AAFP and MAFP Call for Regulatory Reform This Fall

The Medicare program is essential in helping millions of people access comprehensive, continuous primary care. However, Medicare physician payment declined 29% between 2001 and 2024, when adjusted for inflation.  While the 2025 Medicare physician fee schedule proposed rule includes some proposals to strengthen primary care, its 2.8% reduction in the Medicare conversion factor once again highlights the urgent need for congressional action to ensure that physician payments keep up with the costs of running a practice. Read the AAFP’s response to the 2025 MPFS proposed rule.  MAFP’s comments are available by emailing kpabst@mo-afp.org.

The AAFP is working with lawmakers to secure positive, inflation-based annual updates for Medicare physician payment with an annual inflation-based payment update tied to the Medicare Economic Index.  Without reform, the current Medicare payment system will further destabilize primary care practices, accelerate consolidation, and erode the primary care physician workforce.

The AAFP supports efforts to improve maternal health outcomes and address significant shortcomings in holistic, comprehensive care through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum services. However, we are concerned that without further tailoring of the requirements, small and rural hospitals may experience undue burdens while they continue to struggle to meet the need for maternity care services in underserved communities.

Family Physicians Disappointed by Non-compete Injunction

The AAFP is disappointed in a federal court injunction to block the Federal Trade Commission’s final rule to promote competition by banning non-competes nationwide. As noted in our support for the proposal, noncompete agreements in health care employment impede patient access to care and disrupt care continuity, deter advocacy for patient safety, limit physicians’ ability to choose their employers, and stifle competition. The AAFP recognized that legal challenges were likely to result in an injunction. We are supporting the reintroduction and passage of the Workforce Mobility Act, which would ban all non-competes.