Information on Emergency Preparedness

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS - June 1st. marked the beginning of another hurricane season for the Eastern United States.

H1N1 (Swine Flu) – AMA Announces News CPT Codes

Are you ready for a Hurricane Emergency?

1. First assure the safety of your family and property. You can better respond to the disaster if you know that your family is safe.

2. Have a response plan prepared for your practice. When will you close and open your practice? How will you protect your paper and electronic records? Is there sufficient insurance coverage for the physical assets of the practice? Is there business interruption coverage? Contact JPMS for a list of areas to consider when making a plan. Consider registering with the JumpStart Business Community Network to communicate with your patients in the event of an evacuation. Create a profile on www.jumpstartjefferson.com

3. Assist your patients, especially the frail elderly or oxygen dependent. Ask them about their plans. Will they evacuate, shelter at home, or need a shelter? Remind your patients to keep a two-week supply of chronic medications. Contact JPMS for your free supply of Medifile cards, a wallet sized card for patients to record basic medical information.

Re-entry following an Evacuation:

Have you obtained a reentry placard to return to your practice following a hurricane evacuation? If not visit www.jumpstartjefferson.com to apply.

If you are not expected at the hospital, consider volunteering at a special care shelter. Both Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish have established a Medical Reserve Core where you or members of your family or office staff can register to assist the returning population following an evacuation.

Contact JPMS for more information (504) 455-8282 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

CLICK HERE to visit LSMS' Health Care Disaster Planning Website

H1N1 - SWINE FLU

The AMA expedited the publication of a new code specific to vaccine administration and revised existing code 90663 to include the H1N1 vaccine.The new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code issued by the AMA will streamline the reporting and reimbursement procedure for physicians and health care providers who are expected to administer nearly 200 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine in the United States. The codes will also help to efficiently report and track immunization and counseling services related to the H1N1 vaccine throughout the health care system.

Read the entire AMA news release.
www.flula.com - DHH has published a web site dedicated to the latest news and information on the H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu). Physicians are encouraged to review the online training course and stay up to date by reading the weekly influenza update. The site also has links to testing protocols and CDC guidance for physicians.
UnitedHealthcareOnline H1N1 Flu Resources – UnitedHealthcare’s web page has information for physicians, including billing guidance and links to the AMA and CDC H1N1 informational web sites.