PRIVATE PAYER ROUNDTABLE BUILDS
COMMUNICATION
The GLMS Physician Education and Practice Support (PEPS) Department hosted a private payer roundtable on October 27 to
facilitate conversation between payers and health care offices.
Representatives worked to solve any
and all issues facing doctor’s offices.
Representatives from Humana, Anthem and United Healthcare
were on hand at the Old Medical School Building to answer questions and talk one-on-one with physicians and office managers
regarding the quality of care patients are receiving.
To report a claim discrepancy or customer service issue, please
contact GLMS at [email protected].
Dr. Rajesh Sheth came
forward to address claim issues his practice has faced.
Representatives worked to solve any
and all issues facing doctor’s offices.
EMS COUNCIL RECEIVES NEEDLE
EXCHANGE UPDATE
Sarah Moyer, MD, medical director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness, visited the EMS/Diversion Council
in late October to give an update on Louisville’s Needle Exchange
Program which has now been in effect for 14 months. Members of the
Louisville Police, Fire and EMS departments as well as local hospitals
were on hand to hear the update and ask questions.
Dr. Moyer began by explaining the beginnings of the needle exchange,
which was passed by Louisville Metro Council in response to the
HIV outbreak in Austin, Indiana, where 200 residents in a town of
4,000 contracted the disease. “If Louisville was faced with the same
outbreak, 70,000 residents would have the disease,” Dr. Moyer said.
In the 14 months since the program began, 5,000 individuals have
used the exchange. The health department is still seeing approximately 100 new individuals each week. Fifty percent of all visitors
are return participants. The average age is 33, and 93 percent of
visitors are Caucasian. The percentage of women using the needle
exchange has increased by 10 percent since it began.
GLMS NEWS NOVEMBER 2016
“Word is out that our program is safe,” said Dr. Moyer. “We’re lucky to
have certified alcohol and drug counselors present at our facilities.
Nine times out of 10, these folks have no one sober to talk to. We’re
there for them, and I think they know we care.”
When they give permission, visitors are tested for HIV and Hepatitis C
on site. Eight percent tested positive for Hepatitis C and one quarter
of a percent tested positive for HIV.
Currently, the health department has three sites in the city, but Dr.
Moyer says many more are needed. “People don’t want the needle
exchange in their neighborhood. There’s no evidence that the exchange brings crime to the neighborhood, and we need more sites.
We could use 20. We know the heroin problem continues to increase,
but we haven’t figured out how to stop it.”
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