KCMS Delegate Council Resolutions One Bold Voice for Physician Leadership
The KCMS Delegate Council submitted 18 physician-authored resolutions to the WSMA HOD. These resolutions tackle complex issues in healthcare today, including:
- Calling for medical liability reform to support both patients and physician
- Challenging private equity in medicine and defending physician autonomy
- Reining in artificial intelligence in clinical care and prior authorization
- Protecting patient access regardless of immigration status or payer influence
- Combating medical misinformation and preserving primary care in Washington
- Expanding access to High-Resolution Anoscopy for cancer prevention
- Promoting health equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and environmental justice
With contributions from over 50 physicians across specialties, the KCMS Delegate Council has become a powerful incubator of physician-led innovation.
Help amplify this work! Your membership and social media support give power to the resolutions we’re advancing and strengthen the physician voice in King County.
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WSMA House of Delegates
The 2025 WSMA House of Delegates Annual Meeting will take place September 20–21 at The Westin Bellevue. This is WSMA’s premier policymaking event, where physicians from across the state debate resolutions, set policy, elect officers, and engage in key discussions shaping the future of medicine in Washington.
Highlights of this year’s meeting include:
- Keynote: Strong Enough to Soften: Redefining Resilience in Times of Rapid Change by Sara Tamarin, MD (AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™).
- Washington’s new Secretary of Health, Dennis Worsham, sharing his priorities.
Registration is free for WSMA members.
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2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its proposed rule for the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), outlining payment rates and policy changes for the coming year. The proposal was released on July 14, 2025, and officially published in the Federal Register on August 14, 2025. The public comment period remains open through September 12, 2025.
The proposal emphasizes investment in primary care, behavioral health, and telehealth, while introducing new approaches to drug pricing transparency and advanced therapies.
We believe this direction appropriately supports community-based care and patient access, though it may pose challenges for certain specialty practices and facility-based services.
Key Takeaways
- Payment Update: Conversion factor increases to $33.42–$33.59 (+3.6–3.8%), one of the largest in recent years.
- Specialty Impacts: Primary care, psychiatry, cardiology, and nurse practitioners gain; facility-based specialties (gastroenterology, urology, and dermatology face cuts).
- Telehealth Expansion: Frequency limits removed, video-based direct supervision made permanent, and new behavioral health/caregiver training services added.
- Behavioral Health Coverage: Medicare now covers FDA-cleared digital mental health tools for ADHD, in addition to depression, insomnia, and substance use.
- Drug & Therapy Reimbursement: Increases for drug administration services, with expanded reimbursement for autologous cell and gene therapies.
- Drug Pricing Reforms: Inflation Reduction Act provisions advance; Medicare drug negotiations begin in 2026 for high-cost Part D drugs, with projected billions in savings.Practice Expense Changes: Facility-based practice expense RVUs cut by up to 50%, shifting payments toward office-based care.
- Efficiency Adjustment: –2.5% applied to non-time-based procedures (e.g., imaging, diagnostics), excluding E/M and telehealth.
Next Steps
KCMS submitted comments to CMS, underscoring the importance of protecting patient access and supporting sustainable physician practice. We also encourage you to share your own perspectives directly with CMS during the open comment period.
How to Comment
Provide feedback on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (CMS-1832-P) through:
- Regulations.gov: Submit electronically using the “Submit a Comment” tool—be sure to reference CMS-1832-P.
- U.S. Mail: Address: P.O. Box 8016, Baltimore, MD 21244-8016, marked CMS-1832-P.
- Express Mail: Send to CMS at 7500 Security Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 (Mail Stop C4-26-05), marked CMS-1832-P.
All comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. EDT, September 12, 2025.
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KCMS Roster Refresh!
Big news—we’re giving the KCMS online member roster a major upgrade!
No more outdated headshots or information. KCMS is refreshing the Member Roster to ensure your profile accurately reflects the physician you are today. This ensures your colleagues, policymakers, and the community see the most accurate version of you.
Keep an eye out for a short survey coming your way soon via email. Fill out the survey with your information so we can showcase our members and launch a fresh, up-to-date website.
Thank you for helping KCMS step into 2026 with a polished, professional presence.
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KCMS Launches Cervical Cancer Series
Support from Pfizer and Genmab
KCMS is rolling out a multi-part education series on cervical cancer. This initiative will equip clinicians with treatment pathways, case-based modules, and workflow tools to cut prior authorization delays and improve access. We begin by addressing the foundations: how equity, documentation, and timeliness determine outcomes in cervical cancer.
Up to 60–80% of denials for cervical cancer treatment are due to missing clinical information (PD-L1 status, histology, stage). With support from Pfizer and Genmab, KCMS created checklists and templates to help practices submit the right data the first time.
🔗PRIOR AUTHORIZATION TOOLKIT Accurate documentation reduces denials and accelerates access to treatment.
Introducing: Phase 2 of the Cervical Cancer Initiative
Building on the Prior Authorization Toolkit and 20 educational videos, we’ve developed a comprehensive educational module covering:
- Incidence and mortality trends
- Treatment advances and sequencing
- Biomarker-driven decision-making
- Real-world barriers to care
- Case studies that apply guidelines to practice
Over the next several months, we’ll release this content in digestible sections through newsletters, social media, and the KCMS website — making it practical and actionable for clinicians.
➡️ Stay tuned for upcoming tools that move knowledge into real-world impact.
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Manreet BhullerManreet Bhuller is a rising second-year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Born in Renton, Washington, she earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington and has lived in King County her entire life.
As a first-generation student, she is passionate about mentoring students from underserved communities. While still exploring her career path, Manreet is currently considering a surgical specialty.
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Melissa Mallen
Melissa Mallen is currently finishing her first year of medical school at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has a strong interest in family medicine, oncology, preventive medicine, and health education.
Melissa is grateful to be a part of the King County Medical Society and looks forward to serving her community in the future.
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Maryan Abdi Maryan Abdi is a second-year medical student at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, Washington. A proud Somali Muslim woman with a degree in Public Health – Global Health from the University of Washington.
Deeply committed to serving underserved communities in the Kent, Renton, and Tukwila area, Maryan draws inspiration from her family’s experiences, and strives to become a culturally responsive physician. Her goal is to advance health equity and ensure that patients ar fully informaed, empowered, and supported in their care.
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