Updates to CME travel process

These important steps result in the fastest and most accurate processing

1. Use your I-Card for all CME-related expenses.
   
   
2. Air travel and rental cars must be booked through Intermountain Travel Services.
   • Set up a one-time Travel Profile to speed bookings.
   • Self-booking tools are available on the website.
3. Book lodging directly through the conference website with your registration.
   • Send your booking information to travel services - it must be added to your itinerary for accounting.
     • Lodging should be booked at the lowest available conference rate at the time of booking. 
     • Lodging expenses above this rate (i.e. room upgrades) are covered by the individual.
   • If you prefer other lodging or cannot book through the conference, Travel Services can assist with booking.
     • When staying at non-conference hotel locations, lodging expenses are covered at the lowest available rate as outlined by the conference brochure.
     • Lodging expenses above this rate are covered by the individual.

• The CME Form and related materials can be found here (link works inside firewall) or on the Physician and APP Portal website.
  • The form contains a summary of important policies and procedures to book CME travel.

• No medical/APP director approval for domestic meetings sponsored by academies/societies on each specialty’s pre-approved list.
  • As always, no medical director approval is needed for enduring materials or online CME (unless CME time is taken for these).
• Medical Group President (Shannon Phillips) or VP/COO (Jacque Durfey) must approve travel to locations outside of the U.S. or Canada.  
  
  
• The annual CME benefit allocation date is being moved from anniversary date to July 1 for all physicians and APPs. Existing allocations are being pro-rated so no benefit will be lost.
  • Anniversary Dates in first half of 2022: Funds are added on the anniversary date and again on July 1 to create an amount to last until July 1, 2023. There is no rollover cap to funds added on July 1, 2022.
  • Anniversary Dates in second half of 2022: Funds are added to create an amount to last until July 1, 2023.

  • Full usual amounts are added every July 1 thereafter.

• No change in the annual maximum benefit ($3,500 for physicians, $2,500 for APPs; pro-rated for part-time clinicians).  One-year roll-over of unused funds continues from July 1, 2023 forward.

Many clinicians ask specifically about the need to manage and approve expenses. This may seem confusing, as each clinician has an annual “allowance” of funds, and it may not be clear why there are specific rules and procedures surrounding the use of these funds.  The reason for this careful management is that CME expenses are not considered personal income to the physician or APP and thus are not taxed. Instead, they are classified as business expenses. As such, they fall under IRS regulations and must therefore be managed in a compliant way. Intermountain is a not-for-profit entity and must carefully manage business expenses to ensure we are good stewards of the funds we use to care for our communities. There have been recent examples of poorly managed business expenses, creating significant consequences for organizations across a variety of industries. Intermountain is committed to complying with our legal obligations and principles of good stewardship.

We hope that the revised CME procedures streamline the process and make your access to CME easier. Please reach out to (CME.MedGrp@imail.org) or your ACMO (ACMOs@imail.org) with any questions.