How can I use CME funds before the end of the year?

The year is winding down, and the approach of December 31 can only mean one thing: it’s time to think about using any remaining continuing medical education (CME) funds before they expire.

CME stipends are typically valid for 1 year and do not roll over, so using all of that funding can prevent leaving money on the table.

A popular choice for many clinicians is to attend CME conferences, which are often held in tourist destinations and allow free time after the day’s sessions. Other common ways to spend CME allowances include attending live webinars, online courses, or point-of-care CME, and purchasing apps, textbooks, and subscriptions. However, there are a few rules of thumb before you “cash in” any remaining CME allowance.

Make it Worth It

Before signing up for a CME program, check your specialty and state CME requirements so you know what’s needed. Also, make sure to select accredited programs and activities so that your time and effort count.

Most CME providers adhere to standards set by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP, senior vice president for education, inclusiveness, and physician well-being for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), explained that physicians typically choose educational activities based on the content and skills they wish to learn and then check the accreditation details for alignment with their requirements.

Regarding activities or programs that would not count toward CME, she explained that marketing talks that are designed to sell a product, good, or service, or talks that would benefit the doctor but not the patient would not qualify.

“My simplified rule of thumb is that the content is teaching about a topic or skill necessary to deliver direct patient care and isn’t selling or marketing any particular product, good, or service,” she said.

Dr. Savoy offered these examples of what would and would not qualify for CME activities:

• A lecture about a specific drug and why you should use it wouldn’t be appropriate, especially if paid for by the manufacturer of the drug. However, an unbiased discussion of the evidence supporting the class of drugs, even if one is recommended as superior, would be appropriate.

• A lecture about strategies to improve physician well-being to reduce patient errors would be appropriate, while a yoga class alone would not be.

“Incentives” Are Not Necessarily Free

Some programs use incentives, such as gift cards from brands like Amazon or Apple, to make their offerings attractive to clinicians. The IRS considers such gift cards as equivalent to cash, so the gift card amount is reportable income – that’s if the clinician is allowed to keep it. In some cases, these gift cards or other incentives may be expected to be surrendered to the organization that is paying for the CME course.

“Employed physicians should check with their employer and contract about whether they are permitted to receive such incentives, whether they need to be reported, and how they impact their conflicts of interest,” Dr. Savoy said.

The bottom line is that clinicians should understand the details of their employer’s CME allowance program, their contract, and their CME requirements before investing time and funds in education.

Disclosures: Dr. Savoy is employed by the AAFP, which owns a credit system and develops and sells CME products.