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American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians News | June 29, 2016
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 ASIPP Submits Comment Letter with 4,534 Signatures to Preserve Independent Practices and to Repeal or Modify MIPS
MIPS To Prevent 9% Per Year Cuts
ASIPP has successfully submitted comment letter on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) with 4,534 signatures (1,433 physician signatories and 3,101 non-physician provider signatories) and North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) as a cosignatory. Thanks to overwhelming opposition to MIPS outpouring of support on this issue from membership with grassroots support.
ASIPP also has signed the letter from multiple organizations interested in pain (AAPM, AAPMR, ASA, ASIPP, ASRA, AND NANS).
This is a historic achievement that has never been done for a small specialty.
Considering MACRA consists of 2 separate components with repeal of sustained growth rate formula (SGR) and creation of MIPS and APMs to increase the quality.
These are 2 independent activities. Any changes can be made for MIPS without affecting the other, including repeal, postponement, modification and replacement with an appropriate formula.
Essentially this is a budget balancing measure. It takes approximately $900 million in penalties and gives the same as bonuses. We are suspicious that these numbers can be changing and the composite scores their calculation can be an ever changing process with physician chasing to keep up with the changes. It is a never ending saga.
Please see the letters herewith:
Now the real work begins while awaiting on the final rule.
We should work with Congress to bring changes in this. ASIPP also signed to a letter produced by multiple other organizations. We invite all interested -- those who have participated in the letter campaign and others who have not to start working with Congress to postpone this onerous MIPS.
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ASIPP Launches Second Journal Interventional Pain Management Reports for Case Reports, Brief Reviews, and Letters to the Editor
Due to overwhelming submissions of case reports and brief reviews to Pain Physician the Board of Directors of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians has approved publication of a second journal from ASIPP titled Interventional Pain Management Reports. This journal will concentrate on case reports, brief reviews, and letters to the editor.
Interventional Pain Management Reports
inaugural issue will be published later this year
.Initially
Interventional Pain Management Reports
will not be on PubMed. Potentially it would be on PubMed after 18 months or so. However, once accepted for PubMed, generally they accept all the articles since its inception if it is accepted within 3 years of launching.
At present all the case reports, brief reviews, letters to the editor for manuscripts not published in Pain Physician are being transferred to Interventional Pain Management Reports with the consent of the authors. We will be providing you with new platform and website address to submit to Interventional Pain Management Reports soon.
Kenneth Candido will be the Editor-in-Chief of the new journal.
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This comprehensive four day Regenerative Medicine Review Course. will run August 18-21, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada at The Caesars Hotel and the state-of-the-art Oquendo Center.
These unique courses meets the continuing needs of interventionalists, based on input and needs assessment over the years and are cutting edge educational programs. It entails two days of didactic courses and two days of hands-on workshops covering various aspects of regenerative medicine. The first two days involve comprehensive review courses in regenerative medicine and hands-on with live models.
This two day course is an essential component for interventional pain physicians and provides education opportunities to assist you in providing high-quality, competent, safe, accessible, and cost-efficient services to your patients. The next two days will be a Cadaver Workshop fashioned to techniques of regenerative medicine.
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This Hands-On Cadaver Workshop in Interventional Techniques, including online lectures will run August 20 through August 21, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Caesars Palace Las Vegas and the state-of-the-art Oquendo Center. These unique courses meets the continuing needs of interventionalists, based on input and needs assessment over the years and are cutting edge educational programs. It entails the equivalent of two days of online lectures and two days of hands-on workshops covering various interventional techniques.
The 2 day Cadaver Workshop involves comprehensive review of interventional techniques. This two day 2 day Cadaver Workshop is an essential component for interventional pain physicians and provides education opportunities to assist you in providing high-quality, competent, safe, accessible, and cost-efficient services to your patients. Online Lectures from a recent Interventional Techniques couse are supplied for viewing prior to the cadaver workshop and will be available indefinitely after the meeting.
The Cadaver Workshop is fashioned to accommodate training levels and capacity of participants. Physicians can choose from basic, intermediate, or ABIPP examination preparation course levels to mirror your needs and skill level. it registration
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The ASIPP®Comprehensive Review Courses and Competency Examination in Controlled Substance Management and Practice Management will be held in Las Vegas, NV, on August 18-20, 2016. These unique courses meet the continuing needs of interventionalists, based on input and needs assessment over the years and are cutting edge educational programs. They entail two days of didactic courses and a competency examination. Only physicians on the track to meet ABIPP requirements may take the combined examination. Others may take the single examination. The Practice Management course is so beneficial to practices, both officebased and ASCs, that many physicians send their staff early to keep them current on the cutting edge aspects of practice management.
These intensive review courses are designed to present interventional pain management specialists and other health care providers an in-depth review of multiple areas of interventional pain management-the areas we were never taught, yet are crucial for our survival. In addition to the review course, the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (for physicians) and the American Association of Allied Pain Management Professionals (for non-physicians) offers the opportunity for examination in order for physicians to obtain competency certification to and non-physicians to obtain associate certificates in Controlled Substance Management and/or Practice Management. Only physicians on the ABIPP track wanting to fulfill the ABIPP requirements may take the combined examination.
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ABIPP Certification Made Simple
The American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP) has developed certification programs that recognize accepted levels of knowledge and expertise in the interventional pain management profession, with the goal of improved patient care. Hundreds of qualified physicians have made the commitment to become ABIPP certified. ABIPP is recognized in 11 states. Ten states have no statutes governing specialty boards. Approval is pending in remaining states.
ABIPP is a Specialty Board providing certifications in the following areas:
Board Certification in Interventional Pain Management
Either with ABMS pain medicine board certification or ABMS primary certification only
Competency Certification in:
* Interventional Pain Management
* Regenerative Medicine
* Controlled Substance Management
* Coding, Compliance, and Practice Management
* Fluoroscopic Interpretation and Radiological Safety
* Endoscopic Spinal Decompression
Click HERE to view Pathway to ABIPP Certification
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The Chinese Connection Fueling America's Fentanyl Crisis
Last spring, Chinese customs agents seized 70 kilograms of the narcotics fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl hidden in a cargo container bound for Mexico.
The synthetic opium-like drugs were so potent that six of the agents became ill after handling them. One fell into a coma.
The cargo had traveled through five freight forwarders before reaching customs, obscuring its exact origins, according to an internal U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration intelligence briefing reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Wall Street Journal
Access to this article may be limited
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National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges against 301 Individuals for Approximately $900 Million in False Billing
Most Defendants Charged and Largest Alleged Loss Amount in Strike Force History
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell announced today an unprecedented nationwide sweep led by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in 36 federal districts, resulting in criminal and civil charges against 301 individuals, including 61 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $900 million in false billings. Twenty-three state Medicaid Fraud Control Units also participated in today's arrests. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is suspending payment to a number of providers using its suspension authority provided in the Affordable Care Act. This coordinated takedown is the largest in history, both in terms of the number of defendants charged and loss amount.
Attorney General Lynch and Secretary Burwell were joined in the announcement by Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, FBI Associate Deputy Director David Bowdich, Inspector General Daniel Levinson of the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), Acting Director Dermot O'Reilly of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Deputy Administrator and Director of CMS Center for Program Integrity Shantanu Agrawal M.D.
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House GOP Unveils Obamacare Replacement Plan
WASHINGTON
-- House Republicans released a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with a variety of measures previously endorsed by party leaders.
The 37-page proposal,
part of a series of proposals introduced by the GOP leadership entitled "A Better Way: Our Vision for a Confident America," included oft-discussed ideas such as:
- Block-granting Medicaid
- Raising the Medicare eligibility age to 67
- Reforming medical liability laws, including caps on non-economic damages
- Allowing health insurers to sell across state lines
- Expanding access to health savings accounts
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ICD-10 Book Now Available: Order Your Copy Today!
The initial impression of ICD-10 implementation was that it went well for both providers and CMS, however, shortly after the October 1, 2015 date when Medicare claims began processing, providers found out otherwise. In some cases, Interventional Pain Management providers continue to struggle with "finding the right code" to report for their patient's condition.
CMS released a publication "Clarifying Questions and Answers Related to the July 6, 2015 CMS/AMA Joint Announcement and Guidance Regarding ICD-10 Flexibilities" http://tinyurl.com/CMS-ICD-10-ClarifyQ-A that provided additional details as to how this ICD-10 family of codes "free pass" was going to work.
In short, CMS stated, "The recent Guidance does not change the coding specificity required by the NCDs and LCDs. Coverage policies that currently require a specific diagnosis under ICD-9 will continue to require a specific diagnosis under ICD-10. It is important to note that these policies will require no greater specificity in ICD-10 than was required in ICD-9, with the exception of laterality, which does not exist in ICD-9. LCDs and NCDs that contain ICD-10 codes for right side, left side or bilateral do not allow for unspecified side."
What this means is that:
- Interventional Pain Management providers are still being held responsible for reporting the correct ICD-10 code or risk Medicare claims denials.
- Many Interventional Pain Management procedures are included in the various Medicare contractor's Local Coverage Policies (LCD) and include very specific lists of ICD-10 codes that meet medical necessity for the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
- In some cases, Medicare contractors have separate LCD policies for each type of interventional pain procedure and often multiple pages in length.
Don't be one of the providers that have the misunderstanding if they report a valid ICD-10-CM code in the same family of codes, Medicare will accept that.
Busy Interventional Pain Management providers don't have time to check the Medicare LCD each time they perform a procedure.
Make your medical practice easier and use the ASIPP® new ICD-10-CM Pocket Guide for assistance navigating through the complexity of ICD-10 coding.
This book is 5.25 x 8.25 and can easily be placed in your jacket or any carrying case. For only $400 you will receive both the electronic and paper versions. You can recover your cost by avoiding mistakes in just one single case.
Order immediately to avoid any future losses. Get it for yourself and get copies for all your partners and staff. Multiple copies can be transferred to your EMR and save you money.
Also take a 10% discount for 5-9 copies or a 20% discount for 10 copies or more.
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The Identification of Pain in Mood Disorders: Toward Improving Comorbid Diagnoses and Treatment Outcomes
Chronic pain is frequently described as an intractable pain that does not serve an adaptive purpose (i.e. alerting the organism to danger and/or injury), often lasting longer than six months with no identifiable medical explanation, commonly localized to the lower back, knee joints, head, and neck
1-3
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Traditionally, chronic pain was characterized by the length of time the pain persisted; however, more recent conceptualizations have introduced other concessions. For example, the International Association for the Study of Pain defines chronic pain as being "without biological value ... persist[ing] beyond the normal tissue healing time ... as determined by common medical experience [and/or] a persistent pain that is not amenable, as a rule, to treatments based upon specific remedies."
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| Catch HIPAA Violations before Privacy is Compromised
Violations of HIPAA regulations are serious. If you have compromised a patient's protected health information, you must follow the guidelines for reporting that violation, depending on the type and scope of the breach.
However, sometimes you can catch the problem before any damage is done. It's a violation, but not a breach-yet. If you rectify the situation quickly and easily, no patient privacy will be compromised. If it does turn out that patient data has been breached, how you responded to the incident will be a part of the analysis of the breach, and will help you if the Office for Civil Rights investigates. "When OCR comes in, they will want to know that you did everything you could to plug the gaps," said Rick Hindmand, a healthcare attorney with McDonald Hopkins in Chicago.
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Progress Stalls in Smoking Bans
Despite some significant inroads, progress in safeguarding the US public from the hazards of secondhand smoke has largely stalled in recent years.
A study
published in the June 24 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report indicates that more than 40% of the U.S. population still lack the health protections afforded by comprehensive state or local laws banning smoking.
Not a single state in the Southeast, for instance, has adopted a statewide ban. And eight states have preemption statutes that prohibit smoke-free laws.
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State Society News
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Physicians Wanted To view or post a job, please go to: http://jobs.asipp.org/home To receive a member discount for posting a job, use member code: 20Member |
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