2012 asipp news header
American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians News  | July 13, 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
  1. Call to Arms: Make YOUR Plans to Join ASIPP in DC in September. Slow progress on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 
  2. JAMA Publishes Special Issue on Affordable Health Care: Special Communication by President Barack Obama and Others with No Opposing Views
  3. CMS Announces 2017 Proposed Fee Schedules 
  4. NASPER To Receive Funding through 2020
  5. ASIPP Launches Second Journal Interventional Pain Management Reports : Selection of  Editorial Board Begins
  6. Registration now Open! ASIPP To Offer 3 courses in August: Regenerative Medicine, Interventional Techniques and Controlled Substance and Practice Management
  7. ABIPP Certification Made Simple
  8. Start Planning NOW! ASIPP to Begin Accepting Abstracts for 2017 Annual Meeting
  9. FDA Issues Two Draft Guidances on Compounding 
  10. ICD-10-CM Book Now Available: Order Your Copy Today!
  11. INRatio and INRatio2 PT/INR Monitor System by Alere: Recall - Potentially Inaccurate INR Results 
  12. Functional Improvements Related to Neuropathic Pain Relief in SCI Patients
  13. U. S medical schools expand training to curb painkiller abuse
  14. Minnesota, Baton Rouge, Dallas: Physicians Have a Part to Play, Too
  15. State Society News
  16. Physicians Wanted
DC
Call to Arms: Make YOUR Plans to Join ASIPP in DC in September
Slow progress on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
 
 
As you can see from the article below, our efforts are working. The Senators have asked multiple questions as we requested. CMS is considering a delay, shorter reporting periods, and maybe pilot testing. This is good news. We will continue to work on it and ultimately hopefully we will repeal it. However, things are not yet settled - we still have a lot more work to do.
  
Consequently, we are planning our Legislative Session and Capitol Hill visits for September 6-8. We ask that everyone arrives on Tuesday, Sept. 6 by 5 pm for a dinner meeting to prepare for the next day. On Wednesday, Sept. 7 we will go to Capitol Hill as a group. As in the past, we will have breakfast and hear talks from various senators and representatives in the morning. Our appointments will be made for the afternoon and possibly some on Thursday morning. If you can stay through until Thursday that would be best but if you need to leave on Wednesday, please book a late flight so that you can make it to all of your appointments.
  
I hope that we have 100% participation from the ASIPP board members. This is an important event and as board members, we must set an example for our members. If you have not already done so, please RSVP so that our lobbyist can begin making the appointments. I've attached the list of key officials that we need to meet. We must have members for each of these states in order to get appointments. In addition to attending, please encourage others to attend as well.
  
ASIPP will pay for everyone's room but we cannot cover travel expenses. We should make a decision on a hotel by the end of the week.
  
While many of the members and committees are important, we are specifically focusing on the following senators and members. Click here for the list.
 
Please let us know as soon as possible if you will be attending so that we can begin making the appointments. Contact Melinda Martin at mmartin@asipp.org to RSVP


CMS chief tells Senate panel MACRA delay possible, open to multiple start dates
jamaJAMA Publishes Special Issue on Affordable Health Care: Special Communication by President Barack Obama and Others with No Opposing Views
  
The following are the manuscripts published in the special issue focusing on health care reform progress and next steps:
  • Special communication by President Barack Obama details United States health care reform: progress to date and next steps.
  • Multiple other manuscripts include The Affordable Care Act and the Future of US Health Care by Howard Bauchner, MD.
  • US health care reform: Cost containment and improvement in quality by Peter Orszag
  • The future of the Affordable Care Act: Reassessment and revision by Stuart Butler, PhD, MA, and finally,
  • The past and future of the Affordable Care Act by Jonathan Skinner, PhD, and Amitabh Chandra, PhD.
  
However, what is lacking is balancing of the publication with opposing views from the Speaker of the House and Majority Leader of the Senate or other experts.
  
JAMA
  United States Health Care Reform Progress to Date and Next Step
  

feesCMS Announces 2017 Proposed Fee Schedules
 
CMS logo
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the proposed payment rates for 2017 for physician payment, hospital outpatient department (HOPD) and ambulatory surgery center (ASC).
  
CMS proposed updating the HOPD rates by 1.55% in 2017, 1.2% for ASCs, and $35.78 a 0.15% reduction from $35.83.
  
Even though there are no major shockers, it is a mixed bag for interventional pain management on physician fee schedule.
  
One of the most important issues is that there are new codes for epidural injections with or without fluoroscopy. There is no significant change in payment, either for the procedure performed in a facility setting or office setting. It remains pretty much the same. There are small increases around 3% for the majority of the procedures performed in an office setting; whereas there are decreases of less than 2% for the majority of the procedures for physician fee.
 
Another good news at a smaller level is the approval of lumbar endoscopic decompression with a new CPT code and CMS coverage for the procedure: 630X1 Ndsc dcmprn 1 ntrspc lumbar
  • ASC - $3,623.63
  • HOPD - $5,199.03
  • Physician - $688.31
  
On the HOPD and ASC front, HOPDs continue to do extremely well, whereas ASCs are losing some ground.
  
In this new schedule they also have equalized the payments for facet joint nerve blocks and epidurals as they were higher for facet joint nerve blocks in 2016.
  
One major blow is to one-day percutaneous adhesiolysis. CPT 62263 and 62264 face major cuts being paid the same as epidural injections and vertebral augmentation procedures with a 17% and 24% reduction. At this time, even 2 or 3-day procedure have taken a beating with the same reimbursement in ASC and HOPD for one-day or 2 or 3-day procedures. There are also multiple other changes where payments are less for sympathetic blocks and intercostal nerve blocks compared to epidural injections.
  
As days pass on we will send you further information on these issues. You will have the opportunity to comment on these issues and we will provide you the information on how to do so.
 
Following are the proposed fee schedules for physicians, HOPDs, and ASCs for interventional pain management procedures. Click below for schedules:
 
Physician Payment Rates
 



nasperNASPER To Receive Funding through 2020
  
Today we come with some good news but also, a lot of work ahead of us to save interventional pain management and independent medical practices into the future. Something to celebrate is that recently the United States House of Representatives passed Title XVIII - National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Reauthorization Act, which extends NASPER through FY2020 and authorizes funding for $10 million per year.
  
It is expected to pass the Senate this week and the president is expected to sign it into law soon.
  
This small victory, which will help us into the future in managing controlled substance abuse could have not happened except for the untiring efforts of Representative Ed Whitfield and enormous support from multiple organizations, including American Medical Association (AMA), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM), and others to name a few.
august



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.
                           
 


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
                           
  

The ASIPPĀ®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.

reportsASIPP Launches Second Journal Interventional Pain Management Reports: Selection of Editorial Board Begins


 

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.
 
We are currently looking for ASIPP members who are interested in being on the Editorial  Board  for this journal. Please send your CV to Holly Long at hlong @asipp.org

abippABIPP 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

More information  www.abipp.org
abstractStart Planning NOW! ASIPP to Begin Accepting Abstracts for 2017 Annual Meeting
  
Registration will be open for Abstract Submissions beginning August 1, 2016.
  
The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians will hold its 19th Annual Meeting April 20-22 in Las Vegas at Caesar's Palace.
  
This year, we will be making significant changes to the Abstract and Poster Sessions. Anyone who submits their Abstract for consideration will be included in the electronic poster presentations. The posters are available to all meeting participants during all bring and meal times.
  
The Abstract Committee will select the top 25 for publication in Pain Physician and of those 10 will be selected for Abstract presentation and judging during the Annual Meeting. The top 3 will receive cash prizes.
  
compoudFDA Issues Two Draft Guidances on Compounding
  
The FDA has issued two draft guidances describing how the FDA would implement provisions of federal law that restrict compounding human drug products that are essentially copies of commercially available or approved drug products:
The public comment period on these draft guidance documents closes in 90 days.
 
The agency also posted a statement related to these two guidances:
book
ICD-10 Book Now Available: Order Your Copy Today!

 
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 ASIPPĀ® 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.


inraINRatio and INRatio2 PT/INR Monitor System by Alere: Recall - Potentially Inaccurate INR Results
 
alert sign AUDIENCE : Cardiology, Laboratory, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Nursing, Pharmacy 
 
ISSUE : Alere Inc. will be initiating a voluntary withdrawal of the Alere INRatio and INRatio2 PT/INR Monitoring System.
 
BACKGROUND : In December 2014, Alere initiated a voluntary correction to inform users of the INRatio and INRatio2 PT/INR Monitoring System that patients with certain medical conditions should not be tested with the system. As part of its commitment to ensuring the safety of patients, Alere proactively reported these device concerns to the FDA and began conducting a thorough investigation into these events.

Over the course of the past two years, Alere invested in the research and development of software enhancements to address the potential, in certain cases, of the system to deliver a result that differs from that of another measurement method.

Although Alere is confident that the software enhancements it developed and submitted to the FDA at the end of 2015 effectively address this issue, the FDA notified the company that it believes the company's studies do not adequately demonstrate the effectiveness of the software modification and advised Alere to submit a proposed plan to voluntarily remove the INRatio device from the market.
  
FDA
  
sciFunctional Improvements Related to Neuropathic Pain Relief in SCI Patients
  
In a new study reported in the   Journal of Pain Research , scientists at Pfizer examined the relationship between pain reduction and functional outcomes in patients treated with pregabalin or placebo for neuropathic pain (NeP) resulting from spinal cord injury (SCI). 1

Of the estimated 273,000 people in the United States with SCI, approximately 40% suffer from chronic central NeP. Pain in SCI patients is associated with reduced function and quality of life, and increased disability, unemployment, and depression. Increased levels of NeP specifically have been linked with decreased health status and productivity, and higher levels of socioeconomic burden and health care costs and utilization.
  

Clinical Pain Advisor
  
curbU. S medical schools expand training to curb painkiller abuse
  
WORCESTER , Mass. (AP) - At first, the woman tried to hide her painkiller problem. She told the doctor that she still had pain from her past pregnancy, and that she just wanted a refill on her pain medication.
After a few questions, though, she admitted that a friend had sold her some OxyContin, and that she'd stolen pills from another friend.

The interaction was all staged, with the patient played by an actor and the doctor played by a medical student last month. The exercise was part of a daylong boot camp at the University of Massachusetts Medical School designed to help physicians in training identify and fight opioid abuse.
  
  
AP
playMinnesota, Baton Rouge, Dallas: Physicians Have a Part to Play, Too
 
Given the recent events  in Minnesota, Baton Rouge and Dallas , the topics of institutional racism and police brutality are again in the public consciousness. President Obama called these tragic events  "not just a black issue, not just a Hispanic issue. This is an American issue that we all should care about."   I want to draw some parallels between law enforcement and the medical community.

In Medicine

I once had a mentor tell me (jokingly) regarding the USMLE Step 1 exam:
1. If the question involves a black man, then the answer must be sickle cell disease, HIV, or multiple myeloma.
2. If it's a black woman?  Then it must be sarcoid.

It turned out he was more right than I wanted him to be. We racially stereotype in medicine every day - it's a part of our diagnostic problem solving. But we don't think of it as institutional racism or racism at all. Why? Perhaps it's because we believe it's simply pattern recognition. Maybe it's because we believe we don't attach any social judgement to the pattern. But in reality, we do. If you encounter a young patient with infective endocarditis, try convincing me that you attach ZERO social judgement to that patient. In practice, institutional racism is ubiquitous in medicine. In fact, it's often why "classic" cases are deemed "classic."

 
Hyatt 


Join Our Mailing List!
state
State Society News

NYSIPP Meeting

November 4 - 7, 2016


 
The New York Society of Interventional Pain Physicians will hold a meeting November 4-7, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City, NJ - registration link is:  www.NYSIPP.org

Fellows / Residents Workshop, Thursday: November 3, 2016

NYNJSIPP PA/NP Meeting: Thursday and Friday Nov. 3, 4

Saturday Nov. 5: The Good, Bad and Ugly Sides of Opiate Utilization
 

CASIPP Annual Meeting
November 11-13, 2016
Early Bird Registration is Open for the California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians annual meeting. T he meeting is set for Friday, November 11 - Sunday, November 13, 2016  at the exquisite Bacara Resort & Spa,  Santa Barbara , California. 


 
Please send your State Society meetings and news to: Holly Long at hlong@asipp.org

ads

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  

 

                           
ASIPP Members are encouraged to visit and 'Like' or do 'Friend Request' or 'Connect' on ASIPP's social media sites. ASIPP has a Facebook account, a Twitter Account, and a You Tube account. Get more involved today and visit our new sites.
Facebook twitter twitter