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California Oncology Weekly
"Where California Oncologists Go For Answers!"
A collaborative publication of the
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc.
and the
Association of Northern California Oncologists, Inc.
January 24, 2017
This week is National Medical Group Practice Week, from Jan. 23-27, recognizing the important work medical group practices' do every day. That's right, there's a whole week dedicated to our profession!
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California News
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- Under a law passed by the California Legislature in 2016, checking the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) database will eventually be mandatory. The exact date the mandate will take effect is unclear, but will depend on the Department of Justice making a certification about the system's readiness.
Read More
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Noridian News
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- For 2017, a new CPT procedure code (96377) was developed and published for the application of an on-body injector for timed subcutaneous injection. Unfortunately, 96377 did not originally appear in the Medicare Part B fee schedule and the January update included it with an "Inactive" rather than a "Contractor Priced" code. ANCO, MOASC, and ASCO have contacted Noridian/JEMAC and CMS regarding this matter and hope for a correction in the near future. In the meantime, Noridian/JEMAC has informed ANCO and MOASC that you may use 96372 to bill for the application of an on-body injector for time subcutaneous injection.
- Noridian/JEMAC has posted the following updates to its website
* MLN Connects Provider News
Announcements--EHR Incentive Program: Attest to 2016 Program Requirements by February 28; EHR Incentive Programs: Calculations for Objectives and Measures Requiring Patient Action; New Care Management Webpage
Claims, Pricers, and Codes--
Events--Medicare Quality Programs: Transitioning from PQRS to MIPS Call-January 24
Publications--ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, and HCPCS Code Sets Educational Tool-Reminder
* MolDX-CDD: NSCLC, Comprehensive Genomic Profile Testing LCD-R1
* MolDX: Genetic Testing for BCR-ABL Negative Myeloproliferative Disease LCD-R3
* MolDX: Chromosome 1p/19q Deletion LCD-R1
* MolDX: Molecular Diagnostic Tests (MDT) LCD-R3
* HCPCS Codes Used for Home Health Consolidated Billing Enforcement-Annual Update-Revised CR9771
* Changes to the Laboratory NCD Edit Software for April 2017 CR9934
* ASP Medicare Part B Drug Pricing Files and Revisions to Prior Quarterly Pricing Files-April 2017 CR9945.
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DHCS/Medi-Cal News
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- There is a change to Medi-Cal's "
Estate Recovery Program" that can demand posthumous payback from enrollees 55 and over for a broad range of medical costs.
The federal government requires states to recoup specific medical costs - mostly related to nursing home care - from the estates of certain Medicaid beneficiaries after they die. California is among a minority of states that seeks repayment beyond the federal mandate.
Under current rules, the state can collect for nearly all Medi-Cal coverage you receive after you turn 55. In some cases, the state also can recover costs from Medi-Cal members under 55 who are patients in nursing homes.
For many people, these costs include the monthly payments that Medi-Cal makes to managed care plans to cover its enrollees, even if they didn't use any medical services.
T
he new rules will affect the Medi-Cal recipient and their heirs. An unresolved question could end up exposing hundreds of thousands of enrollees, including those who use in-home supportive services, to new posthumous Medi-Cal claims.
The new rules forbid the state to go after the Medi-Cal recipient's assets if they have a surviving spouse or domestic partner- even after the recipient dies. Whether the Medi-Cal beneficiary died before or after Jan. 1, 2017, there's no more recovery from surviving spouses and registered domestic partner.
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- Thank you for responding to our short surveys. Your feedback is important for MOASC to work on your behalf. We recently sent out a survey regarding in-office dispensing. An additional question that came from your responses is: If you are NOT currently dispensing oral drugs in your practice, would you be interested in working with a specialty pharmacy company to provide this service to your patients? Please respond to the MOASC office moasc@moasc.org with your answer. Thank you!
- On Saturday, February 11, 2017, MOASC and the University of California Irvine (UCI) invite you to attend their 2nd Annual Spotlight on ASH. UCI faculty, who attended the 2016 Annual ASH Conference, will bring the premier topics and discussions to clinicians at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach. Register Now, or contact the MOASC office at 800-310-3553x1
- Saturday, March 11, 2017 join nationally known and regionally based key-opinion leaders
to assess your tools for thriving in an era of Personalized Medicine!
Join us for the 2017 MOASC Oncology Summit.There's an Oncology Revolution going on: Are your treatment choices still relevant in the era of Immuno-oncology and Molecularly-targeted therapies? We will discuss how to use the new tools of "Personalized Medicine" to guide treatment choices for Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Multiple Myeloma. This will be a practically-oriented, clinically relevant discussion and you will leave with new insights into your own practice patterns and how to make sure you are embracing the future today! For complete information on this superb program, please contact the MOASC Office at 800-310-3553x1, moasc@moasc.org,
- The 2nd Annual UC Irvine Health Hematology Symposium, presented by the Department of Pathology and the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, will take place on Saturday, March 25, 2017, at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel, Anaheim, CA.
Topics will include:
* Molecular diagnostics in selected disorders
* Myelodysplastic syndrome
* Primer on flow cytometry for the general practitioner
* Venous thromboembolism
* Approach to the evaluation of anemia
* Selected vector-borne diseases
* Lupus anticoagulant and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
JOB BOARD:
- MEDICAL ASSISTANT - BACK OFFICE - INTERNAL MEDICINE
Are you looking to make a difference in people lives?
Are you energetic, motivated, a self-starter?
Have you recently graduated Medical Assisting school, or have you been an M.A. for several years?
Then look no further. Join our amazing team of professionals!
* Immediate Opening * Busy Internal Medicine Practice *
Excellent interpersonal skills with patients, families, staff & proficient with EHR Systems and ICD-10.
30 Hours per week, long-term opportunity; Newport Beach location close to Hoag Hospital,
Competitive compensation and benefits.
- NURSE PRACTITIONER- Long Beach community-based Hematology-Oncology practice is seeking a full time Nurse Practitioner
. The candidate must provide quality healthcare services including: exams, diagnosis, treatment, education, and counseling for patients in accordance with the clinic protocols. This is a full time job Monday through Friday.
Requirements:
· Active license in good standing in the state of California.
· Oncology experience (desirable)
· Supervisory/management experience
· CPR certified: Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers
Qualifications:
· Effective communication skills both written and verbal
· Critical thinking and problem solving skills
Job Duties
· Furnishing of prescriptions for pharmacolgics needed in the management and support of cancer patients.
· Supervising, educating and acting as a resource to other nurses and medical assistants.
· Initiating and writing orders following treatment protocols outlined by the physician for patients undergoing cancer therapy.
· Assisting in the management of patient education, patient issues and concerns.
· Overseeing and supervising the Infusion Center and assisting in the evaluation, treatment and orchestration of application of treatment for patients on regimens, protocols or treatment interventions.
· Screening and triage of telephone calls or other correspondence from patients, patients' families, hospice agencies, nurses and physicians.
· Night calls with physician on 1st call
For more information please contact the MOASC Office at: moasc@moasc.org or 800-310-3553x1.
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ANCO's
SABCS Highlights 2016
will take place on January 26 at The Claremont Resort in Oakland
. Download the meeting announcement and registration form at
www.anco-online.org/SABCSHL2016.pdf
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- ANCO is pleased to announce the 17th Multidisciplinary Management of Cancers: A Case-based Approach on March 17-19, 2017 at The Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa. Registration and housing now open at www.multicancers.org. EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS ENDS JANUARY 31; THE HOUSING BLOCK IS ALMOST FULL!
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- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the final guidance for industry on the Nonproprietary Naming of Biological Products. Under the naming convention, FDA will designate a distinguishing suffix that is devoid of meaning and composed of four lower-case letters in the nonproprietary names for originator biological products, related biological products, and biosimilar products. The suffice will be attached to each product's core name with a hyphen. For more information, go to
- Cigna, in partnership with eviCore, will release an Integrated Oncology Management Program for treatment plans on February 20. This program will provide utilization management for medical and pharmacy oncology medications that currently require recertification through Cigna.
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- The FY2017 update of ICD-10 codes will impact CMS's ability to process some quality measure data for PQRS quality measures reported in 4Q2016. If these updates are the sole reason that an eligible professional or group is unable to satisfactorily report for CY2016, CMS will not apply the 2017 or 2018 PQRS payment adjustments.
-The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the Open Payments dataset to reflect changes to the data that took place since the last publication on June 30, 2016. The updated dataset is now available for viewing at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/.
- CMS is now accepting applications, through January 31, for a new Clinical Practice Improvement Activities (CPIA) study, which will examine workflow and data collection methods so that CMS can better understand the challenges of collecting and reporting quality data. Clinicians and practices that participate in the CMS CPIA study will receive full credit for the CPIA performance category through the Quality Payment Program. Receiving full credit in the CPIA performance category will help boost participants' composite scores in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Participants in the study will need to complete at least three survey questionnaires, participate in at least three focus groups, and submit at least three clinician quality performance measures to CMS by December 2017. Applications are being accepted at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/MACRA-MIPS-and-APMs/MACRA-Feedback.html.
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Affiliate Association News
- ASCO has launched the 2017 Survey of Oncology Practice Operations (SOPO), an annual survey of business and operational issues in oncology practices. The Society aims to capture the current state of oncology management practices to help practices navigate the evolving cancer care delivery system. Complete the Survey by January 27 at
www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZCV5GWB
.
- The Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA) National Physicians Biologics Working Group is hosting its annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ on January 27th and 28th to discuss issues related to patient access to biologic therapies. If you are policy-minded and interested in advocacy, you are invited to attend the working group meeting. AfPA will cover expenses, including travel, hotel and meals, incurred by attending physicians. Interested physicians may register for the meeting here - or contact Alexa DeVantier adevantier@allianceforpatientaccess.org with questions, requests for additional information, or to register for the meeting. The AfPA, is a national network of physicians advocating for patient access to approved therapies and appropriate clinical care.
- ASH's 2017 Highlights of ASH in North America will take place in Seattle on January 27-28. Go to www.hematology.org/highlights for more information and to register.
- Apply for the ASH Congressional Fellowship Program by January 31 at http://www.hematology.org/Advocacy/6872.aspx. This year-long opportunity will place a hematologist on Capitol Hill to work in a Congressional office and help shape health care and hematology policy.
- The 2017 Community Oncology Conference will take place just outside of Washington, DC at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. Attendees will gain the insight and knowledge they need to fuel innovation and success in community oncology. For more information and to register click here.
- Applications are now being accepted for ASCO's Quality Training Program at www.asco.org/training-education/professional-development/quality-training-program. This comprehensive 6-month program is oncology-focused and teaches clinicians how to improve quality using evidence-based decisions and how to reduce clinical and process variation for predictable and sustainable results. In 2017, there will be two regional locations, including Portland, OR (Session 1: April 20-21; Session 2: June 28-29; and Session 3: October 18).
- ASCO is pleased to remind members that you can use the QOPI platform to meet the MIPS reporting requirement of one measure through manual reporting. While one is the minimum requirement to avoid the 2019 penalty, ASCO encourages practices to report on at least four measures to become fully acquainted with the system and ensure that the CMS requirements are met. In addition, ASCO is using 2017 as a transition year to modify the QOPI Quality Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) to allow practices to meet 2018 MIPS reporting requirements. In the meantime, ASCO encourages all oncology practices to use 2017 to ensure they are positioned to report at the significantly higher volume (60% of their eligible charges for ALL measures) requirement in 2018.
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- View ACCC's webcast on the MIPS--The Final Rules Under MACRA at
- Download all the oncology coding updates now from ACCC at
- Download ASH's MACRA 101 for Hematologists at
- NCCN has published updated NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) with NCCN Evidence Blocks™ for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL; templates); myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS; templates); and, non-small cell lung cancer (chemotherapy order templates), . For the complete updated versions of the NCCN Guidelines, NCCN Guidelines with NCCN Evidence Blocks™, the NCCN Compendium®, the NCCN Chemotherapy Order Templates (NCCN Templates®), and the NCCN Imaging Appropriate Use Criteria (NCCN Imaging AUC™), please visit www.nccn.org.
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- Janssen Biotech is hosting an educational program entitled Darzalex-based Triplet Therapy for Multiple Myeloma Patients at First Relapse with Amy Marsala, N.P., UC San Francisco, on March 17 at Morimoto, 610 Main Street, Napa. RSVP at www.medforcereg.net/SOMP1085229.
- Pharmacyclics and Janssen Biotech inform ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted an accelerated approval for Imbruvica as a treatment for patients who require systemic therapy with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) following at least one prior anti-CD20-based therapy.
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| MOASC CALENDAR
Spotlight on ASH
February 11, 2017
LunchTime Series
February 22, 2017
Oncology Summit
March 11, 2017
NCCN Meeting in Florida
March 23-25, 2017
COA Annual Meeting
April 27-28, 2017
ASCO National Meeting in Chicago
June 2-6, 2017
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Best of 17th WCLC (International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, San Francisco, February 4)
(NCCN, San Francisco, March 11)
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The
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California
(MOASC) is a leading oncology society that advances and protects the ability of cancer patients to obtain, and the ability of the oncology physicians to provide, optimal cancer care. The
Association of Northern California Oncologists
(ANCO) is an association of hematologists/oncologists dedicated to promoting high professional standards of cancer care by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, data, and knowledge.
The material contained in the
California Oncology Weekly
is intended as general information for ANCO and MOASC members. Because diagnostic, treatment, contracting, coding, and billing decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, any such information contained in the
California Oncology Weekly
may not apply in any given situation. Members are encouraged to contact their own consultants or advisors to obtain specific advice on matters relating to contracting, coding, and billing. The information contained in
California Oncology Weekly
should not be used as a substitute for such advice.
This publication provides a summary of regulations affecting oncology and its business practices. Reading this newsletter does not substitute for understanding regulations and verifying the validity of every claim. This information is time-sensitive and is subject to change. MOASC or ANCO accepts no liability for any statements or articles herein.
CPT codes are owned and trademarked by the American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
MOASC: P.O. Box 161, Upland, CA 91785 | P (909) 985-9061 | F (909) 804-5006| www.moasc.org
ANCO: P.O. Box 151109, San Rafael, CA 94915 | P (415) 472-3960 | F (415) 472-3961 | www.anco-online.org
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