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.
March 27, 2018
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- Bills California oncology is looking at (California news)
- ANCO is organizing a series of Hematologic Malignancies Updates in 2018. The latest research on novel treatment modalities for hematologic malignancies(ANCO News)
- CMS data report deadline(CMS News)
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California News
- Bills California oncology is looking at:
AB 2741
-Protecting Children from Opioid Addiction Act. AB 2741 promotes safe prescribing strategies as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and the Medical Board of California for minors suffering from acute pain. In addition, AB 2741 ensures that parents or legal guardians are educated and made aware of the dangers of extended opioid use.
Assembly Bill 2760 - Opioid Co-Prescribing
(Assemblymember Jim Wood)
AB 2760 requires a healthcare practitioner authorized to prescribe controlled substances to also provide (coprescribe) a prescription for naloxone whenever one or more conditions are present:
Senate Bill 1021 - Affordable Prescription Drug Coverage.
SB 1021 will protect prescription drug users by eliminating the sunset date on provisions of AB 339 (Gordon, 2015). The relevant provisions cap copays on a monthly supply of any prescription drug at $250 and prevent health plans from placing drugs in more expensive "tiers" based on the cost of purchase from the manufacturer alone.
SB 1336: End of Life Option Act: Effective Reporting.
SB 1336 seeks to improve the quality of data collected and published relating to the implementation of the End of Life Option Act of 2015 (EoLOA). The bill does not alter the EoLOA process in any significant way, nor does it lessen existing EoLOA individual privacy protections. Bill Fact Sheet
- California's first-in-the-nation drug pricing transparency law is beginning to take effect. This may have given impetus to Oregon's governor to sign a law that requires drug companies to disclose cost components long considered proprietary. Whether these laws will actually reduce prices is yet to be quantified. California has already obtained new numbers that may seem familiar, with drug manufacturers increasing prices, according to documents, as obtained by POLITICO. Politico: California's Drug Transparency Law Yields Early Surprises.
- The California Medical Association (CMA) is seeking applications and nominations for physicians interested in serving as delegates or alternates for their mode of practice forum delegations to the CMA House of Delegates.
CMA's mode of practice forums include the Solo and Small-Group Practice Forum, the Medium Group Practice Forum, the Large Group Practice Forum, the Very Large Group Practice Forum, the Academic Practice Forum, the Administrative Medicine Forum, the Government-Employed Physicians Forum and the Hospital-Based Physicians Forum. Membership in these forums is determined by each member's self-selected mode of practice.
Delegates and alternates will be responsible for representing their modes of practice and overall constituency, not just their own personal views on issues, by attending and actively participating in delegation caucus meetings and in annual House of Delegates.
Please submit nominations to
nominations@cmanet.org
.
See the
Nominations Solicitation Memo
for nomination forms and other requirements.
Nominations must be submitted via email no later than 11:59 p.m. PDT, on Monday, April 9, 2018. The CMA Committee of Nominations will meet in early May to review applications and create a slate of nominees. A ballot will be distributed no later than May 7, 2018, to all eligible members of a given mode of practice forum. Election results will be announced no later than June 15, 2018. Contact: Navdeep Dhaliwal, (916) 551-2073 or ndhaliwal@cmanet.org, for more information.
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- Noridian/JEMAC has posted more updates to its website:
* MLN Connects Provider eNews--
Announcements--MIPS Reporting Deadlines Approaching; Hospice Provider Preview Reports: Review Your Data by March 30; Medicare Pharmaceutical and Technology Ombudsman; Coverage of Next Generation Sequencing Tests Ensures Enhanced Access for Cancer Patients; Billing for Stem Cell Transplants-Reminder
Publications--
Appropriate Use Criteria for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging: HCPCS Modifier QQ MLN Matters Article-New; Provider Compliance Tips for Enteral Nutrition Fact Sheet-New; Provider Compliance Tips for Home Health Services Fact Sheet-New; ICD-10 and Other Coding Revisions to NCDs MLN Matters Article-Revised; Quarterly HCPCS Drug/Biological Code Changes MLN Matters Article-Revised; Provider Compliance Tips for Laboratory Tests: Other Fact Sheet-Revised; Provider Compliance Tips for Order Hospital Outpatient Services Fact Sheet-Revised; Provider Compliance Tips for Skilled Nursing Facility Services Fact Sheet-Revised; Provider Compliance Tips for Enteral Nutrition Therapy Pumps Fact Sheet-Revised; Medicare Parts A and B Appeals Process Booklet-Reminder; CLIA Program and Medicare Laboratory Services-Reminder
* New Medicare Card Mailing
* Claim Review Comments Offered in the Portal
* MolDX Molecular Test Registration and Claims Submission-R3
* HCPCS Drug/Biological Code Changes-April 2018 Update-Revised CR10454
* Evaluate Our Services!
* ASC Payment System-April 2018 Update CR10530
* Molecular Diagnostic Program (MolDX) Manual
* Reopening vs. Redetermination-What is Appropriate?
* QMB Indicator Reinstated in Medicare FFS Claims Processing System from CR9911-Second Revision CR10433
* Webinar Event Materials Downloadable-Effective April 1, 2018
* Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and Laboratory Services Subject to Reasonable Charge Payment-Quarterly Update-Revised CR10445
- Portal, IVR and Customer Service Limited Availability on March 30 - April 1, 2018. There will be Common Working File (CWF) "Dark" days Friday, March 30 through Sunday, April 1, 2018 for all CWF hosts.
Read the complete update
- Upcoming Noridian/JEMAC webinars include:
* Home and Domiciliary Visit Guidelines Webinar (March 27)
* Electronic Claim Submission Webinar (March 28)
* Modifier 59, NCCI and MUE Webinar (April 4)
* Preventive Services and Screenings (April 18)
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MOASC Member, UC Irvine, presents their 3rd Annual UCI Hematology Symposium on Saturday, April 21, 2018.
The program will feature regional and national experts bringing you state-of-the-art updates on sickle cell disease, modern anticoagulants, CAR-T Cell therapy, and others. New this year, we will feature a Case Conference segment with individual case presentations and interactive discussions. We hope to see you at the
3rd Annual UCI Health Hematology Symposium.
- MOASC member, The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute is Now Recruiting Patients for TAPUR Clinical Trial. As widespread availability of molecular profiling has identified possible new treatment strategies for patients we are all burdened by the fact that most of these therapies are not covered by insurance companies as they are off-label treatment strategies for patients who are advanced and have failed standard therapy. Further, there is limited knowledge as to how these off-label targeted therapies perform in patients who have a genetic alteration identified. To address this issue, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has initiated the Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) Study. To learn more about the TAPUR trial at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute please call (310) 582-7900 or visit www.theangelesclinic.org. The TAPUR Study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, which includes a list of inclusion/exclusion criteria and other information.TAPUR Clinical Trial
- It has come to MOASC's attention that some member patients may be in receipt of letters from United Healthcare or other health insurers about a benefit design change, called a "co-pay accumulator" which changes the way patients' co-pay cards are used towards deductibles/co-pays. Accumulator programs target specialty drugs for which a manufacturer provides copayment assistance. Unlike conventional benefit designs, the manufacturer's payments no longer count toward a patient's deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. Plan sponsors, employers and health plans will save big money because accumulators shift a majority of drug costs to patients and manufacturers. Accumulator programs will further lower a plan's drug spending by discouraging the appropriate utilization of specialty therapies and reducing adherence. What's worse, many patients won't understand their new "benefit." Read more here:http://www.drugchannels.net/2018/01/copay-accumulators-costly-consequences.html.
Please let the MOASC Office know moasc@moasc.org if you, or your patients, are in receipt of such communiques from their health plan. Thank you.
  
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- Primo Lara, Jr., M.D., University of California, Davis, will become the new deputy chair of SWOG, a research organization of more than 12,000 people at over 1,000 hospitals and clinics that designs and conducts publicly funded clinical trials.
- ANCO is organizing a series of Hematologic Malignancies Updates in 2018. The first Update takes place on April 14 at the Sacramento Hyatt Regency with Joseph Tuscano, M.D., University of California, Davis, Jeffrey Wolf, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, and Naseem Esteghamat, M.D., University of California, Davis. The latest research on novel treatment modalities for hematologic malignancies--lymphomas and myeloma--along with case studies for these diagnoses will be presented. These updates are supported by AMGEN, Janssen Oncology, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Oncology, and Seattle Genetics. Download the meeting announcement and registration form at www.anco-online.org/2Q2018HemeMaligUpdate.pdf.
- The 18th Multidisciplinary Management of Cancers: A Case-based Approach returned to the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa on March 16-18, 2018. The meeting was sponsored by the Association of Northern California Oncologists, Stanford Cancer Institute, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, and UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Go to www.multicancers.org to download the tumor board cases and presentations.
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- A timeline for revisions to USP797 will be released on July 27 for public comment through November 30. USP intends to align the timing and content of USP797 and USP800 to provide a unified approach to quality compounding. ASCO will review and comment on the new draft of USP797 when it is released.
- Colorectal Cancer Awarenss Month isn't over yet! #BeGutsy! It's important to share the message year-round: screening helps prevent colorectal cancer. The Centers for Disease Control is work towards getting more people across the country screened. The
Screen for Life Campaign
has lots of easy-to-understand information you can give to family and friends.
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CMS News
- This is your last week to avoid penalties in 2019! The deadline to submit 2017 data for Medicare's Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) is this Saturday March 31, 2018. Don't wait until the last minute to submit your data.
CMS has created a Top Ten List of things to know and do before this Saturday's deadline, along with important dates to remember.
Key Dates:
March 31, 2018: Last day for all other
MIPS
reporting, including via qpp.cms.gov
April 1, 2018: CMS will begin providing performance feedback
January 2019: Payment Adjustments applied
- To help you prepare for the transition to the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) on Medicare cards beginning April 1, 2018, review the new information about remittance advices. Beginning in October 2018, through the
transition period
, when providers submit a claim using a patient's valid and active Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN), CMS will return both the HICN and the MBI on every remittance advice. Here are examples of different remittance advices:
Find more new information on the New Medicare Card
provider
webpage.
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Affiliate Association News
- The Community Oncology Pharmacy Association (COPA) is pleased to offer you a preview of COAnalyzer
, a new benchmarking tool for managing your oncology pharmacy. Free to COA and COPA members, COAnalyzer gives pharmacies access to real-time data on how they are performing and how their performance compares to peers, including mean, median, and percentile benchmarks. A free webinar to learn more about COAnalyzer and see it in action will be held on Thursday, March 29, from 9:00am-10:00 am PST. Registration is required for this free webinar. To register follow this link:
- The
2018 Community Oncology Conference
-Keeping Patients at the Center
, is scheduled for April 12 -13, 2018
at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel. The four tracks of the 2018 Community Oncology Conference really make this four meetings in one. They cover the breadth and depth of what we do every day in community oncology: Clinical; Business, Advocacy and Pharmacy. Check out the full Conference schedule to see all the great speakers and sessions:
conference.communityoncology.org/2018-conference-agenda/
. The discounted Community Oncology Conference room block is selling out fast. Be sure to register and reserve your room today. Join more than 1,300 oncologists/hematologists, pharmacists, practice administrators, nurses, advocates, payers, and industry partners for two days of learning and networking. Visit www.COAConference.org for details.
- Join colleagues from around the world to share oncology research at the
2018 ASCO Annual Meeting,
June 1-5 in Chicago, Illinois. ASCO represents members and meeting attendees from more than 145 countries. At the Meeting, ASCO will honor leaders in oncology who commit their lives to others.
Come early, May 31 & June 1, and expand your educational opportunities at the
2018 ASCO Annual Meeting
(June 2 - 5). ASCO has two types of educational programs that offer innovative learning opportunities prior to the official start of the Annual Meeting. Space for these sessions is limited - register today.
- The ASCO Insurance Coverage of Clinical Trials Toolkit is available to assist research sites with issues related to insurance coverage for patients participating in clinical trials. Developed by the ASCO Research Community Forum, the free Toolkit contains sample checklists, template, and forms to help sites determine insurance coverage for clinical trials, deal with coverage denials, and navigate the appeals process. For more information, visit
www.asco.org/advocacy-policy/asco-in-action/new-asco-toolkit-assists-reserach-sites-insurance-coverage-clinical?
- The ASH Self-Assessment Program (ASH-SAP), 6th Edition, is now available at www.hematology.org/BuyASHSAP6. Earn up to 70 CME/MOC credits by successfully completing the activity and participating in the evaluation component.
- NCCN has published updates to the below. For the complete updated versions, please visit
NCCN.org
. Recent updates include: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (V1.2018), non-small cell lung cancer (V3.2018), ovarian cancer (V2.2018), prostate cancer (V2.2018), uveal melanoma (V1.2018), Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia/lymphoblasmacytic lymphoma, (V1.2018).
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- Foundation Medicine
informs ANCO and MOASC that per the recently approved CMS NCD on next generation sequencing (NGS),
Medicare and Medicare Advantage patients who receive testing with FoundationOne Cdx, the first FDA-approved comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) assay for all solid tumors incorporating a broad set of companion diagnostics, will be eligible for coverage.
- Foundation Medicine
will host an educational dinner meeting entitled Comprehensive Genomic Profiling: What is new and exciting in the world of genomics
with Jeffrey Gregg, M.D., University of California, Davis, on April 25 at Long Meadow Ranch, St. Helena. RSVP to Krista Gallucci at kgallucci@foundationmedicine.com or (415) 830-0365.
- Lexicon Pharmaceuticals
informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Xermelo
as the first and only orally administered therapy for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in combination with somastatin analog therapy in adults inadequately controlled by SSA therapy.
- Novartis Oncology
informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Tasigna
for pediatric patients 1 year of age or older with new diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (Ph+ CML-CP) or Ph+ CML-CP resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.
- Seattle Genetics
informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Adcetris
to treat patients with previously untreated stage III and IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) in combination with chemotherapy.
For more information click HERE.
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MOASC CALENDAR
LunchTime Series
April 25, 2018
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(San Francisco,
April 27-28)
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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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