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
.
August 7,
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This Weekly's Hot Topic's
- TOMORROW! ACCC will host a webinar on the proposed Medicare PFS and HOPPS rules(CMS News)
- TOMORROW! Register for best available housing for ASH's Annual Meeting (Affiliate Association News)
- THIS SATURDAY! Join your colleagues for MOASC's Spotlight on Oncology (MOASC News)
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California News
- The California Medical Association, in collaboration with the California Department of Justice and Medical Board of California, will offer a webinar entitled CURES-Preparing for the New Duty to Consult Requirements on August 22 at 12:15PM. CURES is a database of Schedule II, III, and IV controlled substance prescriptions dispensed in California. Effective October 2, physicians must consult CURES prior to prescribing these medications to a patient for the first time and at least once every four months thereafter if that medication remains part of the patient's treatment. This webinar will review the registration process, the new duty to consult mandate and requirements imposed by the law when checking CURES, and key features of the CURES database. Register at
https://www.cmadocs.org/event-info/sessionaltcd/CMA18_0822_CURES/t/cures-preparing-for-the-new-duty-to-consult-requirement
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- The Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC), a San Francisco Bay Area independent, nonprofit cancer research institute, has disbanded after 44 years. CPIC was a public health organization focused on informing the public about the risk factors of cancer, reporting on the rates of cancer incidence and mortality, and examining disparities in cancer. CPIC has been primarily funded through public grants that have dwindled over the past few years presenting an insurmountable hurdle in fulfilling the cancer prevention mission of the organization. Several of CPIC's research programs will continue at UC San Francisco through the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, including the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry (GBACR). UC San Francisco will also continue to host the Annual CPIC Breast Cancer Conference for cancer patients and survivors.
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- Noridian/JEMAC has the following updates on their website
- MLN Connects Provider eNews:
Announcements
: New Medicare Card: Using Your MACs MBI Look-Up Tool; E/M Coding Reform: Recording of Panel Discussion; Hospice Quality Reporting Program Quick Reference Guide; SNF FY2019 Payment and Policy Changes; Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program Billing Requirements FAQs
Events:
Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule: Understanding 3 Key Topics Listening Session-August 22
Publications
: Provider Minute Video: Physician Orders/Intent to Order Laboratory Services and Other Diagnostic Services-New; PECOS Technical Assistance Contact Information Fact Sheet-Reminder; Medicare Enrollment Resources Educational Tool-Reminder
* MolDX Molecular Test Registration and Claims Submission-R5
* Molecular Diagnostic Program (MolDX) Manual-Revised
* August Educational Events-Register Now
* Noridian Medicare Portal (NMP) Offers Expanded Denial Details
* Medicare B News JE July 2018 Bulletin-Now Available
- Upcoming Noridian/JEMAC webinars include:
* Modifier 59, NCCI and MUEs Webinar (August 9)
* Recovery Audit (RAC) Program Webinar (September 19)
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- SATURDAY! Join your colleagues for MOASC's Spotlight on Oncology, at the Waterfront Beach Resort Huntington Beach on Saturday, August 11, 2018, 1:00pm - 5:00pm. Southern California oncologists, who attended ASCO in June, will present topics that include updates on: Breast cancer; Genitourinary GU cancer; Melanoma; Targeted Agents in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; GI Non-Colorectal Malignancies; GI Colorectal Malignancies; Precision Medicine in Oncology and more. For more information and to register, e-mail
moasc@moasc.org
or call 800-310-3553 x1.
- MOASC and ANCO are jointly conducting a 2018 staff salary survey. The survey will be USPS mailed, e-mailed/FAXed to all MOASC members in mid-May and is available online at
www.anco-online.org/salsrvy.html
. A $50 Visa gift card for respondents is included in this year's survey. Return your completed survey no later than September 30; results will be analyzed and reported in 4Q2018.
Job Board
- City of Hope is seeking two experienced medical oncologists for their South Bay location. This lucrative opportunity offers physicians the chance to practice in a brand new, state of the art facility, private practice salary, income potential, and generous retirement contributions and benefits. To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Nikki Hoang at
nihoang@coh.org
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- The Conquer Cancer Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2019 Young Investigator Award (YIA), including the YIA dedicated to a northern California Fellow. Learn more about the YIA at https://www.conquer.org/young-investigator-award and submit your application no later than September 25. In addition, ASCO is accepting applications for Career Development Awards (CDAs) that provide research funding to clinical investigators who have received their initial faculty appointment as they work to establish an independent clinical cancer research program. Applications for CDAs are also due by September 25 at www.conquer.org/career-development-award.
- ANCO and MOASC are jointly conducting a 2018 staff salary survey. The survey will be USPS mailed, e-mailed/FAXed to all ANCO members in mid-May and is available online at www.anco-online.org/salsrvy.html. A $50 Visa gift card for respondents is included in this year's survey. Return your completed survey no later than September 30; results will be analyzed and reported in 4Q2018.
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ANCO'S
ASCO Highlights 2018
will take place on August 25 at The Claremont Resort in Oakland. Download the announcement and registration form at www.anco-online.org/ASCOHL2018.pdf.
- ANCO is organizing a series of Hematologic Malignancies Updates in 2018. These updates are supported by AMGEN, Janssen Oncology, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Oncology, and Seattle Genetics. Download the presentations www.anco-online.org/education.html. The next
Update
takes place on September 15 in Palo Alto; download the meeting announcement/registration form at www.anco-online.org/3Q2018HemeMaligUpdate.pdf
- SAVE THE DATE: ANCO'S 2018 Professional Education Meeting will take place on September 19 at The Claremont Resort in Oakland. The agenda will focus on the oncology care model. Watch for a meeting announcement in early August.
- ANCO members may take advantage of complimentary registration at the Best of World Conference on Lung Cancer organized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and taking place in San Francisco on November 17. Register for an "Early Bird ANCO Member" ticket at https://bestofwclc2018.eventbrite.com.
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National News
- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) presents, "Outbreaks in Outpatient Oncology Settings: Lessons Learned and Key Considerations for Handling Sterile Medications,"
Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 9:00am to 10:00am PDT. Register at no cost here:
http://bit.ly/2uRuKcK (Pre-registration is available up until the start of the webinar).
- The UnitedHealthcare Network Bulletin (August 2018) is now available at
http://unitedhealthcareonline.com
> Tools & Resources > News & Network Bulletin
and includes articles entitled: New Smart Edits Deploying on Aug. 16 and Sept. 10; UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Reduction Pilot Concludes; Pharmacy Update: Notice of Changes to Prior Authorization Requirements and Coverage Criteria for UnitedHealthcare Commercial and Oxford.
- New guidance, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology with the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, aims to promote health data security with best practices for collecting, processing, sharing or storing patient EHRs on mobile devices. The guide outlines a security simulation used to develop and test ideas, offers instructions for recreating the reference design, and identifies key security characteristics for protecting EHRs on mobile devices. EHR Intelligence
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CMS News
- TOMORROW! ACCC will host a webinar on the proposed Medicare PFS and HOPPS rules on Wednesday, August 8 at 1PM PST; register at
- Join the Chief Medical Officers from Regions VII, IX and X as they discuss the proposed rule for QPP for Year 3 (2019) on August 14, 2018 at 11am-12pm PDT.
- The CMS issued a final rule last Thursday requiring hospitals to post a list of their standard charges on the internet as part of the administration's broader efforts to reduce health care costs by improving price transparency. Under the rule, which is effective Jan. 1, 2019, hospitals must update the information annually. The Hill
- CMS Administrator Seema Verma aims to make doctors' offices a fax machine-free zone by 2020. Verma said the agency is working with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to achieve a health ecosystem that would allow information to flow freely among patients, payers and providers, noting that one of her primary missions as CMS head is to eliminate barriers to interoperability. CMS is looking for more Blue Button 2.0 app developers to create consumer-friendly applications that would let Medicare recipients link their claims data to their preferred applications, services and research programs.
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Affiliate Association News
- TOMORROW! Register for best available housing by August 8 for the 60th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition in sunny San Diego, December 1-4, 2018. This is the hematology event of the year that you can't miss! Attend the 60th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition to access invaluable education, networking opportunities, and much more.
Watch this video to discover what the ASH annual meeting has to offer, and mark your calendar to register and access best available housing by August 8! To register e-mail: ashregistration@spargoinc.com orashhousing@spargoinc.com
- There is less than one month left to participate in the 2018 ASCO Practice Census which closes on August 31. This annual survey of the U.S. oncology practice community captures key information on today's practice environment and is chronicled in ASCO's State of Cancer Care in America initiative. With a new streamlined approach, this year's census covers two key topics--opioids and pharmacy benefit managers. Complete the survey at
https://redcap.asco.org/surveys/?s=7HFF8TYKYC
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- The deadline has been extended until Friday, August 17 to respond to ACCC's comprehensive survey that will explore how cancer programs across the country are moving forward and adapting in the midst of increasingly rapid advances in cancer care. The 9th annual Trending Now in Cancer Care survey will examine the hottest topics in oncology today, including: staffing retention and turnover; burnout; EHR interoperability; treatment advances and challenges to clinical trial participation.If you have questions about the survey, please contact Amy Marbaugh, Senior Clinical Content Manager, ACCC. Participants who complete the entire survey will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Amazon gift card (20 participants will be chosen). TAKE THE SURVEY ACCC really needs to hear from you!
- NCCN has published the following updates at
www.nccn.org
: acute myeloid leukemia (V2.2018), chemotherapy-induced anemia (V3.2018), chronic myeloid leukemia (V1.2019), genetic/familial high-risk assessment: breast and ovarian (V2.2019), head and neck cancer (V2.2018), myeloid growth factors (V2.2018), survivorship (V1.2018).
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- AMAG Pharma is hosting a presentation entitled Emerging Perspectives in Management of Adult IDA: Including results from a large head to head trial with IV irons with Amit R. Mehta, M.D., on Tuesday, August 21 at 7M at Ruth's Chris in Sacramento. RSVP to Dane Gibson at dgibson@amagpharma.comor (916) 541-8198.
- Genentech BioOncology will host an expert-led educational presentation entitled Tecentriq for Previously Treated Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Robert Weber, M.D., on Saturday, August 25 at the Claremont Club & Spa (Temescal Room). RSVP no later than August 18 to Lee Urabe at (559) 974-3609 or urabe.lee@gene.com.
- Takeda Oncology informs ANCO and MOASC that it has been advised by the United States Food and Drug Administration that the REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) communication plan for Iclusig is no longer required.
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MOASC CALENDAR
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SAVE THE DATE
ANCO 2018 Professional Education Meeting (Oakland,
September 19)
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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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