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
.
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- This Thursday, rollout of California's centralized platform for provider data. California News
- FDA launches call center to field doctors' experimental cancer drugs requests. National News
- CMS issues proposed rule that would update Part D e-prescribing. CMS News
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- CalHIPSO and Integrated Healthcare Association ("IHA") are excited to partner to provide an update on the Symphony Provider Directory roll-out on Thursday, June 27, 2019 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT. The Symphony Provider Directory is California's centralized platform for provider data, which streamlines the way health plans and providers share, validate and reconcile provider information in compliance with state and federal requirements such as SB 137, Medicare Advantage and Medi-Cal. To register go to
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5520597704807510285
. Led by non-profit organization IHA,
Symphony
is the result of cross-industry collaboration and has seen great early momentum since launching officially in January 2019. Current participants include Blue Shield of California, Health Net of California, Anthem Blue Cross and Aetna as well as over 40 provider organizations across the state.
https://calhipso.org/.
- Save the date for the 2019 Sacramento Regional Colorectal Cancer Roundtable on June 27, 2019. Be sure to block out this time for an opportunity to discuss best practices with colleagues in your region. Please click here to learn more details.
- The California Medical Association (CMA) reminds all physicians that the changes to the Anthem Blue Cross Prudent Buyer Participating Physician Agreement and fee schedule will take effect on July 1, 2019. The new rates are available on the Availity website http://www.availity.com by selecting Payer Spaces > Anthem Blue Cross > Education and Reference Center > Administrative Support > Prudent Buyer Fee Schedule Update.
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Announcements:
Quality Payment Program: MIPS 2019 Call for Measures/Activities Ends July 1; Promoting Interoperability Program: Submit a Measure Proposal by June 28; Hospice Provider Preview Reports: Review Your Data by July 1; New Medicare Card: 75% of Claims Submitted with MBI; CMS Proposes to Update e-Prescribing Standards
Publications:
* Contractor Advisory Committee Meeting: Pharmacogenomics-June 26, 2019
* Transfer of Appeals Rights Form May be Submitted via NMP
* Enrollment Education Available for Guidance through the Application Process
* ABN Education on Demand Tutorial Available
* Quarterly HCPCS Drug/Biological Code Changes-July 2019 Update-Revised CR11296
* MLN Connects-June 20, 2019.
Forthcoming Noridian JEMAC meetings/webinars/workshops
* Modifier 59, NCCI, and MUEs Webinar (June 26)
* Submitting Your Enrollment Online-Part 2 Webinar (PECOS; June 26)
* New Provider New Biller Review Entities and Appeals Part 2 of 2 Webinar (June 28)
* Reopenings Webinar (July 9)
* Telehealth/Telemedicine Enrollment Only Webinar (July 10)
* What's New in the Third Quarter 2019 Webinar (July 11)
* Understanding National and Local Coverage Determinations Webinar (July 23)
* Understanding the Basics of Medicare Secondary Payer (A/B) Webcast (July 24)
* Medicare Part A/B Revalidation Webinar (July 24)
* Revocation, Caps and Appeals Webinar (August 7)
* Submitting Your Enrollment Online-Part 1 (I&A) Webinar (August 21)
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- MOASC IS INTERESTED TO KNOW IF YOUR PRACTICE HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE IVIG. Please tell us of your accessibility to IVIG, the machinations and recommendations you use to access IVIG at
moasc@moasc.org. The FDA is rolling out a pilot program, authorized under the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act, to explore bolstering prescription drug supply and distribution security with the use of blockchain technology FDA pilot program looks at blockchain for drug supply security
- SAVE-THE-DATE for MOASC's Spotlight On Oncology, August 17, 2019 in Huntington Beach. Through a restricted grant from MOASC, selected oncology fellows and faculty from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), present the premier topics from their attendance at the 2019 Annual ASCO meeting. The presentations promote collegial discourse among colleagues along with networking in an informal setting. Contact the MOASC Office for more information at
moasc@moasc.org.
- Renew your MOASC Membership TODAY! Continue your investment in your state association. MOASC will be able to continue to advance oncology in California, with your continued support and membership in MOASC. In 2018, MOASC successfully worked to create the California Cancer Caucus in Sacramento. YOU, the California oncologist, are the reason for MOASC's existence. MOASC advocates diligently insuring your ability to serve the California oncology community.
You can renew your membership in two ways:
Print the application
HERE
mail it along with your check made payable to: Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc., P.O. Box 161, Upland, CA 91785.
OR
We are looking forward to an exciting year ahead with benefits you will not want to miss.
If you have any questions, please contact the MOASC Office at 909-985-9061 ext.1 or at
moasc@moasc.org.
- MOASC Member, City of Hope CME presents: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Cancer Symposium on October 10-13, 2019 at the Waldorf Astoria, Las Vegas. This intensive program will provide participants with an enhanced ability to interpret and apply best treatment options into their individual cancer practices. For more information click
HERE. To register go to:
https://cme.cityofhope.org/eventinfo_10946.html
.
JOB Board
- Julie Yumi Oda, MD is a Hematology-Oncology fellow at Baylor Scott and White Health in Temple, Texas. Dr. Oda is looking for a position as a Clinician-Educator when she graduates next year in June 2020. If you are interested or have any additional questions, you can reach Dr. Oda at 254-654-2908 or email
Julie.Oda@BSWHealth.org.
Dr. ODA CV
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-
ANCO members may register with a discounted rate using code ILC19ANCO for the 20th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress
taking place on July 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach. Visit
- Follow
ANCO on Twitter
at
@ANCO News
.
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National News
- The United States Food and Drug Administration has launched a call center to field doctors' requests for access to experimental cancer drugs for individual patients who have run out of treatment options. The project, called Project Facilitate, was unveiled at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting. Learn more at https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/oncology-center-excellence/project-facilitate.
- IBM, Merck and Walmart have been chosen for a U.S. Food and Drug Administration pilot program that will explore using blockchain technology to improve the security of prescription drug supply and distribution. The companies said they would work with consultancy KPMG to create a shared blockchain network that will allow real-time monitoring of products in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The project has been authorized under the U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) that was set up to increase regulatory oversight of counterfeit, stolen, contaminated or otherwise harmful drugs. The FDA has previously used the DSCSA to issue a warning letter to drug distributor McKesson Corp for violations involving opioid medications. The new project is aimed at reducing the time needed to track and trace prescription drugs, improving access to reliable distribution information and ensuring products are handled appropriately and stored at the right temperature while being distributed, the companies said in a statement. The project is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2019 and results will be published in a report, the companies said.
- If you hosted a National Cancer Survivors Day® event in your city on June 2, 2019, NCSDF wants to hear from you. How can National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation make National Cancer Survivors Day® even better? Please email your suggestions to info@ncsd.org with the subject line "NCSD Feedback." Your opinions and insight on how NCSDF can better help you celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day® in your city. The 33rd Annual National Cancer Survivors Day® will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2020. Keep updated on all things NCSD through the website, NCSD.org. If you know anyone who would like to take part in the NCSD 2020 celebration, please forward to them this newsletter and encourage them to sign up for the NCSD newsletter.
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CMS News
- The CMS is developing a quality reporting tool to be known as Hospice Evaluation and Assessment Reporting Tool,
or HEART, to replace the Hospice Item Set measures. According to the CMS, the tool is intended to be used as part of the hospice care planning process as well as for the evaluation of care quality.
- Many providers are using the new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) for Medicare transactions. For the week ending June 14, providers submitted 75% of fee-for-service claims with the MBI. Help protect your patient's personal identity by using their MBI for Medicare business, including claims submission and eligibility transactions. Here is how you are using the MBI on claims: Institutional: 75% Professional: 76% Durable Medical Equipment: 64%
Review the
MLN Matters Article
to learn about getting and using the MBI.
- On June 17, CMS issued a
proposed rule
that would update the Part D e-prescribing program by adopting standards that ensure secure transmissions and expedite prior authorizations.
Under the proposed change, clinicians would be able to choose to complete prior authorizations online, reducing burden for providers through a more streamlined process for performing prior authorization for Part D prescriptions. Clinicians who select the electronic option will typically be able to satisfy the terms of a prior authorization in real time and before a prescription is transmitted to a pharmacy, so patients do not arrive at a pharmacy counter to find that their prescription cannot be filled. The proposed rule would implement new prior authorization transaction standards for the Part D e-Prescribing program as required by the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act. The proposed standards would begin in January 2021.
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Affiliate Association News
- ASCO's Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) is an oncologist-led, practice-based quality assessment program for outpatient oncology clinics. Round 2 registration is now open and data submission will run from July 1 to December 3, 2019. Register for QOP at
https://myqopi.asco.org/registration/login.aspx
.
- The ASCO Oncology Practice Conference, September 5, in San Diego will focus on the business of cancer care addressing the needs of practice administration and operations, with timely and practice strategies for the challenges faced by all those involved in the business of cancer care. Learn more and register at
https://meetings.asco.org/opc/register
.
- The ASCO Quality Care Symposium, September 6-7 in San Diego, encompasses the latest strategies and methods for quantification of patient experience, provider efficiency, clinical outcomes, and quality and safety in the cancer care field. The Symposium will include a variety of sessions that will cover the latest science in precision and personalized medicine. Oral abstract presentations will feature the highest-quality science submitted to the Symposium and Poster Walks will allow for networking while exploring the presentation of the newest science. This meeting will bring leaders in quality improvement science together to participate in stimulating conversation with opportunities for networking among physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and others.
ASCO Quality Care Symposium
.
- Join ASH on September 6-7, 2019, at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park for the 2019 ASH Meeting on Hematologic Malignancies to gain knowledge that can help you make an immediate impact in your practice. The meeting will feature top experts in the field, comprehensive clinical content, the latest clinical research, and opportunities to interact with colleagues in an intimate, small group setting with no competing sessions. The program content will be structured as "How I Treat" presentations, which will highlight each speaker's evidence-based treatment approaches, present cutting-edge scientific data that can be translated into new strategies for diagnosis and treatment, and address what to do in cases where there is no data. For more details, or to register, please visit the
ASH Website
.
- Present your research at the world's premier hematology event. The best new scientific research in all areas of hematology will be presented at the 61st ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando, Florida. We encourage researchers to submit an abstract by August 1, 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
- Please assist the ASCO Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee in determining what topics in oncology are most relevant and suitable for future guideline creation by taking a brief five-minute survey by June 30 at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ascoguidelinesurvey
.
- ASCO has integrated results from the TAILORx trial into the ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline, recommending that Oncotype DX recurrence score be used to guide treatment decisions in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, axillary node-negative breast cancer. The details were announced in a special article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology
https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JCO.19.00945
.
- Register TODAY, for ASCO's Advocacy Summit, September 25 & 26, 2019 in Washington, D.C. this two-day conference will feature guest speakers and network opportunities that will empower you to advocate for policies that support cancer research, your practice and highest quality patient care in meetings with your lawmakers.
- Join the Inland Empire Oncology Nursing Society fundraiser event for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night, on October 26, 2019 at the Auto Club Speedway of California in Fontana, money raised through Light The Night allows The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to fund treatments for patients who are suffering from all forms of blood cancers. In 2018, LLS helped advance 19 of 21 approved blood cancer therapies. Beating cancer is in our blood. Donate NOW!
- NCCN has published the following updates at
www.nccn.org
:
acute lymphoblastic leukemia (V1.2019), B-cell lymphomas (V4.2019), colon cancer (V2.2019),kidney cancer (V1.2020), multiple myeloma (V3.2019), pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (V1.2020), rectal cancer (V2.2019), thyroid carcinoma (V1.2019), uveal melanoma (V1.2019).
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- Coherus Academy for Biosimilars Learning and Education (C.A.B.L.E.) informed MOASC and ANCO about two upcoming events:
1. UDENYCATM Clinical Review
, presented by Andrea Stebel, M.D., Sante Medical Oncology Specialists, on July 11, 2019 at 3005 Old Ranch Parkway, Seal Beach, CA 90740. To register go to http://bit.ly/coh00135 or email SWhite@coherus.com.
2. Coherus Reimbursement Overview,
Presented by Francie Nordin, AAS, Summit Cancer Center, on July 16, 2049 at 17440 East 17th Street Tustin, CA 92780. To register go to http://bit.ly/coh00138 or email SWhite@coherus.com
- Merck informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has approved Keytruda for patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least one other prior line of therapy.
-Pfizer Oncology
informed MOASC and ANCO about their new program Pfizer Oncology Together. With Pfizer Oncology Together, patients prescribed a Pfizer Oncology medication get personalized support, including help identifying financial assistance options and connections to resources that may help with some of their day-to-day challenges. For more information, please visit www.PfizerOncologyTogether.com
- The USFDA has approved Keytruda, in combination with platinum and flourouracil (FU), for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or with unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and as a single agent for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or with unresectable, recurrent HNSCC whose tumors express PD-L1 (combined positive score or CPS ≥ 1) as determined by an FDA-approved test.
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MOASC CALENDAR
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(NCCN, San Francisco, September 27)
(NCCN, San Francisco, September 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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