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 Weekly's Hot Topic's
- The United States Food and Drug Administration has announced a biosimilar action plan. (National News)
- CMS has released its proposed rule for 2019 Medicare physician reimbursement. (CMS News)
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California News
- Please join CAPP/MICRA for an evening reception in honor of Assembly Member Marc Berman on Wednesday
, August 1st from 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm. The reception will be held at Los Altos Sub-acute and Rehabilitation Center (809 Fremont Ave, Los Altos, CA 94024).
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- Noridian/JEMAC has the following updates on their website
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MLN Connects Provider eNews:
Announcements:
MIPS 2017 Performance Feedback User Guide; MIPS Payment Adjustment Targeted Review: Request by October 1; July Quarterly Provider Update
Claims, Pricers & Codes:
Publications
: New MBI: Get It, Use It MLN Matters Article-Revised; Medical Review of E/M Documentation MLN Matters Article-New; Medicare Part A SNF PPS Pricer Update MLN Matters Article-New; Chronic Care Management Services:
Changes
for 2017 Fact Sheet-Reminder; Chronic Care Management Services Fact Sheet-Reminder; Avoiding Medicare Fraud
& Abuse: A Roadmap for Physicians Web-based Training-Reminder
* Medical Review of E/M Documentation CR10627
* MolDX: Myriad's BRACAnalysis CDX Billing and Coding Guidelines Article-R1
* MolDX: Abbott RealTime IDH2 Testing for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Billing and Coding Guidelines-R1
* MolDX: Molecular Diagnostic Tests (MDT) LCD-R6
* MolDX: ThermoFisher Oncoming Dx Target Test for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Billing and Coding Guidelines-R1
* Robotic Radiosurgery Fee Revisions Phase In-Effective July 1, 2018-Revised
- Upcoming Noridian/JEMAC webinars include:
* Modifier 59, NCCI and MUEs Webinar (July 25)
* Noridian Medicare Portal Registration and Functionality Webinar (July 26)
* Beneficiary Forms: When and Why Providers Issue Them Webinar (July 26)
* Modifier 59, NCCI and MUEs Webinar (August 9)
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You are cordially invited to MOASC's Spotlight on Oncology, at the Waterfront Beach Resort Huntington Beach on Saturday, August 11, 2018, 1:00pm - 7:00pm.
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. 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/salary.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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- 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.
- 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; watch for an announcement and registration form in August.
- 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.
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National News
- The United States Food and Drug Administration has announced a biosimilar action plan that is meant to spur biosimilar competition by addressing four key areas: improving the efficiency of the biosimilar and interchangeable product development and approval process; maximizing scientific and regulatory clarity for the biosimilar product development community; developing effective communications to improve understanding of biosimilars among patients, providers, and payed; and, supporting market competition by reducing gaming of FDA requirements or other attempts to unfairly delay market competition to follow-on products. Read more at https://www.centerforbiosimilars.com/news/fda-releases-biosimilar-action-plan.
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CMS News
- According to Bobbi Buell, the proposed rule for the 2019 Medicare regulations for hospital outpatient departments has not been released. Therefore, she will not be able to present her webinar on Friday, July 20. Those of you who have signed up have been moved to a new webinar on August 3--you do not have to do anything. Alternatively, if that does not work for you, you can sign up for this one:
If you have not signed for either webinar, you can sign up for the July 27 date by using the link above or:
- CMS has announced that participants in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for 2017 can review their MIPS final score and performance feedback onto Quality Payment Program website (http://qpp.cms.gov). The payment adjustment received in 2019 is based on this final score. A positive, negative, or neutral payment adjustment will be applied to the Medicare paid amount for covered professional services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule in 2019. MIPS eligible clinicians or groups, including those who are subject to the APM scoring standard, may request for MCS to review their performance feedback and final score through a process called target review. If you believe an error has been made in your MIPS payment adjustment calculation, you can request a targeted review until September 30.
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On July 26, CMS will host a 60-minute
Physician Compare
webinar about public reporting on Physician Compare and information in the pipeline for potential inclusion on Physician Compare in late 2018
, including Year 1 Quality Payment Program performance information. Specifically, the webinars will cover: Overview of public reporting on Physician Compare; Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Models (APMs) on Physician Compare; Upcoming 30-day Preview Period.
To learn more about public reporting on Physician Compare, visit CMS'
Initiative page
where you can find resources and documents, including information about the 2016 performance information currently available on Physician Compare.
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Affiliate Association News
- There is still time to participate in the ASCO 2018 Practice Census, an annual survey of the entire U.S. oncology practice community that aims to capture key information on what is happening in oncology practice today. Complete the Census at http://apps.asco.org/oncology-practice-central/survey/#/.
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The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation
is dedicated to connecting patients
with the financial assistance they need to ensure access to critical medical treatment.
Please join them for a webinar on
Tuesday July 31,2018 at 11am-PT/2pm-ET.
To register for the webinar, click
here.
- ASCO's Volunteer Corps offers meaningful and rewarding volunteer opportunities, short-term and virtual assignments, and flexible time commitments to ASCO members eager to volunteer, share their expertise, and give back to the oncology community. Learn more at https://volunteer.asco.org.
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All hematology researchers are encouraged to submit an abstract by
August 1 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, for the best new scientific research in all areas of hematology. More than 1,000 abstracts will be presented orally, at the 60th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, with thousands more accepted for poster presentations. All accepted abstracts will be published in Blood. Don't miss this great chance to showcase your research in front of the brightest minds and influencers in the field of hematology! Visit the
ASH website for a full list of abstract review categories, policies, and eligibility requirements.
- ACCC's Trending Now in Cancer Care Survey is now open through August 3 at https://www.accc-cancer.org/home/learn/publications/Trends. The Survey helps cancer programs assess their strengths and areas for improvement. Participants will receive a customized report comparing their own data to national results. Results will help guide the creation of tools and resources for the entire cancer care team.
- NCCN has published the following updates at www.nccn.org: bladder cancer (V5.2018), myelodysplastic syndromes (V1.2019).
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Agios Pharmaceuticals
informs
ANCO
and
MOASC
that the
United States Food and Drug Administration
has approved Tibsovo for adult patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a susceptible IDH1 mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test.
- Genentech BioOncology informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Tecentriq in combination with Avastin as an initial (first-line) treatment for people with advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.
- Novartis Oncology informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved upfront Kisqali for use in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) for the treatment of pre/perimenopausal or postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
- Pfizer US Biosimilars informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Nivestym (filgrastim-aafi), a biosimilar to Neupogen (filgrastim), for all eligible indications of the reference product. Nivestym is indicated to decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppresive anti-cancer drugs associated with a significant incidence of severe neutropenia with fever; for reducing the time to neutrophil recovery and the duration of fever, following induction or consolidation chemotherapy treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML); to reduce the duration of neutropenia and neutropenia-related clinical sequelae, e.g., febrile neutropenia, in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies undergoing myeloablative chemotherapy followed by bone marrow transplantation (BMT); for the mobilization of autologous hematopoietic progenitor cells into the peripheral blood for collection by leukapheresis; and; for chronic administration to reduce the incidence and duration of sequelae of severe neutropenia (e.g., fever, infections, oropharyngeal ulcers) in symptomatic patients with congenital neutropenia, cyclic neutropenia, or idiopathic neutropenia.
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MOASC CALENDAR
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SAVE THE DATE
ANCO Hematologic Malignancies Updates (Palo Alto,
September 15)
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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