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 News
- Do you have your Proposition 65 warnings displayed in your office?(California News)
- HHS & ONC request for comment on draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs.(CMS News)
- Your support is needed during one of the most challenging periods in oncology. (Affiliate Association News)
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California News
- Does your practice dispense drugs? Administer chemotherapeutics? Mix, compound or reconstitute drugs? Do you have your Proposition 65 warnings displayed in your office?
On November 16, 2018, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) proposed to amend Section 25600.2 in Article 6 of Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations. The amendments would clarify certain provisions related to the responsibility of parties within the chain of commerce to provide Proposition 65 warnings for exposures to listed chemicals from consumer products. OEHHA has scheduled a public hearing on Thursday, January 3, 2019. OEHHA has also extended the public comment period on the proposed regulatory amendments to 5:00 pm, Friday, January 11, 2019.
- The deadline to enroll in a health insurance plan on the federal marketplace in California is
Jan. 15
.
In addition, people who've been affected by the wildfires in California may qualify for a special enrollment period that gives them even more time, according to a spokesperson for Covered California, the state's marketplace.
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- Noridian/JEMAC has the following updates on their website
- MLN Connects Provider eNews
:
Announcements
: Physician Compare Preview Period Open through December 31; QRURs and PQRS Feedback Reports: Access Ends December 31; Quality Payment Program: Check Your Final 2018 MIPS Eligibility Status; Quality Payment Program: MIPS Resources
Claims, Pricers & Codes
: January 2019 Average Sales Price Files
Events
: SNF PPS: New Patient Driven Payment Model Call-December 11; Hospice Public Reporting Webinar-December 13
Publications:
ICD-10 and Other Coding Revisions to NCDs MLN Matters Article-New; New Waived Tests MLN Matters Article-New; NCCI Procedure-to-Procedure Edits, Version 24.0: Quarterly Update to MLN Matters Article-New; Physician Fee Schedule Call: Audio Recording and Transcript-New
* Quarterly Update to the NCCI PTP Edits, Version 25.0, Effective January 1, 2019 CR11044
* Enrollment On Demand Tutorials Available
* MolDX Molecular Test Registration and Claims Submission-R6
* Summary of Policies in the CY2019 MPFS Final Rule, Telehealth Originating Site Facility Fee Payment Amount and Telehealth Services List, CT Modifier Reduction List, and Preventive Services List CR11063
* Annual Update to the Per-Beneficiary Therapy Amounts CR11055
* New Provider New Biller Review Entities and Appeals Part 1 of 2 (December 12)
* Evaluation and Management Modifiers (December 12)
* New Provider New Biller Review Entities and Appeals Part 2 of 2 (December 13)
* Evaluation and Management Modifiers (December 13)
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- SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, February 23, 2019 for MOASC's Oncology Summit - Advancing Cancer Care in the Elderly, at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. Mark your calendar and keep watch for further information on speakers and topics. moasc@moasc.org
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Thank you to the MOASC Members who contributed to the 2018 ANCO/MOASC Staff Salary Survey.
Your $50 gift card will arrive in time for holiday shopping!
Results from the ANCO/MOASC 2018 Staff Salary Survey are now available online at
www.anco-online.org/salsrvy.html
. Read the report, review the results, and download the data.
In summary, there were slightly more physicians and slightly fewer non-physician employees in the practices reporting for 2018 versus 2016. The average hourly rate for Small Office Manager, Administrator/Executive Director, Billing Coordinator/Manager, File Clerk, Financial Counselor, Oncology Nurse, Physician Extender, Radiation Oncology Technologist, Receptionist, and X-Ray Technician increased from 2016 to 2018. The average hourly rate for Bookkeeper, IT, Chief Radiation Oncology Technologist, Radiation Oncology Physicist, Research Manager/Coordinator, and Transcriptionist decreased from 2016 to 2018. Other average hour rates remained essentially the same (i.e., plus/minus less than $1/hour).
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Don't miss a thing in 2019, mark your calendars
for MOASC's 2019 custom events
designed for oncologists and staff:
Jan
19th
Spotlight On Hematology
with UCI in Huntington Beach.
30th
LunchTime Series
Teleconference at 12:00pm-PST.
Feb 23rd Oncology Summit 8am - 12:00pm Huntington Beach.
Mar 27th LunchTime Series Teleconference at 12:00pm-PST.
Apr 24th LunchTime Series Teleconference at 12:00pm-PST.
Jul 31st LunchTime Series Teleconference at 12:00pm-PST
Aug
TBD
Spotlight On Oncolo
gy with UCI
28th LunchTime Series Teleconference at 12:00pm-PST.
Sep 26th Educational Series (Admin & Oncology Billers Program)
Dates are subject to change and programs may be added
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- ANCO's 2018 Annual Report is now available online at www.anco-online.org/AR2018.pdf and was mailed to all ANCO physician members the last week in November.
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Results from the ANCO/MOASC 2018 staff salary survey are now available online. Read the report, review the results, and download the data at
www.anco-online.org/salsrvy.html
.
In summary, there were slightly more physicians and slightly fewer non-physician employees in the practices reporting for 2018 versus 2016.
The average hourly rate for Administrator/Executive Director, Small Office Manager, Billing Coordinator/Manager, File Clerk, Financial Counselor, Oncology Nurse, Physician Extender, Radiation Oncology Technologist, Receptionist, and X-Ray Technician increased from 2016 to 2018. The average hourly rate for Bookkeeper, IT, Chief Radiation Oncology Technologist, Radiation Oncology Physicist, Research Manager/Coordinator, and Transcriptionist decreased from 2016 to 2018. Other average hour rates remained essentially the same (i.e., plus/minus less than $1/hour).
- Membership renewal notices for 2019 were mailed to all members the last week in November along with annual election ballots and the 2018 Annual Report. If you have not yet done so, then please return your 2019 membership dues to ANCO now to ensure your inclusion in
The ANCO Directory of Members
. Be sure to to provide ANCO with your e-mail address and the name(s) and e-mail address(es) of office and/or nurse manager contact(s). Those not renewing their membership by June 30 will be deleted from the Directory of Members and will no longer be eligible for ANCO benefits or receive ANCO information.
- ANCO will host a webinar entitled
Medicare Regulations 2019
on January 3 at 12:30PM. Roberta Buell, MBA, onPoint Oncology, will provide a comprehensive update of changes for Medicare reimbursement--including fee schedule, coding/billing, and incentive program updates. Download the webinar announcement at www.anco-online.org/MedicareUpdate2019.pdf; register at https://bit.ly/2DmARLi.
- ANCO, in association with the Organizing Committee of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and Encore Medical Education, will host the Best of San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium San Francisco (Best of SABCS San Francisco) at The Claremont Hotel on Saturday morning, January 26. Hope S. Rugo, MD, UC San Francisco, is the Regional Director for Best of SABCS San Francisco. Learn more and register at www.bestofsabcs.com/best-of-sabcs-san-francisco/.
- Registration is now open for the 19th Multidisciplinary Management of Cancers: A Case-based Approach, taking place at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa on March 15-17, 2019. Go to http://www.multicancers.org to register and arrange for housing.
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National News
- CVS Health says it will offer a new prescription benefit option to its health plan clients, giving them the total amount of rebates and discounts paid by drug makers. For the term of each contract, CVS would take on the risk of drug price inflation and changes in drug use, and this "guaranteed net cost" option could help deflect the growing criticism of pharmacy benefit managers.
CVS offers "guaranteed net cost" to health plan clients
- Leading medical figures are among dozens of doctors who have failed to report their financial relationships with pharmaceutical and health care companies when their studies are published in medical journals. Highlighted in the story is dean of Yale's medical school; the director of a cancer center in Texas and the next president of ASCO.In addition to the widespread lapses by doctors, the review by the New York Times and ProPublica found that journals themselves often gave confusing advice and did not routinely vet disclosures by researchers, although many relationships could have been easily detected on a federal database. The New York Times/ProPublica: Doctors And Disclosures
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CMS News
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) issued a draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs. The draft addresses concerns shared by clinicians and other stakeholders that EHR burden can negatively affect provider satisfaction and ultimately the care delivery experience. The draft strategy focuses on common sources of burden, including clinical documentation, health IT usability and user experience, EHR reporting programs, and public health reporting. All stakeholders: clinicians, health IT developers, policy makers, and any other interested individual or organization are encouraged to review the report and provide comments and recommendations so HHS and the broader health care community can begin to address the issues of burden and usability outlined in this strategy. The public comment period on the draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs ends on Monday, January 28, 2019 at 8:59:59 pm Pacific Time. Read the Report
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed rule and opened comments that attempts to give more leeway to limit coverage of drugs in protected classes. The proposed rule would only come into play when the price of a prescription rises more than the rate of inflation or if only minor changes are made to older products. Antineoplastics, and five other classes of drugs, are currently required by Part D policy, for sponsors to include on their formularies. While the proposed regulatory provision maintains all protected classes, it provides Part D plans with a greater flexibility to negotiate discounts for drugs in protected therapeutic classes. Submit your comments by January 25, 2019.
- The annual updated version of the National Correct Coding Initiative Policy Manual for Medicare Services is effective January 1, 2019. CMS has released their Quarterly Update to the NCCI PTP Edits, Version 25.0. CR 11044 updates the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) Procedure-to-Procedure (PTP) edits, which relate to Chapter 23, Section 20.9 of the Medicare Claims Processing Manual (Pub. 100-04). Some updates of interest are:
NCCI Policy Manual for Medicare Services - Effective January 1, 2019
Chapter 23 - Fee Schedule Administration and Coding Requirements
Modifier 59 Article: Proper Usage Regarding Distinct Procedural Service
- The final performance period for the Value Modifier and Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) programs was 2016 and the final payment adjustment year is 2018. Therefore, the Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) and PQRS Feedback Reports will no longer be available after the end of 2018. All QRURs and PQRS Feedback Reports provided under these programs will remain available for download until December 31, 2018. Authorized representatives of groups and solo practitioners can access their QRURs and PQRS Feedback Reports at
https://portal.cms.gov
using an Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) system account with the correct role. The QRURs can be downloaded as PDF or Excel files, and the PQRS Feedback Reports can be downloaded as Excel files. For instructions on signing up for an EIDM account and accessing the QRURs and PQRS Feedback Reports, please visit the
How to Obtain a QRUR
webpage.
- Effective January 1, Medicare is instituting new opioid prescribing policies that will impact Medicare Part D beneficiaries with a prescription drug benefit and their prescribers. Learn more at www.asco.org/advocacy-policy/asco-in-action/new-medicare-part-d-opioid-prescribing-policies-2019
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Affiliate Association News
- The practice of oncology is about to enter a critical period, and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is on the frontlines, advocating for your patients and practice, but cannot do it alone. Far-reaching Medicare policies are under consideration in Washington that have the potential to completely transform your practice and, quite possibly, ability to survive. From the way you and your practice are reimbursed; to how you acquire and deliver complex cancer drugs; to the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) middlemen that have slowly stifled physician autonomy and decision making; policymakers are examining every facet of cancer care. Nothing is sacred. COA needs your support for what is shaping up to be one of the most challenging periods in more than a decade. Read more detail on how YOU can help, COA Membership Appeal.
- Applications for the Winter 2019 session of ASCO's Quality Training Program-hosted by City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte/Monrovia, California-are being accepted now. Meeting dates are January 10-11, March 21-22, and June 28. The deadline to apply is December 7, 2018. Once applicants are accepted, they are paired with an improvement coach who can provide feedback and help participants outline their quality improvement goals and plans so they can get the most out of the session. Learn more.
- Register, NOW, for the year's most important conference in community oncology! The 2019 Community Oncology Conference will focus on ensuring quality, affordable and accessible cancer care. Networking with community oncology practices and allied professionals from across the country, sharing insights on how to overcome the challenges you face on a daily basis. Put together for community oncology by community oncology, there is no substitute for the information and networking opportunities offered at this conference, April 4-5, 2019.
Register today to save your seat at COA 2019 in Orlando!
- NCCN has published the following updates at
www.nccn.org
: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (V1.2018), hepatobiliary cancers (V5.2018), multiple myeloma (V2.2019), non-small cell lung cancer (V1.2019), pancreatic adenocarcinoma (V1.2019), small cell lung cancer (V1.2019), and systemic mastocytosis (V2.2019).
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- Genentech BioOncology informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tecentriq, in combination with bevacizumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSF NSCLC), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.
- Genentech BioOncology informs ANCO and MOASC that CMS has assigned new J-codes to Rituxan (J9312, 10mg; replaces J9310) and Rituxan Hycela (J9311, 10mg).
- Pharmacyclics invites you to their webinar on December 12, 2018 about Important Considerations for Patients with CLL. The 2018 updates to the iwCLL guidelines include several major changes or additions, including the increased importance of clinical staging, prognostic markers, and prognostic scores. To RSVP, to the 4:00 PM Pacific webinar go to:
http://bit.ly/register_7PMET
or 6:30 PM Pacific webinar go to:
http://bit.ly/register_930PMET
. To view the invitation click
HERE
- Helsinn Oncology informs ANCO and MOASC that CMS has assigned J-code J1454 (235mg fosnetupitant, .25mg palonosetron) to Akynzeo.
- Seattle Genetics will host a webcast entitled Adcetris + CHP: Frontline Treatment for Adults with CD30-Expressing PTCL with Steven M. Horowitz, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on December 19 at 7:30PM PST. Learn more and register at
www.medpt.com/SeaGen/ECHELON2
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MOASC CALENDAR
Spotlight On Hematology
(January 19, 2019)
Oncology Summit
(February 23, 2019)
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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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