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
.
It's something we only think about on Thanksgiving, but numerous
studies
have shown that being thankful and showing gratitude on a daily basis is not only good for your mental well-being, but also your overall health and physical well-being.
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- TODAY at 2pm PST, Pharmacy Mixing and Handling Standards webinar (MOASC News)
- TOMORROW at 12:30pm PST, CMS Finally CYT 2019 OPPS & PFS Rules: What You Need to Know. (CMS News)
- Saturday,December 1, 2018, attend the 60th ASH Annual Meeting on Hematologic Malignancies. (Affiliate Association News)
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California News
- The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history did not overshadow the inspiring scenes that were happening all over California
thanks to firefighters, emergency workers, and health care providers working around the clock at the Camp Fire in Butte County and the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles County. Northern California Grantmakers and Southern California Grantmakers have gathered information on how you can help in the aftermath.
- 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: SNF PPS: New Patient Driven Payment Model Webpage; Open Payments: Review Program Year 2017 Data through December 31; Improper Payment for Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Planning Services-Reminder
Events:
Publications: FISS: Implementation of the MolDX MLN Matters Article-New; IVIG Demonstration: 2019 Payment Update MLN Matters Article-New; HCPCS Code Updates for Home Health Consolidated Billing Enforcement MLN Matters Article-New; Physician Compare Webcast: Audio Recording and Transcript-New; New Waived Tests MLN Matters Article-Revised
* 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Now Available
* New Waived Tests-Revised CR10958
* Medicare Fee-for-Servie (FFS) Response to the 2018 California Wildfires SE18025
* Quarterly Update of HCPCS Codes Used for Home Health Consolidated Billing Enforcement CR11040.
* Recoupment Webinar (November 27)
* Noridian Medicare Portal Registration and Functionality Webinar (November 29)
* Beneficiary Forms: When and Why Providers Issue Them Webinar (November 29)
* New Provider New Biller Review Entities and Appeals Part 1 of 2 (December 12)
* New Provider New Biller Review Entities and Appeals Part 2 of 2 (December 13)
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- TODAY! Nov 27 at 2:00pm Pacific-time, MOASC invites you to listen in on
Pharmacy Mixing and Handling Standards.
Presented by Dawn Holcombe
and Willis Triplett, Pharm.D. This webinar will present the basics of the pharmacy standards affecting practices, and encouraging practices to comment on the USP 797 revisions, due on November 30, 2018. 150 people can be accommodated on each of two scheduled calls. Please dial: 303-248-0285 access code: 9622809. Web log in:
https://cc.readytalk.com/r/amoxwk2kx22o&eom
.
- MOASC's LunchTime Series presentation of the interactive tool "Know Your State," will be presented next Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 11:00am PST. Learn more about a resource for educating your patients about medication access and affordability options in California and the other 49 states. Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, topics within the tool include: Medicaid expansion, state pharmaceutical assistance programs (SPAPs), Low-income subsidy (LIS) eligibility information, state health insurance assistance programs (SHIPs), standard prior authorization (PA) forms, National Foundations and other nonprofit resources, oral parity laws, advocacy connector, biosimilar legislation, continuity of care and state legislature resources. Join by calling (908) 316-2436 conference ID 73711760. Contact the MOASC Office if you have any questions moasc@moasc.org.
- Dear MOASC Members, MOASC received the below from COPA (Community Oncology Pharmacist Association), yet MOASC has not heard from their members regarding Anthem California denying oral prescription drugs dispensed in the physician office.
Have you received a similar letter or information?
"... I wanted to get the word out that Anthem of CA is sending out revised agreements effective 2/1/2019 stating oral prescription drugs dispensed in the physician office will be denied. These drugs must be provided by a licensed pharmacy. In addition to this, the letter references the Availity website to access the updated fee schedule to be effective 2/1/2019. There is no updated fee schedule on the Availity site. The current and only fee schedule was last revised for 2017..."
Upon YOUR feedback, MOASC will communicate with Anthem
,
and utilize all known resources to move Anthem from this position.
JOB BOARD
NEEDED:
Part-time, Administrative Assistant to semi-retired Oncologist at Pasadena home office. Duties include: clinical trials data management, organizing & archiving 40 years of lab notebooks records from medical practice. Experience with FDA clinical research forms, abstracting medical records, CRFs, etc. Also, some personal correspondence and bookkeeping management. HIPAA compliance important. Ideal candidate will know FileMaker Pro, Quickbooks, Adobe, Microsoft Office. Salary negotiable. Hours flexible. Interested candidates please email
wisemancharles@att.net.
- Compassionate Oncology Medical Group (Los Angeles, adjacent to Beverly Hills)
Available Positions: PA/NP and Oncology RN
A private medical oncology practice with chemotherapy suite.
RN Candidate must have IV skills and familiar with EHR.
PA/NP must have oncology background.
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- 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
- ASCO submitted comments on the proposed revisions to USP797. ASCO's comments urge USP to make clarifications to the language, including harmonizing it with the United States Food and Drug Administration's definition of compounding. Read ASCO's comments at
-Attend today's webinar,
at 2:00pm Pacific,
on
Pharmacy Mixing and Handling Standards,
p
resented by Dawn Holcombe
and Willis Triplett, Pharm.D. This webinar will present the basics of the pharmacy standards affecting practices, and encouraging practices to comment on the USP 797 revisions, due on November 30, 2018. 150 people can be accommodated on each of two scheduled calls. Please dial: 303-248-0285 access code: 9622809. Web log in:
https://cc.readytalk.com/r/amoxwk2kx22o&eom
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CMS News
- TOMORROW, November 28, 12:30pm PT, ACCC will host a webinar entitled CMS Finally CYT 2019 OPPS & PFS Rules: What You Need to Know. Register at
- CMS has proposed giving Medicare Part D plans more authority to negotiate drug prices by allowing them to exclude certain treatments in protected therapeutic classes if the prices of those drugs increase faster than the rate of inflation or if new formulations do not constitute "significant innovation." The proposal would also allow private payers to use step therapy and prior authorization to manage spending, and authorities said the changes would save taxpayers more than $692 million over a decade.
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Affiliate Association News
- THIS WEEKEND, December 1-4, 2018, Attend the 60th ASH Annual Meeting on Hematologic Malignancies in San Diego, As Partners with ASH, MOASC and ANCO invite you to register for this highly informative program in Southern California and
see live presentations of late-breaking abstracts at this year's meeting.
Seven abstracts on exciting research have been selected for presentation at the
Late-Breaking Abstracts Session
to take place on Tuesday, December 4, from 7:30 - 9:15 a.m. The seven selected late-breaking abstracts cover:
- Rivaroxaban Thromboprophylaxis in High-Risk Ambulatory Cancer Patients Receiving Systemic Therapy: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial (CASSINI)
- Phase 3 Randomized Study of Daratumumab Plus Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone (D-Rd) Versus Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone (Rd) in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (NDMM) Ineligible for Transplant (MAIA)
- Implementation of a Sickle Cell Disease Screening Initiative in Uganda with HemoTypeSCTM
- A Randomized Phase III Study of Ibrutinib (PCI-32765)-Based Therapy Vs. Standard Fludarabine, Cyclophosphamide, and Rituximab (FCR) Chemoimmunotherapy in Untreated Younger Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): A Trial of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (E1912)
- Perioperative Anticoagulant Use for Surgery Evaluation (PAUSE) Study: A Perioperative Management Plan for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Who Are Receiving a Direct Oral Anticoagulant
- Safety and Efficacy of Emapalumab in Pediatric Patients with Primary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
- Acquisition of the Recurrent Gly101Val Mutation in BCL2 Confers Resistance to Venetoclax in Patients with Progressive Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- ASCO is hosting a webinar, on December 5, 2018 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM Pacific, to outline the recently published 2019 Medicare-Final Rules Update Reimbursement. Please
register now
and encourage your members to do the same.
- A new provisional clinical opinion (PCO) from ASCO addresses identification and management of patients and family members with possible predisposition to pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). ASCO PCOs are intended to offer timely clinical direction to ASCO's membership and other health care providers. Read the new PCO at
- NCCN has published the following updates at www.nccn.org: B-cell lymphomas (V5.2018), breast cancer screening and diagnosis (V3.2018), cervical cancer (V2.2019), chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (V2.2019), hepatobiliary cancers (V5.2018), multiple myeloma (V2.2019), non-small cell lung cancer (V2.2019), primary cutaneous lymphomas (V1.2019), T-cell lymphomas (V1.2019).
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Abbvie will host a talk during ASH on Friday November 30th at 6:30pm PT. The talk will feature Javier Pinilla, MD from Moffitt, and will take place at Oceanaire Seafood Room. To RSVP call (562) 537-8659 or email victoria.sim@abbvie.com.
- AbbVie
informs MOASC and ANCO
about their Accelerated FDA Approval for VENCLEXTA® (venetoclax) for Treatment of Newly-Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients Ineligible for Intensive Chemotherapy. The full U.S. prescribing information, including Medication Guide, for VENCLEXTA can be found here. To view the press release go to: https://news.abbvie.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=11749
- AstraZeneca
i
s pleased to announce that IMFINZI® (durvalumab) injection has been assigned a unique HCPCS code by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Effective for dates of services on or after January 1, 2019, the code J9173 can be used to identify IMFINZI® (durvalumab) when billing across settings of care as noted in the Medicare Program. AstraZeneca Access 360™ can help with questions you may have about coding and reimbursement, please contact your Reimbursement Counselor at 1-833-360-4357, Monday through Friday from 8AM to 8PM Eastern Time, or visit www.MyAccess360.com.
- Genentech BioOncology informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Venclexta in combination with a hypomethylating agent (azacitidine or decitabine) or low dose cytarabine (LDAC) for the treatment of people with newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are age 75 or older or for those ineligible for intensive induction chemotherapy due to coexisting medical conditions.
- Pfizer Oncology informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Daurismo in combination with low-dose cytarabine for newly-diagosnised acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in patients who are 75 years old or older or who have comorbidities that preclude intensive induction chemotherapy.
- Pharmacyclics
invites you to their webinar on 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 7:00 PM-EST webinar go to: http://bit.ly/register_7PMET or 9:30 PM EST webinar go to: http://bit.ly/register_930PMET. To view the invitation click HERE.
-
Sanofi-Genzyme
will host a talk during ASH on Sunday December 2 at 8PM PT
. The talk, entitled,
What's Behind Your Patient's Hematological Abnormalities? Gaucher Disease Type 1--Not As Rare As You Think
, will feature Joel Weinthal, MD, Texas Oncology, and will take place at Seasons 52. RSVP at (619) 252-5162
shannon.winner@sanofi.com
.
- Verastem Oncology invites you to their Reception at the American Society of Hematology Meeting in San Diego on Saturday, December 1, 2018. The event will take place at Manchester Grand Hyatt from 7:30 PM until 10:00 PM. Please join Verastem and meet members of their executive leadership team and learn about the company. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be provided. To register go to https://bit.ly/2F8iZGr
.
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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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