MOASC Office has been informed that some MOASC members are experiencing issues with Blue Shield of CA – Commercial Plans requiring White Bagging of drugs. MOASC is trying to determine if this is just a few offices or across Southern California. If YOU have been experiencing any White Bagging issues with Blue Shield of California, please contact the MOASC Office at moasc@moasc.org. Thank you.

MOASC member, Ravi Rao, M.D. of cCare Fresno, has participated in COA’s Time to Screen campaign. Watch Dr. Rao’s excellent interview with Fox News Los Angeles. You and your practice are strongly encouraged to use COA’s media toolkit to advance the Time to Screen campaign. Thank you.

MOASC Programs - Save the Dates - All Times are Pacific

August 19, 5:30-6:30 PDT, MOASC will host a live webinar on Practical Tips for Prostate Cancer, Genomic Testing Forum. Matthew Rettig, MD, Professor of Medicine and Urology, Medical Director Prostate Cancer Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Chief, Division of Hematology-Oncology, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Stephen Freedland, M.D., Warschaw, Robertson and Law Families; Chair in Prostate Cancer, Professor of Surgery (Urology), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Staff Physician, Durham VA Medical Center, will lead discussions. This program is intended for practitioners involved in prostate cancer care, to discuss the rationale and significance of genomic testing in prostate cancer and to understand the adoption of different molecular diagnostic options available.

August 25th at 12:30pm, MOASC LunchTime Series presents a zoom meeting with Bradley Behrendt, Financial Consultant discussing new California law requirements that force business with more than 5 employees to provide a qualified health plan to their employees. 

Cedars Sinai invites GI Nurses and Interdisciplinary Professionals to their 2021 Annual Seminar for GI Nurses and Associates on September 25, 2021

CBCC Global is excited to pursue a clinical trial opportunity with MOASC member sites. The study details are below and CBCC Global looks forward to hearing from the interested Investigators/sites. The budget per patient completing the study as per protocol is up to USD. 40,000.00 

Briefly the study details are as mentioned below,

Please let me know for further requirements if any. We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

Jayadev Sureddi

Director- Clinical Operations

CBCC Global Research

6501 Truxtun Ave.,

Bakersfield, CA 93309

Ph. (661) 616-6453

Cell. (661) 201-2536

jayadev.sureddi@cbcc.global

As drought persists across more than 95% of the American West, water elevation at the Hoover Dam has sunk to record-low levels, endangering a source of hydroelectric power for an estimated 1.3 million people across California, Nevada and Arizona. The water level at Lake Mead, the Colorado River reservoir serving the Hoover Dam, fell to the lowest level since the lake was first filled following the dam’s construction in the 1930s. This month, the federal government is expected to declare a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time, triggering cutbacks in water allocations to surrounding states from the river. Widespread drought conditions throughout the Southwest over the past 20 years have led to a more than 130-foot drop in the water level at Lake Mead since 2000.

August 25 Provider Enrollment: PECOS Overview. Learn the advantages of PECOS. How it saves you time, tracks associates and applications. This session includes the PECOS questionnaire and submitting the e- signatures.

August 25 Beneficiary Forms for Medicare Part A and Part B. This webinar is intended for Medicare Part A/B Providers and will include: • Beneficiary Notices Initiative (BNI) • Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON) • Important Message from Medicare (IM) • Detailed Notice of Discharge (DND) • Hospital-Issued Notice of Noncoverage (HINN) • Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN).

August 31 Noridian Medicare Portal (NMP) Claim Denial Details and Appeals. This webinar is intended for Medicare Part A/B Providers and will include: • Claim Status • Additional Documentation Request (ADR) • Reopenings • Appeals • Message Center • Resources

Medicare stands ready to pay for administering an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine consistent with the FDA emergency use authorization (EUA). CMS will pay the same amount to administer this additional dose as for other doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (approximately $40 each). Billing and coding information will be published in the coming days.

MIPS information is now available online. Clinicians eligible under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System can now access performance feedback, scoring and 2022 payment adjustment data on the Quality Payment Program website. Those who want to dispute performance feedback or final scores have until Oct. 1 to ask for a review.

CDC Covid-19 vaccine recommendations are evolving. CDC now recommends that people whose immune systems are compromised moderately to severely should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial 2 doses. Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic. The link to the most recent is below. As the CDC directs that individuals should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them, it is recommended that physician practices maintain communication with their staffs as they will field many calls regarding such.

US poll finds Americans have high levels of trust in physicians, nurses and pharmacists in a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the University of Chicago. "Public health officials should really look to doctors, nurses and pharmacists to be the megaphone to deliver the message of the importance of getting vaccinated," said Michelle Strollo of NORC's Health Research Group.

Health care issues remain some of the most pressing for lawmakers in D.C. and around the country. The White House, Congress, and state legislatures continue to tackle important matters that impact all Americans, such as access to COVID-19 vaccines and lowering the price of prescription drugs.

NP2 is producing low-cost intravenous cancer drugs. EQRx is making inexpensive brand-name drugs for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Coalitions and nonprofits are starting to produce low-cost drugs. Civica Rx, a nonprofit that supplies more than 50 generic injectable drugs that have had chronic shortages, has formed a partnership with Catalent and two health insurers to produce six or seven expensive drugs. Walmart partnered with Novo Nordisk on a low-cost insulin, and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. is building a factory in Dallas and intends to produce up to 100 low-cost drugs by the end of this year.

The ACCC has partnered with The PROVE Center at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital (BWH) for a proposed research study, Bridging the Gap in Breast Cancer Disparities: Implementing Patient-Reported Outcomes in Data Collection Across Cancer Centers. This proposed study aims to utilize health information technology (HIT) to engage diverse and underserved patients and the community cancer centers that serve them to increase patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurement and address disparities in cancer care. The HIT platform for this study will be the IMPROVE Breast Cancer Care app developed and piloted at The PROVE Center at BWH to collect PROs and provide immediate feedback and tailored resources to patients. For any questions, please contact Janelle Schrag, MPH, Assistant Director, Research Programs, Provider Education, jschrag@accc-cancer.org. Apply by Friday, August 27, 2021 to be considered.

Thursday, August 19 at 12:15pm PDT, ANCO Connections, A Virtual Roundtable & Networking Series, invites you to make a connection this. The topic is, Hematology/Oncology Career Forum. What to do after graduation from fellowship?

August 21, ANCO presents a hybrid meeting on the highlights of ASCO. ANCO’s ASCO21 Highlights will summarize the major research and treatment advancements presented at this year’s ASCO21 Virtual Meeting. The program will focus on breast, gastrointestinal genitourinary, gynecologic, head & neck, lung cancers and sarcoma, as well as a Plenary: Equity: Every Patient. Every Day. Everywhere and an Equity Panel. The faculty will place these developments in context as to their immediate clinical utility.

ASH is committed to educating its members on how to become effective advocates for hematology research and practice, by hosting a new series titled the ASH Advocacy Webinar Series. Registration is free and open to all interested. The series will be composed of four, hour-long webinars covering the following topics: How Congress Really Works on 9/13; A Day in the Life of a Capitol Hill Staffer on 9/20; Federal Agencies and Hematology: An inside look at the NIH, CDC, and FDA on 9/27; Working with Advocacy Groups and Coalitions: How to Amplify Your Voice in Washington on 10/4. All programs are 1-2pm PDT (4-5pm EDT).

COA continues to fight for community oncology. COA has commented on CMS’ proposed 22% cut to radiation oncology and CMS’s proposed radiation oncology payment model with the participation required for certain radiation oncology practices starting January 2022.

Incyte Corp. strives to provide assistance to physicians and patient education through their patient webinar programs. Please share this invitation with your patients and their caregivers who have been diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), including Polycythemia Vera, Essential thrombocythemia and Myelofibrosis. They will hear from Incyte Oncology Clinical Nurse Educators about MPNs. There are four live webinars, September 1,2,21 & 22 to choose from. Thank you.

Merck and Eisai announced that the FDA approved the combination of KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, plus LENVIMA, the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai, for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Oncopeptides cordially invites you to learn more about PEPAXTO (melphalan flufenamide), the first anticancer peptide-drug conjugate, for some patients with triple-class refractory Multiple Myeloma. Watch the On Demand video of Dr. Joseph Mikhael and Dr. Joshua Richter.

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 material contained in the California Oncology Weekly is intended as general information for 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 accepts no liability for any statements or articles herein. CPT codes are owned and trademarked by the American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.