HAPPY NEW YEAR!
WISHING YOU A HEALTHY & PROSPEROUS 2022!
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California's overhaul of Medi-Cal and implications for Californians. California News
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California Law Alert! California News
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ANCO's Medicare Update 2022 January 10th. Affiliate Association News/ANCO News
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City of Hope Study Uncovers New Option for Advanced Colorectal Cancer. A Phase 2 clinical trial at City of Hope has shown that using sotorasib to treat advanced colorectal cancer patients with KRAS mutations is successful in shrinking tumors and extending survival time.
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MOASC Programs - Save the Dates - All Times are Pacific
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January 26, 6:00pm, MOASC Lung Cancer Webinar Series presents “Management of Metastatic EGFR Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer," moderated by Hatim Husain, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at USCD, he will be joined by two expert discussants; Jonathan Goldman, M.D., UCLA and Ravi Salgia, M.D., City of Hope.
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Cedars Sinai presents their 22nd Annual Educational Meeting in Gastroenterology, February 25-26, 2022. This two-day virtual activity is intended for gastroenterologists and all other healthcare professionals who treat patients with gastrointestinal disorders. In addition to lecture format presentations, the course will include the following interactive virtual instructional formats: debate and panel discussions, Q & A sessions, case discussions, and interactive video presentations.
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MOASC is pleased to join Rockpointe in presenting “Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers: Current and Emerging Checkpoint Inhibitors for Treating Advanced Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinomas.” Available until August 2022, this is an on-demand, free CME/CE-certified, webcourse available to MOASC members and to anyone who would like to participate. Members are provided with at least 3 opportunities on or around December 1, 2021, March 1, 2022 and July 1, 2022.
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Career News
Sign up now to receive the MOASC Job Flash™! Please activate your new job alert.
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MOASC Clinical Trial Database is on the MOASC website at www.moasc.org
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The U.S. government has approved California's overhaul of the nation's largest insurance program for low-income and disabled residents. This decision, among other things, allows Medicaid money to be spent on housing-related services as the most populous state struggles with homelessness and a lack of affordable housing. According to the California Department of Health Care Services, CalAIM — California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal — intends a more comprehensive approach that improves the "entire continuum of care" across the Medi-Cal program. Starting with the new year Saturday, California will expand what had been a limited “whole person care pilot program" to eligible Medi-Cal members statewide.
The goal of the new approach is to prioritize prevention and address underlying societal conditions. California's Medicaid program offers government-funded insurance to people 50 and over and 25 and younger regardless of their immigration status. California has the nation's largest Medicaid program. California expects approval from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services early next year to expand services for adults and youth involved in the criminal justice system before they are released from incarceration, so they continue receiving those services in the community.
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The California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) announced approving Centene Corporation’s acquisition of Magellan Health, Inc. with conditions to ensure the merger does not adversely impact enrollees or the stability of California’s health care delivery system. HAI-CA and MHSC filed notices with the DMHC outlining the proposed acquisition and change of control on January 12, 2021. The Department determined the transaction met the requirements of a major transaction in the law on March 12, 2021, requiring the Department to hold a public meeting and obtain an independent impact analysis on the merger. The DMHC held a public meeting on October 27, 2021.
AB 933 (Daly): Prescription Drug Affordability. The California Access Coalition's sponsored legislation, AB 933, is back! This bill aims to lower out-of-pocket costs for patients at the pharmacy counter by reforming the state's broken prescription drug rebate system. Despite widespread support, the bill was held up in the Assembly Health Committee earlier in 2021 and is now a 2-year bill that must be voted on by January 19, 2022. If you're interested in engaging, please reach out to brooke@perrycom.com.
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California Law Alert
The following changes to California employment law took effect on January 1, 2022.
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If you have five or more employees, employees will be able to take leave under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to care for a parent-in-law with a serious health condition. It is recommended that you update your CFRA policy to add parents-in-law to the list of family members that can be cared for and ensure that managers are made aware of the change.
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California’s minimum wage for employers with 25 or fewer employees will increase to $14 per hour. For employers with 26 or more employees, the minimum wage will be $15 per hour. There are Local Minimum Wages in which the hourly minimum wage will also increase in specific cities in California. Check with your city for their minimum wage requirement.
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The minimum salary threshold for exempt employees will increase to $1,120 per week ($58,240 per year) for employers with 25 or fewer employees and $1,200 per week ($62,400 per year) for employers with 26 or more employees.
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The law AB2769 takes effect January 1, 2022. This law requires that most prescriptions issued by a health care provider to a California pharmacist be submitted electronically. The California Board of Pharmacy has published information for licensees about the e-prescribing law in the September 2021 issue of The Script. Answers to frequently asked questions about the new e-prescribing law are also posted online at Licensees > Important Information for Licensees > Frequently Asked Questions > E-Prescribing FAQs. The law provides certain exemptions, including if the prescription is issued to a patient who has a terminal illness pursuant to section 11159.2 of the Health and Safety Code. The complete list of exemptions is included within Business and Professions Code section 688. For additional information about the e-prescribing requirements, please visit the California Legislation Information webpage - AB 2769.
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Effective January 02, 2022, MolDX: Minimal Residual Disease Testing for Cancer Final LCD has completed the Open Public Meeting and is now finalized under contractor numbers: 01112 (NCA), 01182 (SCA), 01212 (AS, GU, HI, NMI), and 01312 (NV). Responses to comments received may be found as a link at the bottom of the final LCD.
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Billing and Coding: MolDX: Breast Cancer Index (BCI) Gene Expression Test - R14 - Effective October 09, 2021. This coverage article has been revised and published for notice under contract numbers: 01111 (CA), 01211 (AS, GU, HI, NMI), 01311 (NV), and 01911 (CA, HI & Territories).
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Billing and Coding: MolDX: Phenotypic Biomarker Detection from Circulating Tumor Cells (A58183) - R1 - Effective November 08, 2021
This coverage article has been revised and published for notice under contract numbers: 01112 (NCA), 01182 (SCA), 01212 (AS, GU, HI, NMI), and 01312 (NV).
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MolDX: Oncotype DX Breast Cancer for DCIS (Genomic Health) - R5 - Effective November 25, 2021. This Local Coverage Determination (LCD) has been revised under contractor numbers: 01112 (NCA), 01182 (SCA), 01212 (AS, GU, HI, and NMI), and 01312 (NV).
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January 6- Submitting Medical Documentation Electronically
During this webinar, you will review the difference between solicited and unsolicited medical documentation, the criteria for unsolicited, the different options available to submit, the key features and benefits for each submission type.
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January 11- Care Management: Cognitive Assessment
This webinar will focus cognitive assessment, which is a separate service that may be billed for patients when you have recognized potential cognitive issues. If you are billing for these services, we encourage you to join this webinar to gain an understanding of the billing requirements.
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January 13- Medicare Part B Common Billing Errors
Medicare used claim and customer service reporting information to uncover the most common claim billing errors that lead to denials and rejections. During this webinar, you will learn how to identify and avoid duplicate billing, eligibility, and provider enrollment billing errors and how to make the proper corrections. Join this webinar to learn how you can prevent future claim billing errors.
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CMS will provide your MAC with files for the automated payments of Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) bonuses for dates of service from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022. Make sure your billing staff knows about this update.
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CMS MLN Connects has made their latest edition available, with the update to Medicare Deductible Coinsurance and Premium rates for Calendar Year 2022.
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CMS has released guidance on the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule. The emergency regulation helps safeguard health care workers and the people they serve from COVID-19 and its variants for all individuals seeking care by imposing requirements regarding vaccinations for eligible staff at health care facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This guidance provides important information on implementation, as well as guidelines to assess and maintain compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination requirements for health care workers at facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
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In preparation for the Program Year 2021 data submission, the Open Payments system will be unavailable during the following dates:
Tuesday January 11, 2022 through Sunday January 16, 2022
Tuesday January 25, 2022 through Thursday January 27, 2022
Please keep this system outage in mind when planning your organization’s annual recertification activities. Submit questions to the Help Desk via email at openpayments@cms.hhs.gov or by calling 1-855-326-8366, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET), excluding Federal holidays.
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Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act. Both the House bill (H.R. 1946) and the companion bill in the Senate (S. 1873) have broad, bipartisan support. Contact megan@perrycom.com if you're interested in learning more.
November is recognized as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. On November 30, 2021, Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced and passed a Senate resolution recognizing Congratulations to GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer on this accomplishment.
Employers with 100 or more employees need to prepare to comply with the Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) and begin testing unvaccinated employees by January 4, 2022. OSHA recognizes that compliance n such a short time frame is not feasible, so has said that they, “… will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the ETS before January 10 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard. OSHA will work closely with the regulated community to provide compliance assistance.”
You are encouraged to review the materials that have been released by OSHA to help you understand your compliance obligations. Keep in mind that they likely haven’t updated the deadlines in the materials yet.
To mark 50 years since the passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971, The Battle Against Cancer: Setting the Next Agenda, was hosted by The Hill in partnership with Friends of Cancer Research and AstraZeneca’s YOUR Cancer Program, discussing on expanding access to oncology precision medicine.
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Affiliate Association News |
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ANCO's Medicare Update 2022 will be hosted online on Monday, January 10th.
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Cancer Research Saves LivesTM, so can you. Conquer Cancer funds research to help cancer patients conquer cancer. You can make a difference in improving care for every cancer patient, everywhere. Help Conquer Cancer fund more researchers. For a limited time only, gifts matched dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000!
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Save The Date! The 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting, being held June 3-7 in Chicago, IL and online, so you can attend however is most convenient for you.
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Registration is now open for the only official Highlights of ASH in North America. If you are unable to attend the 63rd ASH Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, or even if you plan to attend and want a refresher on the best science, you won’t want to miss this informative meeting! Join us in Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Chicago, or New York to get a synopsis of the new advances in patient care and scientific updates presented at this year's annual meeting.
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Community oncology has persevered for two years, providing high-quality cancer care to a nation consumed by COVID-19. Our doors have remained open, providing uninterrupted care to those with cancer. On March 17-18, the COA community will come together – safely – at the 2022 Community Oncology Conference to recognize the value of community oncology, network, and learn from the shining stars who are blazing the path forward for our field. I’ll be there. Will you? Registration is Open! Sign up for the 2022 Community Oncology Conference. You are invited to join thousands of colleagues on March 17-18, 2022, virtually at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Kissimmee, Florida, for two days of learning and networking. Enjoy early bird pricing and save 20% on your registration through January 20, 2022.
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NCSD News
Save the date for National Cancer Survivors Day 2022 on Sunday June 5, 2022.
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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 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.
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