California Oncology Weekly
"An Oncologists’ Source for Timely Information"
A publication of the
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc.
June 1, 2021
June is National Cancer Survivor Month
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Reach out to your Legislator in Sacramento to OPPOSE the new costly leave mandate for Small Businesses - AB 995 (Gonzalez) California News
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Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 2 at 10:00am PST, the California Partnership for Access to Treatment (CPAT) virtual briefing on impact of federal drug pricing proposals, such as H.R. 3 California News
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Timely Access to Cancer Treatment (TACT) Act of 2021 (H.R. 3258) National News
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This Sunday, June 6, is National Cancer Survivors Day®! Raise awareness for this important Celebration of Life! Affiliate Association News
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Dr. Nguyen has been a Program Committee member for several years, and will be joining UCSD's faculty in October.
Dr. Nguyen invites MOASC member physicians to work with him on the March 26, 2022 Oncology Summit Program Committee.
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Dr. Neil Love’s virtual program held on May 15, 2021, “Current Concepts and Recent Advances in Oncology: A Daylong Clinical Summit,” engaged more than 500 attendees globally. This fantastic program featured case presentations from the following noted MOASC members: Amanda Blackmon, DO, MS, UCI ; Farshid Dayyani, MD, PhD, UCI; Michael Del Rosario, MD, UCI; Ashkan Lashkari, MD, Wellness Oncology; Jeremy Lorber, MD, Cedars Sinai; Josh Mansour, MD, City of Hope/ Kaiser Permanente; Nataliya Mar, MD, UCI; Helen Moon, MD, City of Hope/Kaiser Permanente; Anthony Nguyen, MD, Loma Linda; Sandip Patel, MD, UCSD; and Andrea Stebel, MD, UCI.
For those that were unable to participate, Dr. Love will be sending the link to the enduring activity in the coming weeks. The enduring activity will also be CME/MOC and NCPD/ONCC accredited. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to neast@moasc.org.
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MOASC continues their Membership drive. Your Membership in MOASC is an investment in your patients. MOASC has advanced oncology in California, and influenced national dialogue for the past 31 years. MOASC provides you access to California oncology colleagues, clinical education and support for delivery of oncology patient care, no matter the setting or the stage of your career.
Contact the MOASC Office at moasc@moasc.org, or 909-985-9061 ext. 1, for more information on how MOASC benefits you.
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MOASC Programs - Save the Dates - All Times are Pacific
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June 9, 6:00pm, A Treatment Option for HER2 + Metastatic Breast Cancer
Presented by: Maria Theodoulou, M.D., New York Oncology and Hematology
Sponsored by Seagen
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MOASC invites you to join MOASC President, Ashkan Lashkari, MD as a guest of ANCO President Thach-Giao Truong, MD in a virtual fireside chat on ANCO Connection's: Connecting with MOASC: Re-opening of California, and what it means for Oncologists. Thursday, July 15, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm.
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Oncologists seeking positions in California.
Husband & wife, hematologists & medical oncologists, currently practicing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the past three years, have long had a desire to move to the west coast to raise their family in a progressive and community-conscious environment. They are passionate about patient care and education, and take the ability to practice oncology with humility and appreciation.
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If your institution or practice is interested in obtaining more information, please send an email to moasc@moasc.org. |
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The California Chamber of Commerce Advocacy is needing additional help. Please reach out to your state Legislator in Sacramento to OPPOSE the new costly leave mandate for Small Businesses - AB 995 (Gonzalez). The bill will be coming up for a vote within the next week, so we need to make one more push to stop it! AB 995 (Gonzalez) would nearly double the amount of paid sick leave businesses are required to pay employees annually from a minimum of three days to a minimum of five days. While those businesses that can afford to pay more sick leave are doing so, many small businesses cannot absorb this cost in light of the financial devastation caused by COVID-19. With businesses struggling to re-open their doors and hire back employees, now is not the time for yet another expansion of paid leave. We are asking you again to reach out to your Legislators to let them know that you OPPOSE AB 995 (Gonzalez).
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Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 2 at 10:00am PST, the California Partnership for Access to Treatment (CPAT) will host a virtual briefing to discuss the potential impact of federal drug pricing proposals, such as H.R. 3, on patient access to medicines, future biomedical innovation, and the economic health of the life sciences industry. Learn more about the resources, information, and tools available to continue advocating on behalf of emerging biotech companies and patient-centered healthcare.
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The California Medical Association (CMA), with the help of the State of California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) established a portal to provide PPE at no cost to health care professionals and organizations. Due to ongoing disruption in personal protective equipment (PPE) supply and the increasing demand. The PPE is offered free of charge to organizations with 50 or less employees, with only a nominal shipping and handling fee to offset the actual costs associated with managing the program. Items are first-come first-serve.
To order your own PPE create an account through the CMA portal. More information, is available through the PPE Relief Direct portal link below or call the CMA Member Resource Center at (800) 786-4262.
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The California Dialogue On Cancer (CDOC) has been engaged in a lot of planning after the approval of California's Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan, 2021-2025. The CDOC will start the 2021-2025 Cancer Plan Webinar Series in June with their Treatment and Survivorship webinar June 15, 12-1pm.
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CDOC webinar focusing on Cancer Survivorship Research, June 29, 12-1pm.
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CDOC partners at the California Rural Indian Health Board will present the lifelong journey of chronic disease and cancer survivorship at their Journey of Wellness Conference, June 9, 9am - 12 pm and June 23, 9-11am.
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CDOC webinar on Health Equity, on July 8, 2-3pm, providing a broad overview of various sections of the 2021-2025 cancer plan that relate to reducing cancer related health disparities and achieving health equity.
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Quarterly Update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database (MPFSDB) - July 2021 Update CR12289
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June 2, the Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) Scan Top Trending Errors Webinar This event includes: DEXA Scan Overview, Coverage, Medical Review (MR) Findings, and Resources.
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June 3, the Modifier 59, National Correct Coding Initiative and Medically Unlikely Edits webinar includes: National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI), Procedure to Procedure (PTP) CCI Edits, Modifier 59, Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs), CCI Examples, Resources and Reminders.
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June 16, the Provider Enrollment and Identity and Access: Connections Part 2 includes: Provider Enrollment and Identity and Access: Connections Part 2, Connections, Access Roles, Managing connections.
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June 17, the Appeals Basics Part A and Part B Providers webinar includes: Overview, Levels of Appeals, When to Submit an Appeal, Resources and questions.
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June 23, Live Chat webinar with Provider Enrollment, hosted by the Noridian Provider Outreach and Education (POE) staff.
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June 29, 9:00am, Q2 - Top Denials and Solutions, webinar includes: Claim Denials, Returns/Dismissals, EDI, Medical Review, and Resources
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June 30, the Provider Enrollment Options webinar includes: Opt Out, CMS 855O and CMS 855I with CMS 855R.
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The Senate, last week, confirmed Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, one of the most powerful posts at the Department of Health and Human Services. As the official charged with overseeing providing services to poor and older Americans in Medicare and Medicaid, Ms. Brooks-LaSure will manage roughly $1 trillion of the federal budget in addition to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces and regulations.
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Starting today, CMS will accept Notices of Intent to Apply (NOIAs) for the Medicare Shared Savings Program January 1, 2022, start date. Visit the Application Types & Timeline and Application Toolkit webpages to help you prepare your applications.
If you intend to apply, you must submit a NOIA via the ACO Management System by June 7 9:00am PDT. This doesn’t bind your organization to submit an application. Each ACO should only submit one NOIA. After you submit a NOIA, submit your application from June 8-28 by 9:00am PDT.
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CMS has proposed a new effective date of July 1, 2022, to start requiring drugmakers treat discounts given to consumers as discounts given to health plans when reporting prices under Medicaid's drug rebate program. CMS continues to pursue this policy though the drug industry has filed a lawsuit against the rule.
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CMS recently announced updates to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) under the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The agency reweighted the 2020 MIPS cost performance category, opened applications for the 2021 MIPS promoting interoperability performance category hardship and extreme and uncontrollable circumstances exceptions, and released MIPS Cost measure benchmarks.
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The Timely Access to Cancer Treatment (TACT) Act of 2021 (H.R. 3258) was introduced by Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL) with Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) that ensures patients with cancer receive medication within 72 Hours, removing red tape and delays.
The TACT Act is a patient empowerment bill that guarantees that patients get their prescribed oral cancer medications within 72 hours when middlemen, such as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), require that patients get their drugs from their corporate mail order pharmacies. Time is of the essence in cancer treatment, the passage of this bill assures the common-sense approach to empowering patients over middlemen.
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United Healthcare Medical Policy Update Bulletins for June 2021 have been published. Topics that might be of interest are:
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Affiliate Association News |
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ANCO Connection's: Connecting with MOASC: Re-opening of California, and what it means for Oncologists. Thursday, July 15, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm, Speakers - Dr. Truong, ANCO President and Dr. Lashkari, MOASC President.
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ANCO is in the beginning stages of planning for their Professional Education Conference for the Fall of 2021. Please take a few moments and help with their planning by completing this very short, 4-question, survey. Thank you!
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2021 ASCO Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting held June 4-8, and will feature a dynamic program of educational and scientific sessions, showcasing what is possible when the cancer care community comes together to advance cancer research, treatment, and equity for every patient, every day, everywhere.
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In celebration of the virtual 2021 Evening to Conquer Cancer event hosted by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, any donation made between now and Saturday, June 5, 2021 – the night of the big event –will have double the impact!
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You read about it under National News. The Timely Access to Cancer Treatment (TACT) Act of 2021 Advocacy Kit. Ask your Congressional representatives to cosponsor H.R. 3258!
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The Washington Post is asking oncology if the last year of delayed screenings has led to a large influx of new patients. Specifically: Are “practices are being flooded with patients trying to get appointments to make up for missed screenings during the pandemic?"
Because of this, are you “getting swamped or at least are very busy, adding hours, etc.?"
And, do you have to "prod people to come in?" (Post pandemic or because of COVID fears)
If your answers to the above questions are “Yes” and you are willing to talk and relay personal experience, please get in touch with Nicolas Ferreyros, Director of Communications, COA
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National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation
June 6, 2021 is National Cancer Survivors Day®! Raise awareness for this important Celebration of Life. Cancer survivors and supporters around the world will unite to recognize cancer survivors, raise awareness of the ongoing challenges cancer survivors face, and celebrate life. This day will mark the 34th annual National Cancer Survivors Day®.
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Survivorship: Survivorship Care for Cancer-Related Late and Long-Term Effects (2020)
Survivorship: Survivorship Care for Healthy Living (2020)
Breast Cancer: Metastatic (2020)
Prostate Cancer: Advanced Stage (2020)
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Metastatic (2021)
Please provide the following information and email to moasc@moasc.org. Supplies are limited, so we encourage you to place your order soon.
Name:
Title:
Patient Guideline(s) Requested:
Please also fill out the attached Sunshine Form and send back to me if you are a:
Medical Doctor (MD)
Physician Assistant (PA)
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
Clinical/Certified Nurse Specialist (CNS)
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CNA)
Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA)
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ADC Therapeutics announced data from LOTIS-2 Study for ZYNLONTA™ (loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl) efficacy and safety results have been published in Lancet Oncology.
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Gilead Sciences, Inc. informed us that Medi-Cal added TRODELVY to their Contract Drug List (CDL). This coverage is retroactive to April 1, 2021 and includes pharmacy benefit reimbursement for all FDA approved indications for TRODELVY.
TRODELVY is now covered without the necessity of a Treatment Authorization Request (TAR) in the pharmacy benefit.
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Janssen U.S. launched their first annual Transparency Report four years ago because they wanted to provide policymakers and patients with useful information about what drives the cost of healthcare, including the cost of prescription medicines. They wanted to shed light on the aspects of our health system that stood in the way of patients getting needed care and ultimately, advance the dialogue about how to deliver greater access to medicines at a more manageable cost.
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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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