December 7, 2021
This Weekly's Hot Topics
  • TODAY! Closes at 12:00pm PST, vote in the ASCO election. MOASC News
  • Message from MOASC Executive Director MOASC News
  • Tomorrow, New Providers/New Billers: Beneficiary Forms Webinar. Medicare News/Noridian Programs
  • TOMORROW! Orientation to provider requirements under the No Surprises Act. Medicare News/CMS News
MOASC News
As we are approaching the end of the year, I am pleased to announce the following updates.
MOASC website
The Clinical Trial Database: The MOASC Clinical Trial Committee is actively looking for ways to assist its members with Clinical Trial promotion and recruitment, through the creation of a database for both physicians and patients https://www.moasc.org/clinical-trials/. If you are interested in adding your clinical trials to the database, please contact me at neast@moasc.org
The Career Center: Find and hire top professionals or find your next career opportunity. Explore the benefits of our new career center by logging in or creating a new account today https://moasc.careerwebsite.com/home/index.cfm?
Inaugural Lung Cancer Webinar Series
Engage in lively discussion and review the latest updates in the management of lung cancer. This one-hour webinar will be held once a month to review a particular topic within this ever more differentiated area of oncology. Dr. Hatim Hussain, Assistant Professor of Medicine at USCD, will moderate the series and will be joined by one to two experts. Our first webinar, scheduled for January 26, 2022, will focus on the management of metastatic EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer. Register at moasc@moasc.org. Click here for the full schedule.
Save-the-Date - Saturday, March 26, 2022
MOASC’s 7thAnnual Oncology Summit & Research Symposium on Personalized Medicine for Today and Tomorrow. Includes keynote presentation on “Cancer Cell Map Initiative” by Trey Ideker, PhD, UCSD and Co-Director, NCI Cancer Cell Map Initiative (CCMI) followed by Key opinion leaders highlighting advances as well as Clinical Trials in their respective fields of Breast, CART-T/Transplant, GI, GU, Lung, and Myeloma. If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to contact the office at moasc@moasc.org or phone 909-985-9061, ext. 1.
We look forward to having you participate in our lively and informative 2022!
Best wishes for your holidays.
Nichole A. East, CAE
MOASC Executive Director
TODAY! The voting period closes at 12:00pm PST. Please take time to vote in the ASCO election, and encourage your partners to vote. MOASC supports Debra A. Patt, M.D. for the ASCO Board.
ANCO Member Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD is on the ballot for Board of Directors-Designated Radiation Oncologist.
MOASC Clinical Trial Database is on the MOASC website at www.moasc.org. If you are interested in adding your active clinical trials to the database, please contact Nichole East at neast@moasc.org
MOASC Programs - Save the Dates - All Times are Pacific
Thank you for your participation on the MOASC Clinical Webinar held on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. Presented by: Arthur Lurvey, M.D., Medicare Contractor Medical Director, Noridian who discussed Medicare Updates in 2022. If you would like to see what you missed and copies of the slides, please contact the MOASC office at moasc@moasc.org or 909-985-9061 x1.
 
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.
MOASC is pleased to join Rockpointe in presenting an on-demand, free CME/CE-certified webcourse available to MOASC members. The on-demand webcourse will be on “Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers: Current and Emerging Checkpoint Inhibitors for Treating Advanced Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinomas,” and available to anyone who would like to participate until August of 2022. Members are provided with at least 3 opportunities on or around; December 1, 2021, March 1, 2022, July 1, 2022.
Career News

A premier comprehensive cancer center in Bakersfield, California is seeking two qualified Hematologist-Oncologist for employed positions. This is a wonderful opportunity to join a rapidly growing private practice that is connected to major academic hospitals in southern California. Great income potential: base compensation plus RVU production bonus; comprehensive benefits, including health, vacation time, 401(k), CME days, and 8 national holidays. Interested candidates please email Deb Fogel, COO at dfogel@cbccusa.com or call 661-322-2206. 

The Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation - Los Angeles, California has Hematology / Oncology Physician Opportunities available. For more information, visit www.theoncologyinstitute.com.
 
Sign up now to receive the MOASC Job Flash™! at https://moasc.careerwebsite.com
Thank you!
California News
On January 2, 2022, the California Department of Health Care Services will transition all Medi-Cal pharmacy services from managed care to fee-for-service. Physicians who currently prescribe medications for Med-Cal patients, are encouraged to register for the secure Medi-Cal Rx Provider Portal, as soon as possible, and ensure preparedness for the upcoming transition to avoid any disruptions in patient care. 
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan has won the 2021 Health Equity Award from the California Department of Health Care Services for the nonprofit health plan's BlueSky Program for Medi-Cal members. The state agency annually recognizes Medi-Cal managed care health plans that have excelled in improving the quality of health care for the millions of beneficiaries receiving Medi-Cal services. Blue Sky is a multi-year initiative to improve access, awareness, and advocacy for youth mental health support for California middle and high school students. It was launched in 2019 by Blue Shield of California and Blue Shield Promise health plans and operates in 20 schools in San Diego and Alameda counties.
Medicare News
Noridian News
Effective November 25, 2021, Billing and Coding: MolDX: Oncotype DX Breast Cancer for DCIS (Genomic Health) - R1 has been revised and published for notice under contract numbers: 01112 (NCA), 01182 (SCA), 01212 (AS, GU, HI, NMI), and 01312 (NV).
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.
Noridian Programs
Tomorrow, December 8, 2021 - Medicare 101 - New Providers/New Billers: Beneficiary Forms Webinar. This event includes: Important Message from Medicare, Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage, Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice, and Hospital Issued Notice of Noncoverage.
CMS News
TOMORROW! Wednesday December 8, 2021, 11am-12pm Pacific Time, the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) and the CMS Office of Communication will host an orientation to provider requirements under the No Surprises Act. Special Open Door Participation Instructions: Participant Dial-In Number: 1-888-455-1397 Conference ID #: 8604468. 
Starting January 1, 2022, consumers will have new billing protections when getting emergency care, non-emergency care from out-of network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services from out-of-network providers. Through new rules aimed to protect consumers, excessive out-of-pocket costs will be restricted, and emergency services must continue to be covered without any prior authorization, and regardless of whether or not a provider or facility is in-network.
The Doctors and Clinicians Preview Period for CMS’ Quality Payment Program (QPP) performance information, closes on December 14, 2021 at 5pm Pacific. This period provides an opportunity for doctors and clinicians to review their 2020 Quality Payment Program (QPP) performance information before it is publicly reported on clinician and group profile pages on Medicare Care Compare and in the Provider Data Catalog.
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.
New codes to allow health care provider reimbursement for a wider range of remote patient monitoring (RPM) services is included in the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule. Using RPM, health care professionals can improve care for patients with limited mobility by leveraging digital health tools and telehealth platforms.
Yet, 91% of health care providers answering a 34-country survey said they offer a telehealth option, and 52% said they have encountered patients who refused care via telehealth due to privacy concerns or mistrust of the technology. 81% of respondents expressed privacy concerns, 34% knew of at least one case of an incorrect diagnosis due to suboptimal video or photo quality, and 54% said apps not specifically designed for a medical setting have been used for telehealth in their organization.
CMS released a new Medicare Telemedicine Data Snapshot with information on Medicare beneficiaries who utilized telemedicine services during the pandemic period (between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021). According to the snapshot, 28 million Medicare beneficiaries utilized telemedicine services during this time period, over 30 times the number of users as the prior year (March 2019 to February 2020). The data for the Snapshot comes from Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) claims data, Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data, and Medicare enrollment information. 
CMS has released the 2021 Restructured BETOS Classification System (RBCS) – a taxonomy that allows researchers to group healthcare service codes for Medicare Part B services into clinically meaningful categories and subcategories.
The December 2, 2021, CMS MLN Connects has made their latest edition available. 
National News
HHS is appealing a federal court's decision to halt implementation of COVID-19 vaccine requirements for health care workers. The appeal will be heard by the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, and some health systems said they were putting their own vaccination requirements on hold while litigation unfolds.
As reported in last week’s California Oncology Weekly, the US Supreme Court was hearing arguments concerning reductions of nearly 30% in Medicare reimbursements under the 340B prescription drug-discount program. The American Hospital Association challenged the cuts. The arguments included questions regarding Chevron deference, which often applies to environmental law and offers latitude in federal agencies' interpretations of ambiguous legislation.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced continued action against health care providers and health plans for lack of appropriate response to patient’s right of access to records. After receiving a request, an entity that is regulated by HIPAA has, absent an extension, 30 days to provide an individual or their representative with their records in a timely manner. OCR investigates right of access violations based on a complaint-driven system. Individuals who think their HIPAA rights have been violated have the right to file a complaint with OCR.
A new HHS website supporting the Aligning Health Care Industry Security Approaches Program provides cybersecurity, patient safety information and best practices for clinicians and public health officials. The website offers training tools, videos and other resources such as posters and infographics to improve cybersecurity in the health care and public health sectors.
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) published its first annual Barriers to Fair Access assessment of prescription drug coverage policies. Using a leading proprietary database of formulary coverage information, the report evaluates 15 of the largest commercial formularies in the United States to determine the rate of concordance with fair access criteria for 28 drugs ICER has determined to be fairly priced. Of the 28 drugs evaluated 4 are oncology drugs, Olaparib/Lynparza for Ovarian cancer, Gefitinib/Iressa for Non-small cell lung cancer, Axicabtagene ciloleucel/Yescarta for B-cell lymphoma, Afatinib/Gilotrif for Non-small cell lung cancer.
UnitedHealthcare policy and protocol update has been published.
Affiliate Association News
ANCO News
On December 2nd ANCO launched their annual election via election runner. All eligible voting members were sent voting instructions via email. The election will remain open until 11:55pm on December 31st. If you did not receive your information, please contact Courtney at courtney@anco.org
 
Dec. 16, at 12:15 p.m. Pacific, you are invited to ANCO’s Virtual Roundtable & Networking Series, Finding Meaning for Healthcare Professionals, featuring BJ Miller, M.D., noted author, speaker & educator. Dr. Miller has been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, NPR’s Terry Gross, the New York Times and others, and his 2015 TED Talk, “Not Whether But How,” has been viewed more than 11 million times.
ANCO's Medicare Update 2022 will be hosted online on Monday, January 10th.
ASCO News

TODAY, by 12PM Pacific time, please take time to vote in the ASCO election. Please encourage your partners to vote in the ASCO election.
Patient advocates are invited to apply for a scholarship to attend the upcoming ASCO GI Cancers Symposium in person, taking place January 20-22 at Moscone West, in San Francisco, California. The application period is now open and will close THIS Friday, December 10, at 2pm Pacific. You can download the eligibility and criteria now or view on the first page of the application. We apologize for the quick turn-around time and greatly appreciate your flexibility.
ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) began in 2002 as one of the first outpatient practice-based programs designed to foster a culture of self-examination and improvement in oncology. Developed by world-renowned practicing oncologists, nurses, health service researchers, and quality experts, QOPI now has more than 10,000 oncologists worldwide registered with the program.
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.
ASH News
Abstracts submitted for oral and poster presentations at the 63rd ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition represent important research in the field and are considered the best of the thousands of abstracts submitted. Six new abstracts highlighting novel and high-impact studies whose results were not available by the general abstract submission deadline have just been released! Begin browsing the late-breaking abstracts, and make sure to tune in to the special late-breaking abstracts session on Tuesday, December 14, at 6am Pacific time.
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.
COA News
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 through January 20, 2022.
Industry News
Guardant Health, Inc., announced they will present new data demonstrating the benefits of using the Guardant360® liquid biopsy test to help guide targeted therapy options for patients with advanced breast cancer at the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) on December 7-11. These studies were based on data from the GuardantINFORM real-world clinical genomic platform, which features extensive de-identified genomic data and aggregated commercial payer claims from advanced cancer patients who received the Guardant360 liquid biopsy assay.
The Janssen Pharmaceutical Inc., announced that the FDA approved DARZALEX FASPRO® (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj) in combination with Kyprolis® (carfilzomib) and dexamethasone (Kd) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy. 
Merck announced that the FDA approved KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, for the adjuvant treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with stage IIB or IIC melanoma following complete resection. Additionally, the FDA expanded the indication for KEYTRUDA as adjuvant treatment for stage III melanoma following complete resection to include pediatric patients (12 years and older).
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.