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.
 
January 26, 2016
 
California News
 
- Calif. Senate Advances Bill To Fix Error in Medical Marijuana Rules. The California Senate has approved a bill that aims to correct a flaw in new laws establishing statewide medical marijuana regulations. The laws include language giving cities until March 1 to establish land-use regulations for medical marijuana cultivation or relinquish authority of cultivation to the state.
 
- Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms changed on January 1 with the full implementation of a new law that allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants, under the supervision of a physician and within their scope of practice, to sign POLST forms and make them actionable medical orders. For more information about POLST, see the California Medical Association's (CMA) end-of-life resources page at www.cmanet.org/about/patient-resources/end-of-life-issues/.

- CMA has released guidance for prescribing legal does of medication under California's new physician assisted death law (ABX2-15). CMA's The California End of Life Options Act is available at www.cmanet.org/resource-library/detail/?item=the-california-end-of-life-option-act. The CMA guidance details the legal and medical steps physicians must take before prescribing life-ending medication and physicians' legal rights to participate or opt out based on their moral or religious beliefs.

- Forthcoming CMA webinars include:
* CMA Priorities: Health System Transformation and Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA; January 27) Contact CMA's member help center at (800) 786-4262 or [email protected] for more information.



Noridian News
 
- Noridian/JEMAC has posted the following updates to its website (http://med.noridianmedicare.com/web/jeb):
* MLN Connects Provider eNews
Announcements--CMS Updates Open Payments Data and Improves Website; Read More about What is Next for the EHR Incentive Programs
Publications & Videos--PECOS FAQs Fact Sheet-Revised
* MolDx-Chromosome 1p-19q Deletion Analysis Draft LCD Published for Review and Comments
* LCD Reconsideration Requests to Include Additional ICD-10-CM Codes
* Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (MRT) Draft LCD Published for Review and Comment
* Revised 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Now Available
 
- Forthcoming Noridian/JEMAC meetings/workshops include:
* Open Public Meeting (February 4)



DHCS/Medi-Cal News

 - President Obama's fiscal year 2017 budget proposal, which is scheduled to be released Feb. 9, will call on Congress to extend the federal government's 100% funding share of Medicaid (Medi-Cal) expansion costs for the first three years of a state's expansion. The proposal aims to encourage more states to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Obama's Budget Will Seek To Encourage More Medicaid Expansions


 MOASC News

- MOASC's first 2016 LunchTime Series presentation is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27th, 12:00pm Pacific Time. Elaine L. Towle, CMPE, Director, Analysis & Consulting Services, Clinical Affairs Department, American Society of Clinical Oncology, will present the changes in Medicare for 2016 and how to survive them. Please RSVP via phone 909-985-9061 ext. 1 or via email [email protected]. 

- SAVE THE DATE! MOASC and University of California Irvine are proud to present the first "Spotlight on ASH." Speakers, who attended ASH in Orlando this week, will bring the premier topics and discussions to clinicians, Thursday, January 28, 2016, 5:30pm - 9pm, at the Fairmont Newport Beach. Please RSVP via phone 909-985-9061 ext. 1 or via email [email protected].

Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter   View our profile on LinkedIn



ANCO News
 
- ANCO is pleased to be a sponsor of the 16th Multidisciplinary Management of Cancers: A Case-based Approach which returns to the Silverado Resort and Spa, Napa, on March 18-20, 2016. The meeting is presented in collaboration by the Stanford Cancer Institute, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, and UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Early registration rates end January 31. For more information, visit http://cme.stanford.edu/multicancersPLEASE NOTE: Early registration rates end January 31; housing is limited!



National News

- USP Compounding Committee has announced its intention to publish the Proposed Handling Hazardous Drugs on February 1, 2016. The official implementation will not be until July 1, 2018. You can read about it on USP.org at:
 
 
 
CMS News 
 
- CMS has announced the 2015 PQRS data submission timeframes:
EHR Direct or Data Submission Vendor (QRDA I or III) - 1/1/16 - 2/29/16
Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDRs) (QRDA III) - 1/1/16 - 2/29/16
Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) Web Interface - 1/18/16 - 3/11/16
Qualified Registries (Registry XML) - 1/1/16 - 3/31/16
QCDRs (QCDR XML) - 1/1/16 - 3/31/16
Submission ends at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) on the end date listed. An Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) account with the "Submitter Role" is required for these PQRS data submission methods. Please see the EIDM System Toolkit for additional information.
Please know that maintenance is currently scheduled for the following timeframes:
1/22/2016 at 5:00 p.m. PT - 1/25/2016 at 3:00 a.m. PT
2/26/2016 at 5:00 p.m. PT - 2/29/2016 at 3:00 a.m. PT
3/11/2016 at 5:00 p.m. PT - 3/14/2016 at 3:00 a.m. PT
3/16/2016 at 5:00 p.m. PT - 3/21/2016 at 3:00 a.m. PT
The Physician and Other Health Care Professionals Quality Reporting Portal (Portal) may be unavailable during these times.
Eligible professionals who do not satisfactorily report quality measure data to meet the 2015 PQRS requirements will be subject to a negative PQRS payment adjustment on all Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) services rendered in 2017. For questions, please contact the QualityNet Help Desk at 1-866-288-8912 or via email at [email protected] from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Complete information about PQRS is available at http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/PQRS/index.html.
 
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announces the first meeting of the new Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee on February 1, 2016. The Committee is required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), and its members were appointed by the Comptroller General. On January 5, 2016, Secretary Burwell signed the Charter of the Committee. The Committee will review proposals for physician-focused payment models submitted by stakeholders based on criteria that the law requires the Secretary to establish through notice and comment rulemaking by November 1, 2016. Meeting information can be found by visiting the Federal Register Notice of Public Meeting.More information on the Committee can be found at https://aspe.hhs.gov/medicare-access-and-chip-reauthorization-act-2015.
 
- The deadline to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) is February 8, 2016. More information on the LOI is available here: http://innovationgov.force.com/ahc . Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 1:00pm EST on March 31, 2016.

If you have any questions on the model or need any more information, feel free to let us know. To submit questions directly to CMMI, email [email protected]. To sign up for updates about the Accountable Health Community Model via email list, please send your email address to [email protected] and following updates on the CMS Innovation Center's Twitter Account (@CMSInnovates).  
 
- Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH), released a new Guide to Preventing Readmissions among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Medicare Beneficiaries. The Guide was developed in collaboration with the Disparities Solutions Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago as part of the CMS Equity Plan for Improving Quality in Medicare,and is designed to assist hospital leaders and stakeholders focused on quality, safety, and care redesign in identifying root causes and solutions for preventing avoidable readmissions among racially and ethnically diverse Medicare beneficiaries.
 
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Covered Outpatient Drugs final rule with comment on January 21, 2016. The rule addresses important areas of Medicaid drug reimbursement, as well as some of the changes that were made to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program by the Affordable Care Act. This final rule also requests comments on the definition of line extension, and that comment period expires on April 1, 2016. This rule attempts to assist states and the federal government in managing drug costs and establishing a long-term framework for implementing the Medicaid drug rebate program. 



Affiliate Association News  

- Capitol Hill Day 2016 will serve as the kick-off for the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) 42nd Annual Meeting, CANCERSCAPE, March 2-4, 2016, in Washington D.C., where the policy conversation will continue. Capitol Hill Day 2015 mobilized ACCC members from 23 states to advocate for a permanent fix to the sustainable growth rate (SGR), oral chemotherapy parity legislation, and elimination of the prompt pay discount. More than 80 congressional meetings helped to pass legislation and positively influence the future of community oncology. Capitol Hill Day 2016 is Wednesday, March 2.
 
- NCCN is holding the NCCN 21st Annual Conference: Advancing the Standard of Care™, March 31st - April 2nd in Hollywood, Florida. The agenda is now available, and registration is open: http://www.nccn.org/professionals/meetings/annual_conference.aspx.
 
- MORE THAN JUST A MEETING - THIS CONFERENCE IS AN EVENT! More than 600 oncologists, oncology nurses, practice administrators, allied cancer team professionals, and payers together for two days of learning and networking. From bundled payments to MIPS to the CMMI Oncology Care Model, the Conference covers issues critical to practices in the coming year. Attend a special panel of national employers discussing how they are dealing with paying for cancer care.Registration is open for the Community Oncology Alliance's (COA) 2016 Community Oncology Conference. The most comprehensive community oncology conference is back, bringing together clinicians, practice administrators, payers, and industry leaders for two days of learning and networking. April 14-15, 2016 at The Lowes Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando.

- ACCC's Oncology Reimbursement Update 2016, a detailed summary of the OPPS and MPFS rules for 2016, is now available at http://www.accc-cancer.org/oncology_issues/articles/JF16/JF16-Oncology-Coding-Reimbursement-Update.pdf.
 
- ACCC's 2016 Patient Assistance and Reimbursement Guide is now available online at www.accc-cancer.org/publications/pdf/Patient-Assistance-Guiide-2016.pdf.
 
- ASCO has released a new policy statement with recommendations to ensure that clinical pathways in oncology promote--and not hinder--the care of patients with cancer. Published in the Journal of Oncology Practice, the statement asserts that the way in which these treatment management tools in cancer care have proliferated raises significant concerns about patient access, care quality, and transparency in pathway development and implementation. For the complete statement, please visit http://jop.ascopubs.org > Featured Content or http://www.asco.org/advocacy/asco-calls-improvements-clinical-pathway-programs-oncology.
 
- Download ASCO's presentation entitled Changes in Medicare 2016 at http://www.asco.org/practice-research/changes-medicare-2016.
 
- ASCO will host a second free webinar entitled MACRA: Learn the Basics, Get Ready for a Post-SGR World on February 2 at 1PM PST. Register at www.asco.org/macra. MACRA will change the way oncologists are paid for the care they provide to people with cancer. Learn more about MACRA at www.asco.org/macra (including ASCO's December 15 webinar slides) and www.hematology.org/Advocacy/Policy-News/2015/4702.aspx ASH has prepared a document that provides information about the alternative payment models option included in MACRA. The ASH document is available at http://www.hematology.org/Advocacy/Policy-News/2016/4855.aspx. The American Medical Association (AMA) has published a Guide to Physician-Focused Alternative Payment Models at https://download.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/washington/alternative-payment-models-physician-guide.pdf.



Industry News  

- PACE, a Lilly Oncology initiative, stands for Patient Access to Cancer care Excellence. PACE is a global initiative that exists to encourage public policies and health care decisions that speed the development of new medicines, promote rapid learning from patient experiences, and assure that cancer treatment and care responds to the needs and qualities of individual patients. https://pacenetworkusa.com/
In this second link, scroll down and watch the clip, "scoring progress against cancer."
 
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Companyannounced that the U.S. FDA has approved Opdivo
(nivolumab) in combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab), for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type and BRAF V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival (PFS). Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. This approval expands the original indication for the Opdivo + Yervoy Regimen for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type unresectable or metastatic melanoma to include patients, regardless of BRAF mutational status, based on data from the Phase 3 CheckMate -067 trial, in which PFS and overall survival (OS) were co-primary endpoints.
 
- Takeda Oncology informs ANCO and MOASC that it has launched a comprehensive support program for Ninlaro patients and their healthcare providers. Ninlaro 1Point offers an array of access and coverage services. The Ninlaro 1Point dedicated case management team can deliver personalized services that help patients and providers navigate coverage requirements for Ninlaro, streamline product access, and connect to helpful resources. Services include--benefit verification and prior authorization assistance; assistance with appealing a payer denial; Ninlaro Co-Pay Assistance Program enrollment for eligible, commercially insured patients; specialty pharmacy referral and coordination; referral to alternative funding sources and third-party foundations; connection to support services, including referrals for transportation services, legal support, and national and local organizations for counseling; and Patient Assistance Program application. For more information on access, coverage, and available support and services, contact a Ninlaro 1Point case manager at (844) N1POINT (617-6468), Option 2, Monday-Friday, 8AM-8PM ET or visit Ninlaro 1Point at www.Ninlaro-hcp.com/1Point.
 
- Foundation Medicine informs ANCO that it has signed a national agreement for FoundationOne, a comprehensive genomic profiling assay for solid tumors, with UnitedHealthcare. The agreement, which became effective December 15, 2015, covers FoundationOne for patients with metastatic stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).



In This Issue
  1.  
 
 MOASC CALENDAR
 

Spotlight on ASH  
January 28th  

LunchTime Series Teleconference/Webinar 
January 27th
April 27th
June 29th
August 31st
October 26th

Oncology Roundtable Teleconference 
March 2nd  
May 25th  
July 27th 
September 28th  
November 30th 
 
ASH Highlights in
San Diego, CA 
January 29th - 30th

NCCN in Florida 
April 1st - 2nd

General Membership Meeting 
April 29-30

ASCO National Meeting
in Chicago, II
June 3rd - June 6th

ASCO State Affiliate
Meeting in Virginia, VA

October 26th - 28th

MOASC Billers Program 
November 30th



 
 
 
ANCO  
CALENDAR
  
(March 18-20; Napa) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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