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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.
February 2, 2016
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- As the California Senate advances a bill to fix a flaw in new laws establishing statewide medical marijuana regulations, the California Medical Association (CMA) announced yesterday, 2/1/16, support for a "responsible marijuana" ballot initiative. Consistent with CMA White Paper of 2011, measure will tightly control, track, research and regulate adult-use marijuana and invest new revenue in a way that protects public health. The talking points for CMA announcement on Marijuana Initiative are: - CMA, in accordance with policies outlined in a 2011 white paper, has announced support of the "Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act."
- CMA's white paper urged the legalization and regulation of cannabis to allow for greater research, oversight, accountability and quality control.
- It's important that a measure like this pass so that there can be better monitoring and research of cannabis.
- Additionally, this measure will reduce improver diversion in California's medical marijuana system.
- As a matter of policy, CMA does not encourage the use of marijuana and discourages the use of smoking
- The best way to protect the public health is to tightly control, track and regulate marijuana in addition to comprehensively researching and educating the public on its health impacts.
About the measure: The Adult Use of Marijuana Act is a consensus measure based on recognized best practices and recommendations from engaged citizens and organizations representing local government, health and policy experts, environmental leaders, small farmers and business owners, worker representatives and social justice advocates. It includes safeguards for children, workers, local governments and small businesses and strict anti-monopoly provisions and the toughest warning label and marketing-to-kids laws in the nation. It provides hundreds of millions of dollars in annual funding -- the highest level ever by any state in America -- for youth drug prevention, education and treatment programs. It also provides significant investment into local law enforcement and environmental and water protection programs. It also closely adheres to the Lieutenant Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy and the new medical marijuana laws recently passed by a bipartisan majority of the Legislature and signed by Governor Brown (SB 643, AB 266 and AB 243).
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*Implementation of Fingerprint-Based Background Checks - Revised SE1417
This Special Edition article is being provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to announce the implementation of fingerprint-based background checks of providers, as part of enhanced enrollment screening provisions contained in Section 6401 of the Affordable Care Act. Read the complete update
*Medicare Participating Physician Directory Information
The Medicare Participating Physician Directory (MEDPARD) is a list of physicians, suppliers and practitioners (Medicare health care providers) who have signed an agreement to accept assignment on all claims. Read the complete update
*Medicare B News JE January 2016 Bulletin - Now Available
The Medicare B News bulletin dated January 2016 is now available on the Noridian Bulletins webpage. Read the complete update
*MLN Connects Provider eNews - January 28, 2016
CMS has made available the latest edition of the MLN Connect Provider e-News. Read the complete update
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- On February 3, DHCS' Every Woman Counts (EWC) program will conduct a meeting with the Breast and Cervical Cancer Advisory Council in Sacramento. EWC meets with the advisory council twice per year. The meeting will include a guided discussion about EWC priorities, unit updates, and activities. Meeting materials will be posted on the DHCS website and emailed to stakeholders prior to the meeting. On February 24, EWC will conduct a meeting with stakeholders in Sacramento. EWC meets with stakeholders twice per year. Staff will provide an update on EWC activities. Meeting materials will be emailed to stakeholders prior to the meeting and will be posted on the DHCS website. For more information about EWC, please visit the DHCS website.
- A minimum of 7,500 paid pre-orders, by mid-July 2016, are needed for DMV to begin producing the California Pink Ribbon License Plates. To date, 1,529 pre-orders have been received. You may pre-order the license plate at www.PinkPlate.org. Revenue generated by the license plates will go to the Breast Cancer Control Account to be used to raise breast cancer awareness and support breast cancer early detection efforts, including outreach, education, screening, diagnostic services, and treatment referral for women. On August 19, 2015, the Department Motor of Vehicles (DMV) approved the California Pink Ribbon License Plate. EWC is working closely with the Survivor Sisters, DMV, and the California Highway Patrol to bring the first of its kind Pink Ribbon License Plate to California.
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- SAVE THE DATE! The MOASC General Membership Meeting, Saturday, April 30, 2016, 7:30am to 3:00pm Decoding Molecular Medicine's "nibs" and "mabs." How new molecular advances fit into your treatment pattern for lung, breast and skin cancer. Hyatt Regency Long Beach, hotel rooms will be provided at a discounted rate, if needed, please contact [email protected]. - MOASC is interested in how oncology practices manage coding and billing for Medicare patients requiring an ambulatory external infusion pump for continuous chemotherapy. Does your practice use ambulatory external infusion pumps for continuous chemotherapy? If so, how are you billing and coding for such? Thank you for your response to [email protected]. - Thank you for your participation in the LunchTime Series Teleconference held on January 27, 2016. The topic was "Changes in Medicare for 2016 and How to Survive Them". Presented by: Elaine L. Towle, CMPE, Director, Analysis & Consulting Services, Clinical Affairs Department, American Society of Clinical Oncology. In case you missed the presentation, you can listen to the recording by dialing 1-888- 203-1112 and enter the passcode 191672471#.The recording will be available for the next 30 days. If you would like a copy of the handouts, please send an email to [email protected]
- Thank you to those who joined us at the MOASC and UC Irvine Health, Division of Hematology/Oncology presentation of, "Spotlight on ASH," held Thursday, January 28, 2016,at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach. After the Networking Reception and Exhibit Hall with Program Sponsors, attendees were welcomed by Robert Moss, M.D., Chairman of the Board, Past President, MOASC. Chaitali Nangia, MD. Introduced the MOASC Fellows Grant recipients Monica El-Masry, MD & Bhavana Pathak, MD who spoke on Cardiovascular Disease in Adolescents and Young Adults with Hematologic Malignancies. MOASC & UCI would like to thank Alexion, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eisai, Gilead Science, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, Sanofi/Genzyme, Tesaro and Pfizerfor their support of this program. Specific Oncology Tube presentations can be accessed through the links above. MOASC is always looking for more ways to help our members. Your feedback is very important to us. Please take a few moments to answer to [email protected], the following questions. The location: What did you think of the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach? The date and time: Was the date and time convenient for you? Topics and speaker: What did you think of the topics and speakers? Suggestions for improvement? Suggestions for future topics? Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey, it is appreciated.
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- 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/multicancers. PLEASE NOTE: Early registration rates end January 31; housing is limited!
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- Did healthcare policy issues play a role in the Iowa presidential caucus results?It's unclear whether healthcare policy issues played a role in the GOP caucus results, but some observers believe Sanders' support for single-payer helped him energize his supporters in the Democratic race. Most of the Republican candidates have said little about healthcare during the campaign so far other than denouncing the Affordable Care Act and calling for its repeal. - President Barack Obama will ask Congress for $755 million for cancer research in next year's budget, bringing the total price tag for Vice President Joe Biden's cancer initiative to $1 billion. Read More - TRICARE Pharmacy Changes Effective Now. Several changes to the TRICARE pharmacy benefit take effect on Feb. 1. First, co-pays for drugs filled at retail pharmacies and TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery increase slightly. Second, TRICARE Over-the-Counter (OTC) drug coverage becomes a full and permanent part of the TRICARE benefit, requiring that beneficiaries pay the usual generic co-pays. Read the full article here.
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- February 8, 2016 is the deadline to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI). More information on the LOI is available here: http://innovationgov.force.com/ahc . Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 10:00pm PST on March 31, 2016. To sign up for updates about this model, please subscribe to the Accountable Health Communities Model listserv. The Accountable Health Communities (AHC) model addresses a critical gap between clinical care and community services in the current health care delivery system by testing whether systematically identifying and addressing the health-related social needs of beneficiaries' impacts total health care costs, improves health, and quality of care. In taking this approach, the Accountable Health Communities model supports the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Service's (CMS) "better care, smarter spending, and healthier people" approach to improving health care delivery. If you have any questions on the model or need any more information, submit questions directly to CMMI, email. Any additional information will be posted on the Innovation Center website. Follow updates on the CMS Innovation Center's Twitter Account (@CMSInnovates). - CMS has launched important changes to the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program hardship exception process that will reduce burdens on clinicians, hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs). CMS has released an FAQ outlining the documentation requirements for submitting the new hardship application to avoid the 2017 payment adjustment. Response toFAQ #14113 - CMS does not require an EP, eligible hospital, or CAH - or any group of providers - to submit documentation for the hardship category selected and CMS will not be reviewing documentation supporting the application on a case-by-case basis. CMS will review the application to record the category selected and use the identifying information to approve the hardship exception for each provider listed on the application. Providers should retain documentation of their circumstances for their own records, but no such documentation is required for review by CMS. CMS has also updated FAQ #12845 to reflect these changes and to provide additional guidance specific to sub-category 2.2d of PAMPA - EHR Certification/Vendor Issues (CEHRT Issues). Providers who experienced an issue with their CEHRT related to the rule timing - and any other provider for whom the timing of the rule caused a significant hardship - should select sub-category 2.2d on the 2017 hardship exception application. No additional documentation is required for this selection. For more information to review the hardship exception application and instructions, visit the Payment Adjustments and Hardship Information page on the CMS website.
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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. - 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.
- 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.
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Industry News
- Pfizer continues to enhance their patient assistance program, www.PfizerRxPathways.com. In response to the ongoing challenges patients face in paying their out-of-pocket costs for their prescription medicines, Pfizer has increased the allowable income level for its patient assistance program, so that even more patients in need could be eligible to receive their Pfizer medicines for free. With this change, more than 40 medicines offered for free through the program are available to eligible patients earning up to 4 times the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) adjusted for family size. Pfizer has been helping patients gain access to the Pfizer medicines they need for more than 25 years. Patients, health care providers and patient advocates can visit www.PfizerRxPathways.com to learn more about Pfizer's programs, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, and to download applications or program brochures. Pfizer RxPathways is a joint program of Pfizer Inc. and the Pfizer Patient Assistance Foundation™. http://pfizer365.com/post/132640440737/finding-the-right-path-to-access-for-even-more. If you have any questions please contact Keith Borgschatz, Alliance Development ManagerCA & AZ | Pfizer U.S. Government Relations, 949-874-7033, [email protected].
- Act now and save! Please be advised that FFF Enterprises has limited inventories of 5 gm and 10 gm Bivigam 10%, which are due to expire on March 31! If your infusion center is able to utilize the short-dated stock for near-term patient infusions, this opportunity, at $50 per gram vs. the regular Innovatix Bivigam contract price of $71 per gram, could save you approximately 30% off the regular price. If you are interested in purchasing the short-dated Bivgam product, please identify the offer to the FFF order-taker. Please note: all sales are final and no returns will be accepted for credit. Click here for detailed product and pricing information.
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Exhibit 4. Mortality rates by cause of death for white Americans age 45-54, 1968-2004
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MOASC CALENDAR
LunchTime Series Teleconference/Webinar
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, VAOctober 26th - 28th MOASC Billers Program November 30th
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(March 18-20; Napa)
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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 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 |
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