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 9, 2016
 
California News

- The California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 is a ballot initiative to increase California's cigarette tax by $2 per pack, with an equivalent increase in the tax on other tobacco products like chew and e-cigarettes. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, and American Lung Association in California are standing up to Big Tobacco to save lives and help smokers quit. For more detailed instructions, watch this video! http://bit.ly/sigtrainingvideo. #SaveLivesCA. You can find it on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram @SaveLivesCA

- The California Medical Association (CMA) has released guidance for physicians regarding California's physician assisted death law (AB2x-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 and details the legal and medical steps physicians must take before prescribing life-ending medication and their legal rights to participate or opt out based on moral or religious beliefs. Please note that AB2x-15 will not become law until 90 days after the adjournment of the current special session of the Legislature.

- Forthcoming CMA webinars:
* HIPAA Compliance: Key Risks All Physicians Should Know (February 24)
* Closing a Medical Practice (March 9)
Register at
www.cmanet.org/events.
 
- CMA's Practice Resources (CPR) for February 2016 is available online at www.cmanet.org/cpr and features articles entitled: CMA seeking physician input on proposed health insurance mergers--take the CMA survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/CMAMergerSurvey; Technical assistance available for CURES 2.0 users; Reminder: Exchange patients, eligibility, and the 90-day grace period; Blue Shield revises Provider Data Confirmation Form; The Coding Corner: How to code the Medicare advance care planning benefit
 
- UnitedHealthcare's Network Bulletin (February 2016) is now available online at http://unitedhealthcareonline.com > Quick Links > Network Bulletin and highlights changes in advance notification and prior authorization requirements.



Noridian News
 
-Noridian/JEMAC has posted the following updates to its website (http://med.noridianmedicare.com/web/jeb):
* MLN Connects Provider eNews
Announcements--PQRS Submission Time Frames for 2015 Data; Changes to the Medicare EHR Incentive Program Hardship Exemption Process; Applying for an EHR Hardship Exception: FAQs
Publications & Videos--Medicare Advance Beneficiary Notices Booklet-Revised; Skilled Nursing Facility Billing Reference Fact Sheet-Revised; Remittance Advice Information: An Overview Fact Sheet-Revised; Medicare Advance Beneficiary Notices Booklet-Revised
* Revised 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Now Available
* Documentation Requirements for HH PPS Face-to-Face Encounter-Rescinded SE405
* New Look and Website Address for Noridian Homepage
* Medicare Participating Physician Directory Information
* Medicare Part B News JE January 2016 Bulletin-Now Available
* New Waived Tests CR9515
* HCPCS Codes Subject to and Excluded from CLIA Edits CR9502.



DHCS/Medi-Cal News

- On February 24, EWC (Every Woman Counts) 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.



 MOASC News

- 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].

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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/multicancers.



National News
 
- The Senate is considering the House's 21st Century Cures Act, to enable health data sharing across platforms, which includes funding for the NIH to create a set of national health IT standards; and the precision medicine initiative is helping accelerate the push toward interoperability. EHR Intelligence
 
- Provider burnout has been experienced by 90% of physicians, while almost two-thirds of them reported thinking about leaving the profession, according to a report from the Studer Group. Among the major causes cited were staff shortages and the regulatory burdens of EHR meaningful use measures and the ICD-10 transition. EHR Intelligence
 
 
  
CMS News 
- Because of a delay in the publication of regulations governing the Medicare meaningful use program, CMS is allowing eligible physicians to apply for an exemption under the "extreme and uncontrollable circumstances" category. Physicians are urged to preemptively file for a 2015 hardship exemption to avoid penalties in 2016. The deadline for applying for the exemption is March 15. Read more at https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/ehrincentiveprograms/paymentadj_hardship.html.
 
 
- CMS has announced that it will expand coverage for stem cell transplantation for Medicare patients with myeloma, sickle cell disease, and myelofibrosis. Go to www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/details/nca-decision-memo.aspx?NCAId=280 for more information.
 


Affiliate Association News  

- MOASC & ANCO sign onto 'Thank You' letter to Vice President, Joe Biden's, "Moon Shot" cancer initiative. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) are also signing onto the "Thank You" letter as a cancer community.ASCO will also be inviting fellow organizations, which represent caregivers, survivors, patient advocates, and others in the cancer community to sign the letter. Specifically, we thank the Vice President and President for proposing $1 billion for the National Cancer Moon Shot. The letter will be delivered following the release of the FY 2017 budget on today, February 9. Read about ASCO leadership's recent meeting with the Vice President.
VP Thank You Community Sign-On.

- ASCO will host a webinar on its recently launched PracticeNET, a collaborative network in which practices share and receive insights to enhance their business operations and quality of care, on February 17 at 1PM PST. Register for the webinar at www.asco.org/advocacy/attend-february-17-webinar-practicenet-asco's-business-learning-collaborative.
 
- ASCO's Clinical Affairs Department has released a new annual survey, the 2016 Survey of Oncology Practice Operations (SOPA), which seeks feedback on practice management. The business and operations data reported in this survey, open now through February 17, will be used to prepare benchmarks and standards in practice management, and all participants will receive a copy of the survey report. Take the survey at www.asco.org/advocacy/asco's-clinical-affairs-department-opens-new-survey-practice-operations.
 
- 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! 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. 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.
 
- 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.
 
- ASCO's comments on USP General Chapter 797, Pharmaceutical Compounding--Sterile Preparations, underscore a shared commitment to ensuring patient safety through the proper and accurate delivery of anticancer medication, but urge USP to adequately account for the day-to-day operations of modern oncology practices by aligning USP documents with the laws and regulations of the United States Food and Drug Administration. Read ASCO's comments at
 
- 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.
 
- Whether you were unable to attend the 57th ASH Annual Meeting or simply missed out on key sessions, you can access educational and scientific content from the meeting on ASH on Demand at https://ashondemand.org, including:
* ASH/FDA Joint Symposium on Late-Breaking Drug Approvals
* Genomics, the Next Frontier: Novel Approaches to Study Cancer and Development
* Update in Large Cell Lymphoma
* The ASH Choosing Wisely Campaign: Top Five Non-ASH Choosing Wisely Recommendations of Relevance to Hematology
* Best of ASH



Industry News  
 
- Eisai informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Halaven for the treatment of liposarcoma that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) or is advanced (metastatic) in patients who have received prior chemotherapy that contained an anthracycline.
 
- Merck informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Emend
(single-dose), in combination with other antiemetic agents, for the prevention of delayed nausea and vomiting in adults receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC).
 
- Novartis Oncology informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Arzerra for the extended treatment of patients who are in complete or partial response after at least two lines of therapy for recurrent or progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
 
- Teva Oncology's INTevaGENCE offers an online expert forum where seasoned presenters bring you information, tools, instruction, and expert perspectives. Topics include oncology nurse navigation, continuous improvement of quality, and patient satisfaction. Go to http://intevagence.com/Brochure/ONC-40643_InTevaGence_Flashcard_v5.pdf for more information.
 
 
In This Issue
  1.  
 
 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, 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