Register today!  

Hilton Woodcliff Lake 

May 18, 2013  

Saturday Night Inaugural Gala honoring Ruth J. Schulze, MD - MSNJ's 221st President (invitation) (sponsorships) (ad journal)

Contact eventsbyrachel@gmail.com 609.314.4556.

Learn about: ICD-10-CM and guidelines, key coding conventions for the ICD-10-CM, differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10, and diagnosis coding in ICD-10 by body part.

Target Audience: Small Practices  

Register online

NJ Supreme Court Requires Same Specialty Expert in Medical Liability Lawsuits-

Position Urged by MSNJ

Today, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in Nicholas v. Mynster, a medical liability lawsuit, in which MSNJ and AMA filed an amicus--friends of the court-brief. The high court agreed with our position that a challenging expert must be board certified in the same specialty as a board certified defendant. In doing so, the court adopted a " kind-for-kind" specialty requirement. According to Melinda Martinson, General Counsel of MSNJ, "physicians can now be assured that an expert testifying against them in a medical malpractice case will be qualified on the applicable standard of care and whether there was a deviation from the standard resulting in injury." The court recognized that competency to treat a condition is not the same as the qualifications required by statute to testify to the applicable standard of care.

The court interpreted the plain language of the statute that specifies the qualifications of a testifying expert necessary to carry out the clear intent of the Legislature when it enacted the "New Jersey Medical Care Access and Responsibility and Patients First Act" in 2004. MSNJ worked hard to pass the legislation that included the standards for experts testifying in medical malpractice cases. Our efforts were necessary to address sky-rocketing professional liability premiums driven by lawsuits that were without merit. Read the court's opinion.

Sequester's Impact on Your Practice--Not Just Fee Decrease--Your In-Put Sought

In what ways is your practice being impacted by the Medicare 2% payment reduction? Please let us know by writing to info@msnj.org. Please put: Medicare Sequester in the subject line.The AMA is collecting data on the sequester's impact to support a request for relief outside of a "grand bargain."

For example, the 2% fee reduction is not the only negative impact. CMS has announced that Medicare's 2% sequester will negatively  impact meaningful use incentives.  There will be a 2% reduction in incentive payments for physicians and hospitals for reporting periods than end on or after April 1, 2013. (The cut does not affect Medicaid incentive payments.)

Qualcare Corrects Fees for Psychiatry Code Changes in Response to MSNJ Inquiry  

Several MSNJ members complained about Qualcare's non-payment and an inadequate revised fee schedule related to the 2013 psychiatry code changes. In response to our inquiry, Qualcare explained to MSNJ that there had been a mistake in the new 2013 fee schedule and the company has since corrected it. Qualcare sent a letter to psychiatrists regarding the correction and has agreed to automatically reprocess all claims that were inappropriately denied or underpaid. MSNJ encourages participating psychiatrists to watch for a letter from Qualcare that explains the revised fee schedule.

Medicaid Primary Care Incentive Payment Roll Out

The Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) recently provided MSNJ with an overview of how the primary care incentive payments will be made. For Medicaid Fee for Service (FFS) claims, primary care incentive payments will be claim specific and will be paid on a claim by claim basis. However, the retroactive FFS incentive payments will  be paid by bulk check and will not be claim specific. Physicians are reminded that an attestation must be filed with Molina Medicaid in order to qualify for retroactive FFS incentive payments by April 30th. The Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) will pay the  primary care incentive in quarterly bulk payments that will not be claim specific. We do not know the timeframe for the first quarterly payment yet.

MSNJ Objects to Bill that would allow Psychologists to Prescribe

The New Jersey Assembly has posted  A2419 for a full vote on April 29th. This bill would allow psychologist to prescribe drugs, infringing on physicians' scope of practice. MSNJ has been fighting hard against this bill. Please remind your legislator that this is a dangerous scope of practice expansion by contacting your legislator today!  

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

The DEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, April 27 from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Safely dispose of any unused or expired drugs. Locate a collection site near you! View AMA's news release.

National Inant Immunization Week 

Today marks the end of National Infant Immunization Week, an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrate the achievements of immunization programs and their partners in promoting healthy communities. For the first time in years, New Jersey is above the national average for the percentage of children who have received immunizations, but health advocates are still concerned about two trends. Of New Jersey residents between 18 and 35 months old, 79.6 percent have had the full set of recommended vaccines, compared with the national average of 77 percent.  

April is Organ Donation Month

Applications Still Accepted for Hurricane Sandy Relief Grant 
The Physicians Foundation announced a grant in the amount of $350,000 each to the Medical Society of New Jersey and the Medical Society of the State of New York. Grantees do not have to be MSNJ Members. Download the application today.

• Read the NJBIZ article about the fund. 
• Read more in the Hudson Reporter. 

Affordable Care Act Conference - May 8, 2013 

The Region II Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and ShapingNJ, the Office of Nutrition & Fitness, New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services will host a free conference, "Bringing the Affordable Care Act Home" on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., at the Rutgers University Busch Campus Center. Come learn and network with other organizations working to implement health reform in New Jersey. More information and registration. Contact Thomas Bane at thomas.bane@cms.hhs.gov for more information.

MedAC: Fundraiser for
Assemblyman Conaway

On Wednesday, May 8th at 6:00 P.M. MedAC is hosting a cocktail reception and campaign fundraiser for Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee Chairman, Dr. Herbert Conaway, Jr. at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe. Dr. Conaway is in a tough race this year and, as the only physician in the State Legislature, needs our help!   

The suggested contribution is $250 per person. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Stephanie Wohlrab at 732-674-4199. Contributions can be made out to Conaway for Assembly c/o Stephanie Wohlrab, 770 North Drive, Brick, NJ 08724. We would appreciate your support!

Health Insurance Marketplace Teleconference

Registration Now Open: ICD-10 Workshop:

"ICD-10 and Coding for Difficult Diagnosis."  

Friday, June 21 from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. at MSNJ Headquarters, Lawrenceville, NJ.

Join MSNJ for an ICD-10 workshop on "ICD-10 and Coding for Difficult Diagnosis."

Presented by: Tina Cressman, MALS, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CEMC, CPMA, CPEDC, CPC-I, CCS-P, MCS-P, MCS-I, CPAT, CCAT, CCT, CMC, Assistant Director, Health Information Management, Cooper University Hospital.

Learn about: ICD-10-CM and guidelines, key coding conventions for the ICD-10-CM, differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10, and diagnosis coding in ICD-10 by body part.

Target Audience: Small Practices  

Register online

May 1 Deadline - Ordering & Referring Enrollment
Effective May 1, 2013, physicians will be required to be enrolled in Medicare if they order/refer services for Medicare patients. MSNJ worked with AMA to secure delays of the compliance date to allow a sufficient period of time for physician outreach and education. Billing physicians will not be paid for services if the ordering/referring physician is not enrolled or if ordering/referring information is complete. Physicians must list on a claim the name and NPI of the ordering/referring physician or provider. Paper filers are reminded that only the first and last name of the ordering/referring physician should be included on the claim; nicknames, middle initials, and/or credentials should not be included, as the claim will be denied.   

Physicians who need to enroll should do so through Medicare's online PECOS website. The Texas Medical Association created a very helpful National PECOS Lookup Tool. Use this free tool to verify your Medicare ordering/referring enrollment status. Those who have opted out of Medicare do not need to enroll. View the MLN Matters article SE1305 and the AMA's FAQs on the Medicare Ordering/Referring Enrollment Policy.  

MSNJ Practice Management Community

View April's Coding Tip of the Month on Modifier -51: Multiple procedures. If you would like your coding question addressed in an upcoming edition of e-News or you have a coding question specific to your practice, please email your questions. We will work with a certified professional coder to help answer them.

CMS Webinar on Participating in EHR Incentive Programs, PQRS, and eRx

Over the next month, CMS will offer a re-run of the webinar "CMS 2013 Medicare Incentives Programs." This webinar provides information on the programs including eligibility, key program milestones, penalties, and hardship exemptions. View decision trees that show how providers can receive incentive payments and avoid penalties by participating in the different programs.

• Wednesday, May 1, 12:30 P.M. 
• Friday, May 3, 1:30 P.M.

Liberty Mutual Insurance, MSNJ Silver Level Affinity Partner

175 Berkeley Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
1-800-295-3753 Auto & Home or
1-800-451-7065 Life 
 Website   

Report A Claim
You can report a claim online by registering for eService or call: 1-800-2CLAIMS (1-800-225-2467)

Seminar: Depression, Alcohol, and Substance Use  

St. Francis Medical Center and The Nicholson Foundation will host a free grand rounds seminar on "Depression, Alcohol, and Substance Use" on Monday, May 13, 2013 from 8:00 A.M. to 9:30 A.M. at RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. If you cannot attend the in-person seminar, you may register to view it as a webinar. Register for the in-person seminar online. View more details about this series.

Hospital Medicine 2013
May 16-19, 2013
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
National Harbor, MD
www.hospitalmedicine2013.org 

Specialty Society Upcoming Events:

• April 27, 2013 - NJ Society of Plastic Surgeons 2013 Annual Meeting -The Westin - Princeton, NJ
• May 7, 2013- NJ-American College of Emergency Physicians 2013 Scientific Assembly- Princeton Marriott at Forrestal Village.