MSNJ e-News - May 30, 2014

Beginning in August, the financial interests of physicians with pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies and ownership interests in group purchasing organizations will be public. The data disclosure is based on information reported by these companies on June 1, the portal opens for physicians to review the data. This seminar will cover how to register for the site, review the information, and dispute reports if incorrect data is posted.

This event is $25 for MSNJ members, $50 for PAHCOM & NJMGMA members, and $100 for non-members.

More information

DATE CHANGE!

Webinar: MSNJ's MPMS Presents: Common Modifier Q&A

Wednesday, July 9, 2014 from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Our speaker will go over common modifiers, how they are used, and answer questions. Please submit your questions to info@msnj.org with "Modifier Webinar" in the subject line and we will do our best to address them during the webinar.

This event is $25 for MSNJ members, $50 for PAHCOM & NJMGMA members, and $100 for non-members.

Please note: Those who already registered will be automatically signed up to participate in this webinar.

More information

CME/Events /Training

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are hosting a free event on Clinical Challenges in Opioid Prescribing: Balancing Safety & Efficacy on May 31, 2014. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Click here for more information.

MSNJ and Kern Augustine Conroy & Schoppmann, P.C. invite you to the inaugural "Working Together" Networking Event for young physicians on June 4, 2014 from 6:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. at The Frog and The Peach, New Brunswick, NJ. RSVP to erodgers@msnj.org by May 30, 2014. More information.

SAVE THE DATE!

Attend a free "Do No Harm Symposium" on prescription drug abuse.

Choose from 3 convenient dates:

June 10 Morristown Medical Center

June 11 Community Medical Center

June 12 Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. More information.

Bergen County Medical Society's Annual Meeting and Inaugural honoring Philip L. Micale, MD, will be held on June 12, 2014 at the Stony Hill Inn. Dinner is free to all members of the Medical Society. Kindly contact Anjanette Sumala at (201)489-3140 or www.BCMSNJ.org for more information.

Middlesex County Medical Society will host their Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 17 from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Michael Baker's Barn, 93 Church Lane, East Brunswick, NJ. Complete and submit the registration form by June 3.

Mercer County Medical Society will host their Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 25 from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Abud Family Foundation for the Arts Gallery. Complete and submit the registration form by June 11.

"Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Clinical Primer"
This free CME activity sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association, will provide physicians and other clinicians involved in the treatment of opiate use disorder with an overview of the incidence of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, the clinical presentation of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, and treatment options for this syndrome. Short and long-term outcome data for infants who have undergone NAS will also be reviewed. Integration of this information into clinical practice will better prepare physicians and other clinicians to educate pregnant women on the expectant clinical course for their infants after delivery. View the webinar.

View May's Coding Tip of the Month for information on the Use of N Codes

Email us your coding questions! We will work with a certified professional coder to answer your question and may even address it in an upcoming coding tip.

Attention physicians! Please take our benefits survey to help us better serve you with discounted products essential to your medical practice.

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News

Adoptee Birth Certificates

This week, the Legislature finally accepted a conditional veto from Governor Christie, enacting S-873/A1259, which will permit adoptees and certain others to obtain adoptee's original birth certificate and other related information. This bill has been under consideration for about 10 years and, after much emotional negotiation, it will finally take effect in 2017. MSNJ has long supported this bill because it allows access to important health information. See our last support letter here. See the Governor's video statement and transcript here.

Medicare Physician Payment Data Still Under Scrutiny

AMA recently wrote to CMS urging that it develop and refine a more selective data set that would be more useful to develop a Medicare value-based payment system rather than its publication of raw payment data on April 9. In less than two months since the physician payment data release organized medicine has developed a long list of limitations with the data. AMA urges that CMS spend more time correcting and explaining the limitations of the data, rather than publicizing it in a way to that promotes sensationalized stories which are later corrected or explained. MSNJ supports fee transparency, but agrees with AMA that the 2012 data is not meaningful or useful without context and an explanation of the limitations. Read AMA's letter for a full explanation of the limitations. Read the Modern Healthcare coverage. Physicians are urged to review their payment data and be prepared to answer questions from patients. Access the AMA toolkit for help. Use a tool developed by Frank Cohen to understand better how your payment data compares to your peers.

New Prescription Blanks Effective August 18, 2014

The NJ Division of Consumer Affairs finalized regulations that update the security of NJ prescription blanks. Changes to the blanks include: a unique 15 digit identifier and barcode for each blank; thermal activated ink in the Rx logo; microprint viewable at 5 times magnification or greater that is illegible upon photocopying; and the word "VOID" that is only visible upon photocopying or scanning of the blank. Blank vendors must now sell only the new version of the blanks. Physicians must begin using the new blanks on August 18, 2014. An updated list of approved printer vendors has been posted to the BME website.

Free Services for 9/11 Volunteers

If you volunteered or know someone who volunteered after 9/11, you may benefit from the free services that are being offered through the World Trade Center Health Program of the National Disaster Interfaiths Network. This program provides free medical care and monitoring for volunteers or paid staff who worked in Lower Manhattan after 9/11 in many different recovery capacities. More information.

Saturday, May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. Help support a world without smoking by joining the #WorldNoTobaccoDay Thunderclap! MSNJ is, and continues to be, a leader against smoking and the use of tobacco products.

Employment Contract Review Program - New Benefit!
Due to the changing healthcare delivery landscape and the increasing number of physicians who wish to be employed, MSNJ has developed an employment contract review program for its members.

MSNJ's Corporate Partner Law Firms will offer an initial legal consultation for a discounted flat rate of $500.* Initial consultation includes:

preliminary review of the employment contract;
a written summary of terms of concern; and
a phone consultation with an attorney regarding contract provisions that may require modification or further negotiation.

Click here for more information.

Practice Management

CMS Registration Begins June 1 for Physicians

As part of Open Payments, physicians should register with CMS, starting June 1, to review information about payments or other transfers of value given to them by the industry prior to public posting of the data. Physicians who participate will need to initially register in CMS' Enterprise Portal to access and review the information submitted about them by the industry. As a part of this overall process, registered users will be able to dispute information with industry that they believe to be inaccurate or incomplete. Read more.

Register for MSNJ's webinar on "The Sunshine Act is Here: Open Payments Web Portal Registration" on June 19 from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. Register online!

Re-Enrollment of NJ FamilyCare Fee-For-Service Providers and New Application Fee Requirement for Institutions

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that the New Jersey Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) complete a re-enrollment or re-validation of all enrolled New Jersey FamilyCare (NJFC) providers every 5 years. NJFC/Medicaid providers were last re-enrolled starting in July 2004 and required approximately 24 months to complete. DMAHS is required to complete the re-enrollment process by no later than March 2016.

Around June 1, 2014, DMAHS will begin the process of re-enrolling NJFC fee-for-service providers who were enrolled in NJFC prior to January 1, 2013. Any provider that enrolled on or after January 1, 2013 or submitted a completed enrollment packet for re-activation of their NJFC fee-for-service provider number on or after January 1, 2013 will not be required to re-enroll. The re-enrollment process will be completed by provider type in monthly stages. Providers requested to re-enroll by Molina Medicaid Solutions, the State's fiscal agent, will receive a written notice 30 days prior to receiving a re-enrollment packet. Each provider will receive a re-enrollment packet containing a cover letter, which will include the mandatory return date. The coversheet of the re-enrollment packet contains a list of all of the forms included in the re-enrollment packet along with the required credentials that must be returned by provider type.

All new and re-enrolling provider applicants identified as institutional providers by CMS to remit to the State of New Jersey a provider application fee of $542.00 for Calendar Year 2014. The fee is subject to change in 2015. Read more.

Virtual Credit Card Payments

If your practice accepts virtual credit card (VCC) payments from health plans, you may be losing a significant amount of your contractual payments to high interchange fees. There are three steps you can take to make sure you are not paying unnecessary charges.

Register for electronic funds transfer (EFT) payments. HIPAA requires all health plans to offer standardized EFT using the Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) Network. Similar to direct deposit, ACH EFT allows health plan payments to be directly paid into a physician's designated bank account. Each ACH EFT transaction carries only one fee of about 34 cents, far less than the potential 5 percent fee charged to VCC transactions. In order to receive ACH EFT, physicians should request and register for this payment method. View AMA's EFT toolkit.
Be aware of restrictions in payment methods when contracting with health plans. Even though HIPAA requires health plans to make EFT payments available upon request, health plans may try to require other payment methods, such as VCC, within their contracts with physicians. Be cognizant of any restrictions and avoid signing contracts with inflexible payment terms.
Educate your practice staff. If your practice staff processes both patient and health plan payments, make sure they know how to differentiate between patient and health plan credit card payments to avoid authorization of VCC payments from health plans. Read more.

The AMA is conducting a survey on the impact of health plans' use of virtual credit card payments on practices. Please take the survey by Friday, June 6.

Important EHR Incentive Program Deadlines

This is the last year (2014) that Eligible Professionals (EPs) can start participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program to receive incentive payments. EPs who begin participation in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program after 2014, will not be able to earn an incentive payment for that year or any subsequent year of participation. If you choose to participate in the program for the first time in 2014, you should begin your 90-day reporting period no later than July 1, 2014 and submit attestation by October 1, 2014 to avoid the payment adjustment in 2015. Read more.

If you were unable to successfully demonstrate meaningful use for 2013 due to circumstances beyond your control, CMS is accepting applications for hardship exceptions to avoid the penalty for the 2013 reporting year. Applications for individual eligible professionals and eligible professionals submitting multiple NPIs are available. CMS will review the application to determine whether or not you are granted a hardship exception. Applications for the 2015 penalty are due July 1, 2014. If approved, the exception is valid for one year. Tipsheets are available on the CMS website. Use this timeline to determine which year you will demonstrate Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 of meaningful use.

CMS and the ONC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) allowing providers participating in the EHR Incentive Programs to use the 2011 Edition of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) for calendar and fiscal year 2014 and extending Stage 2. Read more.

Avoid the 2016 PQRS Penalty

Eligible professionals and group practices that fail to successfully report data on quality measures during 2014 will be subject to a two percent reduction on Medicare Fee Schedule amounts for services furnished by the eligible professional or group practice between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. Read more on how to avoid the penalty.

Posting Limiting Charge after Applying the EHR and PQRS Penalty

Novitas Solutions Inc., New Jersey's MAC will list the limiting charge amount after applying the EHR and PQRS penalty on their website. The following will be added to their website:

EHR Limiting Charge;
PQRS Limiting Charge;
EHR/2014 eRx Limiting Charge;
EHR + PQRS Limiting Charge; and
EHR/2014 eRx + PQRS Limiting Charge

Guides for Submitting Stage 2 Meaningful Use Data through Attestation System

CMS has posted step-by-step guides for Eligible Professionals (EPs) to help navigate the CMS Attestation System. Please note that Medicaid EPs and Medicaid-only Eligible hospitals must attest through their State Medicaid Agency's website.

Other Stage 2 resources include:

Use of Modifier 59

CMS has clarified the proper use of Modifier 59:

Use Modifier 59 for different anatomic sites during the same encounter only when procedures which are not ordinarily performed or encountered on the same day are performed on different organs, or different anatomic regions, or in limited situations on different, non-contiguous lesions in different anatomic regions of the same organ.
Use Modifier 59 when the procedures are performed in different encounters on the same day.
Modifier 59 is used inappropriately if the basis for its use is that the narrative description of the two codes is different.
Other appropriate uses of modifier 59 include:
1. For two services described by timed codes provided during the same encounter only when they are performed sequentially.
2. For a diagnostic procedure which precedes a therapeutic procedure only when the diagnostic procedure is the basis for performing the therapeutic procedure.
3. For a diagnostic procedure which occurs subsequent to a completed therapeutic procedure only when the diagnostic procedure is not a common, expected, or necessary follow-up to the therapeutic procedure. More information.

ICD-10 Compliance Date Update

As stated by The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, the Secretary may not adopt ICD-10 prior to October 1, 2015. Consequently, the new compliance date is October 1, 2015. The end-to-end testing that was scheduled for July has been cancelled, however additional opportunities will be available in 2015. Read more.

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Corporate Partners

QualCare, Inc. - Platinum Level Partner

Contact: Jenny Martinez
Address: 30 Knightsbridge Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: 888.670.8135, option 6
E-mail: mewasales@qualcareinc.com
Website

QualCare, Inc., administers the MSNJ Affiliated Physicians and Employers - MEWA Health Plan, a multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) which provides members with access to healthcare coverage options that might otherwise be too costly. Through this program, physicians may buy self-insured health plans at the equivalent of large-group rates.

QualCare, Inc. is New Jersey's largest, provider-sponsored Managed Care Organization that offers self-funded PPO, HMO network, point of service (POS) network, and open access health plans; third party administration (TPA) services, provider network access, wellness programs, care management services, and a workers' compensation product. QualCare also provides ACO consultative services and infrastructure.

Headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey, QualCare services over 800,000 members and is owned by 16 non-profit hospitals and physician-hospital organizations, with a clientele that spans health systems, unions, local governments, school boards, and other commercial employers. QualCare's network covers over 100 acute, specialty and rehabilitation hospitals, as well as over 31,000 physicians and other ancillary providers across NJ, PA & NY.

Princeton Insurance - Gold Level Partner

Contact: Lois Hogya, CPCU,
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5322, Princeton, NJ 08543-5322
Phone: 609.951.5862
Fax: 609.734.8461
E-mail: lois.hogya@princetoninsurance.com
Website

Princeton Insurance exists to protect the New Jersey healthcare community and partner with them in their efforts to provide outstanding patient care. Measured either by numbers of policyholders or total premiums, Princeton is the leading healthcare malpractice insurer in New Jersey, with the longest continuous market presence of any company offering coverage in the Garden State.

Rated A++ (Superior) by independent rating agency A.M. Best, Princeton Insurance is part of the Medical Protective/Berkshire Hathaway corporate family. Medical Protective has been protecting healthcare providers since 1899 and is the nation's highest-rated healthcare malpractice carrier, according to both S&P and A.M. Best. MedPro provides unmatched strength, winning defense, and innovative solutions to physicians, dentists and other healthcare providers in all fifty states.

Princeton's local knowledge and expertise, joined together with MedPro's nationwide presence and Berkshire's unmatched financial strength, result in an even stronger partnership with our policyholders to meet the challenges they face and provide the protection they deserve.

To find out more about Princeton Insurance or to obtain a no-obligation premium indication, contact your independent insurance agent or visit our website.

Halo Health International - New Benefit!

Medical Media Solutions, a division of Halo Health, places health and wellness video monitors in physician office waiting areas, exam rooms, healthcare facilities, and staff break rooms that educate patients, caregivers and staff on the benefits of living healthier. To increase communication and the effectiveness of treatment between the physician and their patients, the educational information is customized to the physician specialty, spotlighting services provided at the office or within the health system and community events/outreach programs that affect the patient population in the office. The educational information focuses general health and wellness as well as preventative care on such disease states as Diabetes, HTN, COPD, Asthma, Smoking Cessation. Topical national campaigns such as the Red Dress, Breast Cancer Awareness added to keep patients engaged. The core focus on the educational information is to highlight and promote the products and services that make your practice unique to the community you serve. As a MSJN member, we are offering a discounted program of $1500 per system per year. This includes the set up hardware, installation, customized content and on-site maintenance, we only need access to your internet and power. We also offer the ability for you to promote your practice in local, non-competitive offices.

To take your practice to the next level, we also offer a patient tablet program that follows the patient from check in, the exam and check out. The program contains health and wellness topics that direct patients to websites for diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, diet and nutrition, and other important topics. As a MSNJ member, the program only costs $100 per quarter per tablet plus the cost of the tablets.

Click here to access the discount.

Member Discount!

Take advantage of your in-store, Macy*s Business Smart Pass from June 15 through July 14, 2014. As an MSNJ Member, save 15% all day, as many times as you want. See Pass for further details. Save on designer brands, such as Calvin Klein, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Jones New York, DKNY, Michael Kors, Ann Klein, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. Download your pass today.

The Economist, limited time offer!

Enjoy our current offer before the price goes up! The Economist has announced an increase effective 6/19. Order now, before the new, $127.00, price takes effect.

MSNJ is proud to offer 3 new member benefits!:

Audi - Princeton Audi is delighted to present all members of the Medical Society of New Jersey with an executive discount on all Audi Models (excluding the S6, S7, S8, RS5, RS7, and R8). Click here for more information.

Medline - Medline is proud to offer MSNJ members their top 25 physician office products at significantly discounted prices. Click here for more information.

Vitals.com - Vitals successfully connects the right patients to the right doctors, building your market share by helping you connect with new clients through search and websites. By engaging with an insured and affluent audience, Vitals adds a better payer mix to your patient population.

Vitals combines online advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), and lead generation to grow your physician referrals and appointments. Your presence on Vitals' high-traffic websites helps market your practice and build brand awareness, while focusing on new-patient acquisition. Vitals offers a 20% discount at individual and group practice level. Click here for discount information.

To view all member benefits, click here.

MSNJ Magazine Subscription Service

Subscription Services, Inc., does their very best to get you the lowest rates. As a member, you are eligible for the very lowest prices on magazine subscriptions as well as personalized hands-on customer service. Click "Shop for Magazines" to place new subscriptions, renewals, as well as gift order subscriptions. You can also inquire about titles you may be interested in. If you ever have a question regarding your order or your account, please call 1-800-603-5602, or use the contact page to communicate with a customer service

representative. And if you ever find a lower authorized price, they will match it!

Don't Overpay for Payroll

Easy Online SurePayroll gives you incredible value on a small practice budget, so you can increase your bottom line and avoid overspending on payroll. And as a Featured Benefit for MSNJ members, you will save up to 50% compared to traditional payroll providers. Get a Free Quote today.

Member Resource Guide

Check out the current MSNJ Member Resource Guide! Inside, you will find a complete listing of partners by service/product category, along with contact information. Also, be sure to check out the individual Corporate Partner pages on our website as some offer additional discounts to members!

It is important to note that MSNJ does not endorse any vendor, service, or product. However, we encourage members to please consider our Corporate Partners first as the financial support received from these organizations is vital to our association. It is our hope that their investment in MSNJ will help keep your membership dues and programming affordable.

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Medical Society of New Jersey

2 Princess Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

(o) 609-896-1766 e-mail:

info@msnj.org

About the Medical Society of New Jersey:

Founded in 1766, the Medical Society of New Jersey (MSNJ) is the oldest professional society in the United States. MSNJ promotes the betterment of the public health and the science and the art of medicine, to enlighten public opinion in regard to the problems of medicine, and to safeguard the rights of the practitioners of medicine. The organization and its members are dedicated to a healthy New Jersey, working to ensure the sanctity of the physician-patient relationship. In representing all medical disciplines, MSNJ advocates for the rights of patients and physicians alike, for the delivery of the highest quality medical care. For more information visit our website or send us an e-mail.

"Your Partner in Practice... Your Voice in Trenton"

2014 © Medical Society of New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the written permission of the Medical Society of New Jersey.