Webinar: The Sunshine Act is Here: Open Payments Web Portal Registration  

Thursday, June 19, 2014 from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Speaker: Jennifer Searfoss, Esq., Searfoss Consulting Group, LLC    

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.   

Register   

MSNJ's Medical Practice Managers Section Presents: A Legislative Update Webinar for Practice Managers 

Practice managers are invited to join Mishael Azam, Esq, MSNJ's COO & Senior Manager, Legislative Affairs, on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 from 12:00 P.M.- 1:00 P.M. for a webinar update on legislative happenings in New Jersey. Physicians are encouraged to ask their practice managers to participate and are welcome to attend. This webinar is FREE to members. Register today!  

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.     

 Register   

View June's Coding Tip of the Month for information on the Use of M 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.

Read the Primary Election Results and analysis of MBI∙Gluck Shaw MSNJ's lobbyist firm.    

Sunshine Act: Payment Data to be Published September 30; MSNJ Objects to Timing & Dispute Resolution Process
The Sunshine Act requires that transfers of value in the amount of $10 or more from the pharmaceutical industry to physicians be tracked and reported by the industry in a database that will soon be made public. MSNJ supports transparency but has a long history of objecting to this requirement believing that the administrative burden on physicians of tracking and verifying the di minimis value of a lunch outweighs the usefulness of this reported data to the public. MSNJ's delegation to the AMA will advocate that the threshold reporting amount be increased to $100 at the AMA Annual Meeting in Chicago next week. Meanwhile, implementation of the program dubbed the "Open Payments Program" continues:

• Step 1: Beginning June 1 physicians were able to register in CMS's Enterprise Portal;
• Step 2: Beginning in July physicians must take the second registration step to register in the Open Payments system (via the CMS Enterprise Portal)
• Step 3: Once the information is available, physicians will have a 45 day period to review and dispute the payment information
• Step 4: On September 30 the public will be granted access to the database.

Physicians will only have 45 days to review and to attempt correction of any reporting errors. Under the final rule on plan implementation, physicians and the industry would then have an additional 15 days to resolve disputes or the payment at issue would be flagged as "disputed."  However, CMS and the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) have proposed that industry be allowed to unilaterally dismiss physician disputes; the payment amounts at issue would be reported without a dispute flag. MSNJ objects to the proposal that would allow industry to unilaterally dismiss a dispute. On June 2 MSNJ filed comments with CMS asserting that the proposal contradicts the final implementation rule and violates physicians' due process rights. We further urged CMS to delay release of the database to the public for at least six months to give physicians more time review the reported payments.

New NACCHO University Preparedness Podcasts Available

New Prescription Blanks Required August 18  Physicians must begin using the new prescription blanks on August 18, 2014. An updated list of approved printer vendors has been posted to the BME website.

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.

ICD-10 Testing Week Results

Current EDI Forms

Submit Your Questions for MSNJ's Upcoming Modifier Webinar

Important EHR Incentive Program Deadlines

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:

• Stage 2 Attestation Worksheet for Eligible Professionals
• Stage 2 Meaningful Use Specification Sheet Table of Contents for Eligible Professionals 

Use of Modifier 59 - Revised Guidance 

CMS has clarified the proper use of Modifier 59:

1. 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.
2. Use Modifier 59 when the procedures are performed in different encounters on the same day.
3. Modifier 59 is used inappropriately if the basis for its use is that the narrative description of the two codes is different.
4. 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. Please see CMS's revised guidance for details.  

DeCotiis, FitzPatrick & Cole, LLP - Gold Level Partner

Address: Glenpointe Centre West, 500 Frank W. Burr Boulevard, Suite 31, Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: 201-928-1100
Fax: 201-928-0588
Website  

DeCotiis, FitzPatrick & Cole, LLP, is a full-service law firm with eighty attorneys headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, with a satellite office in Trenton, New Jersey. We are a group of skilled, experienced attorneys who practice in a wide variety of specialties. A partial list of our practice areas includes healthcare law, real estate, labor law, public procurement, litigation, environmental law, public finance, tax, municipal law, government and regulatory affiars, corporate law, banking and bankruptcy.  

Cintas Document Management - Bronze Level Partner 

Halo Health International - New Benefit!

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 

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.