MSNJ e-News - June 13, 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

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.

More information

CME/Events /Training

PCSS-O Webinar: "Difficult Conversations in Opioid Management: Limiting, Reducing, or Stopping Opioids"

June 19 from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.

For many patients who are currently receiving long-term opioid therapy, potential harms of continued opioids may outweigh apparent benefits. This webinar focuses on how to communicate a patient-centered approach to limiting, reducing or stopping opioids in a variety of clinical scenarios. Register.

PCSS-O Webinar: "Partnering with Pharmacists: Naloxone Prescribing and Dispensing to Prevent Overdose Deaths"

June 25 from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Pharmacists are an emerging group of clinicians working to prevent opioid overdose death and are ideal partners to identify patients at risk of opioid overdose and furnish naloxone to them. In many states, pharmacists can partner with prescribers in collaborative practice agreements (CPA) and initiate naloxone prescriptions under a prescribers' authority. Several states, including NJ, permit prescriptions for naloxone to be written for caregivers of patients at risk of overdose. Register.

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 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.

Corporate Partners

Carroll McNulty & Kull LLC - Gold Level Partner

Contact: Michael Moroney, Esq.; Catherine J. Flynn, Esq.
Address: 120 Mountain View Boulevard, Post Office Box 650, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Phone: 908.848.6300
Fax: 908.848.6310
E-mail: mmoroney@cmk.com; cflynn@cmk.com

Website

Health care is one of the most complex, fastest growing and heavily regulated industries, requiring specialized legal counseling and representation. At CMK, our health care attorneys dedicate their time to understanding our clients' business issues, while staying informed of the rapidly changing compliance and regulatory landscape. We provide state and federal regulatory advice, compliance counseling and health care litigation services to both institutional and individual clients. Our clients include academic and community hospitals, for-profit and not-for-profit health care systems, private practice physicians and physician organizations, nursing staffs, ambulatory care providers, nursing homes, home health care providers, professional medical societies and trade associations, medical staff organizations and allied health care providers.

CMK's health care attorneys have specialized health law litigation experience with specific concentrations enabling them to provide client focused legal services in professional liability defense, credentialing & licensure matters and fraud investigations. We develop and implement regulatory compliance programs required to keep our clients in line with federal and state mandates. CMK's health law attorneys are members of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA), a professional organization dedicated to serving the health care industry and its practitioners; they routinely present on various hot topics within the health care industry to clients, physician groups and medical societies.

Summit Financial Resources, Inc. - Bronze Level Partner

Contact: Sal Salvo
Address: 4 Campus Drive, Parsippany, NJ 07054
Phone: 973.285.3580
Fax: 973.975.4499
E-mail: ssalvo@sfr1.com
Website

Summit Financial Resources, one of the preeminent independent financial planning firms, provides comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services for high net worth individuals, including physicians. Since 1982, Summit Financial Resources has experienced strong growth as a result of the trust and confidence they have built with clients.

When managing your finances, think of all of the people you need to consult:

Certified Public Accountants
Estate and Tax Attorneys
Certified Financial Planners
Estate, Insurance, and Benefits Consultants
Investment Advisers
Portfolio Strategists
Administrative Personnel

"We built all of the expertise under one roof so working with Summit Financial Resources is like bringing all of these people in one room to advise you on your affairs" ~ Sal Salvo, Co-Founder and Principal of Summit Financial Resources

This in-house multi-disciplined team can help solve the complex planning problems unique to physicians. The Comprehensive Financial Plan has pushed Summit ahead of the curve for the past 30 years. Summit is different than other firms that specialize in just insurance or investments. Instead, Summit offers the opportunity to combine the expertise of financial advisors in every field into one team focused on achieving your goals.

Summit Financial Resources is privately owned and independent, and focuses on helping our clients achieve their goals through an unbiased, objective and thorough approach to financial planning and wealth management. In order to achieve these goals, Summit has built a team which provides sophisticated financial planning, wealth management and income tax planning solutions for our physician clients. All planning fees include a money back guarantee - the client decides, no questions asked, and MSNJ members will receive a 20% discount.

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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News

AMA Annual Meeting-Top Nine Take Away

The MSNJ Delegation has just returned from the AMA's annual meeting in Chicago. Read the top nine take away points as listed by the AMA. The MSNJ delegation was successful in passing our Sunshine Act resolution that will require AMA to seek legislation to increase the reported transfer of value amount from $10 to $100.

MSNJ extends our congratulations to Niranjan Rao, MD, to the AMA Council on Medical Education. The AMA Medical Student Section has elected one of our own, Ravi Shah, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, at-large officer.

Watch our web site and look for more coverage in e-News.

Do No Harm Symposium
This week, MSNJ partnered with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New Jersey Division and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General in three "Do No Harm" Symposiums. Locations included Morristown Medical Center, Community Medical Center, and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. The symposium discussed solutions to the prescription drug abuse epidemic. The Morristown event was attended by approximately 200 medical professionals. Read MSNJ's statement on this issue.

MSNJ Supports Medicare Advantage Bill of Rights Act
MSNJ supports a bill crafted by Congresswoman DeLauro (Connecticut) and supported by Senators Brown (Ohio) and Whitehouse (Rhode Island). The bill would address the issues presented when Medicare Advantage plans terminate physicians from their networks without cause before or during the open enrollment period for seniors. The proposed legislation was necessitated by United Healthcare's significant network reduction of its Medicare Advantage physician networks in a number of states, including New Jersey, during open enrollment last October.

The Connecticut State Medical Society has spear-headed the effort, assisted by the North Carolina Medical Society, AMA, and Physicians Advocacy Institute. MSNJ is actively seeking co-sponsors of the legislation and is a proponent of legislation and regulations to ensure network adequacy.

The bill would: ban mid-year provider terminations without cause; require Medicare Advantage plans to finalize network physician participation status in advance of open enrollment; and require Medicare Advantage plans to provide adequate notice to patients and to ensure continuity of care.

FSMB Physician-Patient Communications Resource Center

To help address the many complaints that state medical boards receive from patients, the Federation of State Medical Boards has developed a Physician-Patient Communications Resource Center to inform physicians on the types of communication issues that can lead to complaints from their patients.

End-of-Life: "Consider the Conversation" to be Released on September 27

After twenty-one months in the making, award-winning independent filmmakers Michael Bernhagen and Terry Kaldhusdal have announced the release of their second film,

Consider the Conversation 2: Stories about Cure, Relief, and Comfort that will be made available to PBS stations nationwide on Saturday, September 27, 2014. Consider the Conversation 2 sheds light on the importance of the patient/doctor relationship and patient/doctor communication when living with severe chronic disease. The documentary also explores some of the unintended consequences of American medicine's success. Kaldhusdal talks about the goals for this film: "First, we want to demonstrate that communication is a skill on par with diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis-something that medical professionals can teach and learn. Second, we want to help patients, families and doctors understand that talking about end-of-life wishes well in advance can help prevent unnecessary suffering at end-of-life. And third, we hope to inspire end-of-life care that is more person-centered and less system-centered."

Two versions of the film have been created: a PBS cut for television broadcast, and a 90-minute Director's cut for DVD release. Read more.

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.

Dr. Robert Like will be attending MSNJ's Bio Ethics Committee meeting on Thursday, June 19 at 9:30 A.M at MSNJ's Conference Center to discuss cultural issues in health. Members are invited to attend.

Legislative Update

Scope of Practice

The Assembly Regulated Professions Committee passed A2892, which would grant prescription authority to psychologists. MSNJ and NJPA strongly oppose this bill, since the education required in order to prescribe is not sufficient to protect patients. MSNJ and NJPA testified in opposition, along with six psychiatrists and one psychologist. We thank them for joining us and will continue to oppose this bill.

The Assembly Regulated Professions Committee also passed A3225, which provides for licensure of chiropractic assistants. MSNJ is monitoring this bill.

Assisted Suicide

The Assembly Health Committee passed A2270, which would create a state program to permit qualified patient to self-administer medication to end life. MSNJ opposes this bill, since it does not provide adequate protection for the patient to make and execute the decision to end life. See a partner's op ed here.

Sale of Dextromethorphan

The Assembly Health Committee held a hearing on two bills that would limit the sale of products containing dextromethorphan. MSNJ supports one of the bills (A622), which would prohibit the sale of dextromethorphan to minors under 18 years of age. AMA policy supports this prohibition as well.

Tobacco Control

The Senate Health Committee passed S602, which raises minimum age for purchase and sale of tobacco products and electronic smoking devices from 19 to 21.

Off-Label Drug Use

The Assembly Health Committee passed A1932, which requires Insurance coverage in the individual and small employer markets and SHBP and SEHBP for "off-label" uses of certain drugs. MSNJ is monitoring this bill. The American Cancer Society supports the bill, noting that "off-label" use is common in cancer treatment as physicians explore therapies for their patients.

Physician Shortage

The Senate Health Committee passed S90, which requires the Commissioner of the Department of Health to convene a strategic planning summit to analyze the State's physician workforce supply. The Committee previously held a hearing on a bill that would revamp the State's physician loan redemption program.

Insurance Contracts

The Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee released A1035, which prohibits health insurance carriers from requiring optometrists to become providers with vision care plans as a condition of becoming providers in carriers' panel of providers. The New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians states that the bill is needed because "vision care" is not often covered by insurers. The insurance companies oppose the bill. MSNJ is monitoring the bill.

Practice Management

CMS Webinar Recordings Now Available

CMS Philadelphia Regional Office has released three video recordings of webinars hosted earlier this year. The presentations include the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the Value-based Payment Modifier, and the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive programs.

CMS Releases ICD-10 Webcasts for Specialties

CMS has released archived webcasts on ICD-10 Documentation and Coding Concepts. An AHIMA-certified coder presented five educational webinars that focused on unique ICD-10 clinical documentation needs and hot topics for: Orthopedics, Cardiology, Pediatrics, Obstetric and Gynecology, and Family Practice and Internal Medicine. Watch the webcasts.

Meaningful Use Issue Corrected

Physicians who originally received notification that their meaningful use attestation was successful, may have been placed "in progress" unknowingly, which resulted in an expired attestation status. Since then, CMS ran a report of all physicians impacted across the country and granted an exception by accepting the original attestations. CMS has also corrected the systems that caused this issue and no further action was required by the physician. All who were impacted have been notified by email that their attestation was accepted. Payment is typically issued 8-10 weeks after the attestation was accepted. Contact the EHR Information Center Help Desk for questions concerning registration and attestation: (888) 734-6433/ TTY: (888) 734-6563. Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 8:30 A.M. to 4:40 P.M.

OCR Releases 2011-2012 HITECH Reports to Congress on HIPAA

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) broadcasted two reports to Congress requested by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act: The reports that cover relevant activities in calendar years 2011 and 2012 include: Breaches of Unsecured Protected Health Information; and HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rule Compliance. View the reports.

Now Available: Novitasphere Claim Correction Feature

Novitas Solutions has announced that the claim correction feature is now available on Novitasphere. Additional documentation is not required. The Novitasphere Portal also allows access to eligibility, claim information and remittance advice, claim submission with file status, electronic remittance advice, and a mailbox. View this portal.

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.

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Member Benefits

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.

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. As a MSNJ 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.

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.

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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.