Medical Society of New Jersey e-Newsletter
 
August 15, 2014

   
In This Issue
MEMBER BENEFITS
CME/EVENTS/TRAINING
SGR
NEWS
-Prescription Blank Deadline Extended
-Open Payments Update
-Ebola Guidance
-JCMC Data Breach
-Consider the Conversation
8TH ANNUAL GOLF OUTING
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
-Insurance Coverage through Exchange
-Claims Workflow Assistant Tool
-ICD-10
-ICD-10 Tool
-Coding Tip
CORPORATE PARTNERS
 

The Prudential Center is proud to offer MSNJ members a discount on upcoming events. The following discounts are now available.

Cirque Du Soleil: Varekai - August 27-31, 2014
Member Benefits
NEW BENEFIT!
Prescription Blanks

 

MSNJ and New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA) proudly announce a joint effort to offer discounts to all of our members on prescription blanks. Participating vendors include:

 

 

POS� is a full-service print and electronic communication company that helps healthcare practices create and improve patient communication tools. POS� is your patient communication partner for everything from branded practice and patient education printed materials to patient statement processing and automated messaging services. Take advantage of our special offer available to members-

Receive 25% off NJ New RX orders.

 

SPECIAL MSNJ/DSNJ RATE:

  • 5 PADS/500 sheets= $66.60
  • 10 PADS/1000 sheets= $78.00
  • 20 PADS/2000 sheets= $117.45
  • 40 PADS/4000 sheets=$172.80

For higher quantities please contact POS�.

 

Laser RX Sheets for printers also Available!

  • 1000 laser RX sheets= $156.75
  • 2000 laser RX sheets= $255.00
  • 4000 laser RX sheets= $453.00

Nelson Press

Nelson Press has been a manufacturer of quality printed materials for New Jersey Business since 1900. They were recently approved to print and sell the revised New Jersey Prescription Blanks for physicians. Special member pricing includes:

  • 400 - Single Prescriptions - $60.00
    (Including Tax & Shipping)
  • 800 - Single Prescriptions - $80.00
    (Including Tax & Shipping)
  • 1200 - Single Prescriptions - $100.00
    (Including Tax & Shipping)
To access this discount, please click here.

Click here for a complete list of approved vendors.
CME/Events /Training

Join MSNJ and the Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, & Salem County Medical Societies for a Meet and Greet with Legislative Leaders on Thursday, September 18, 2014 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Sofia of Margate. View the agenda


IMPORTANT NOTICE AND INFORMATION ABOUT LICENSE RENEWAL AND CME!

"The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners requires 100 continuing medical education credits, of which at least 40 of such credits shall be in Category I. Commencing with this biennial renewal period which started on July 1, 2013, two of the 40 credits in Category 1 courses shall, pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 145 (C.45:9-7.7), be in programs or topics related to End-of Life care."

 

MSNJ has made arrangements with an on-line resource (Education in Palliative and End-of-life Care) for you to obtain the credits needed via long distance learning - and at a 15% discount to members. MSNJ members, please click here to obtain the promo code.

 

The following modules are thought to meet the requirements. Each module is designated for 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ (cost to MSNJ members about $25.50 per credit)

  • Gaps and Elements of Care
  • Legal Issues
  • Whole Patient Assessment
  • Physician Assisted Suicide
  • Last Hours of Living
  • Withholding/Withdrawing Treatment
  • Medical Futility

Choose two that meet your needs!

 

Further, "If a licensee believes that this mandate has little applicability to his/her practice area, waivers or extensions can be requested. The licensee, within 60 days of the expiration of the biennial renewal period, (by April 30, 2015) needs to send to the Board office, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or other proof of delivery, a letter explaining why such waiver/exemption is applicable. If granted, the extension or waiver is effective for the biennial licensure period in which the extension and/or waiver is granted. If the reason(s) which necessitated the extension and/or waiver continues into the next biennial period, the licensee shall apply to the Board for the renewal of such extension and/or waiver for the new biennial period."


The Institute for Healthcare Improvement will host a free webinar on Preventing Financial Harm to Patients: the Costs of Care Initiative on August 21, 2014 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm. Learn about an innovative effort in the US to help caregivers make more high-value decisions that can protect patients from unnecessary care and expenses. Register online.

The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, Inc. (SPAN) will host a New Jersey Statewide Network for Cultural Competence conference - Improving the Quality of Care and Services for Diverse Communities: New Directions for New Jersey and the Nation.

September 12, 2014 from 8:30am to 4:30pm at the Crowne Plaza in Monroe Township

This conference showcases innovative and effective policies and practices in cultural and linguistic competency. View the conference website for more information.


Join the Surgery Center Coalition on September 16 for "A Day of Compliance", for ASCs.

View the agenda.

Register.


"The Face of Addiction: Across the Ages,"

4th Annual Medical Symposium

September 27, 2014

7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Chase Center on the Riverfront

Wilmington, Delaware

Further details and Registration  

Although progress has been made in reducing rates of substance abuse in the United States, it continues to take a major toll on the health of individuals, families, and communities.  This symposium will explore the manifestation of addiction across the life stages.

This educational activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™


Northeastern Basic Course for Principles of Infection Prevention and Control

October 6-10, 2014 at the New Jersey Hospital Association, Princeton, NJ

This five day course is designed to prepare the new practitioner or an individual responsible for infection prevention to perform the duties and responsibilities required by their position in an ambulatory, alternative, acute, or long-term care facility. The early bird registration deadline is September 6. Register.

Horizon BCBSNJ Physician Orientation Webinars
Horizon's outreach to physician practices has shifted from half day seminars to webinars because it believes that more physicians and practice managers will be able to participate. These
webinars provide information on new Horizon BCBSNJ products, access standards, online Provider Reference Materials, recredentialing process, ICD-10 update and tips on how to get the most from NaviNet�. Click here for webinar dates.

The New Jersey Obstetrical & Gynecological Society will host their Semi-Annual Meeting on Friday, November 7, 2014 from 7:45am to 3:30pm at Forsgate Country Club. View the brochure.

PCSS-O Archived Webinar Available: "Opioid Agonists and Antagonists for Pain and Addiction: The Good, The Bad and The Uncertain"

This webinar will provide updates from medical literature that can help guide decision-making in choosing an appropriate agent. New discoveries in preclinical literature will also be discussed along with work being done at the University of New England around patient advocacy and community education. View the webinar.   

 

View all PCSS-O and PCSS-MAT resources: 


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Connect with Medical Society of New Jersey on LinkedIn

Repeal the SGR Formula in 2014: Take Action NOW!

At the beginning of the year, Congress came close to passing bipartisan legislation that would have fixed the SGR crisis. Ultimately, they passed another patch. Encourage lawmakers to continue working in a bipartisan manner and remind them to repeal the SGR formula and design a new Medicare physician payment system. Send an e-mail to your lawmakers or call the AMA's grassroots hotline at (800) 833-6354.

NewsTOP

Prescription Blank Deadline Extended

MSNJ asked the Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for leniency for practices unable to obtain the new prescription blanks by the August 18 deadline, due to vendor back-orders. In response to our request and that of several other groups, the DCA decided to extend the deadline to September 19, 2014 and allow physicians to use the old and/or new prescription blanks from August 19 through September 19. Only the new prescription blanks may be used effective September 20. Physicians, who have not placed orders for the new blanks, are urged to contact an approved vendor and order immediately. Once you begin using your new prescription blanks, it is important that you destroy your old ones in accordance with DCA guidelines. Please be sure to notify the NJ Drug Control Unit that you have destroyed your old prescription blanks by completing a certification of destruction. There is no formal deadline for the submission of the Certification of Destruction form, however, it should be done within a timely manner after the blanks are destroyed.

Open Payments Update

Last week, MSNJ along with more than 100 medical societies signed on to a letter to CMS asking for a six month delay in the public release of the Open Payments data. This was soon followed by the discovery of reporting errors that led CMS to temporarily shut down the Open Payments System. As of Thursday morning, CMS reported that the site is back online. Physicians can now complete steps 1 and 2 of the registration process.


The AMA has developed an advocacy survey
to gather information about physicians' experiences with the Open Payments system. MSNJ encourages members to take this survey which closes Monday, August 18.

 

Having trouble registering? Check out MSNJ's archived webinars with speaker Jennifer Searfoss, Esq of Searfoss Consulting Group, LLC. Listen as Jen walks you through the process step-by-step.

NJ Department of Health Guidance to Providers on Ebola

[T]he NJDOH requests that all health care providers consider  Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the differential diagnosis of febrile illness in persons with recent travel (within 21 days) to the affected countries in West Africa, currently including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. All persons with compatible symptoms and travel history should be isolated until clinical evaluation and/or diagnostic testing is completed. At this time, there have been NO reports of EVD in the U.S.

 

Reporting Reminder for Health Care Providers:

Confirmed or suspect cases of any viral hemorrhagic fever, including EVD, should be reported immediately to the local health department where the patient resides. [Memo dated August 13 to Local Health Departments, Health Care Providers, and Hospitals from Shereen Semple, MS, Epdiemiologist, NJ DOH]

 

Read the NJ DOH Memo, CDC Update, and CDC Key Messages.

Jersey City Medical Center Data Breach

Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC) recently suffered a data breach affecting an unknown number of patients. According to NJBIZ, on June 13, 2014 JCMC sent a disk containing 2011 Medicaid patient information to Medicaid to help the state review certain types of payments to hospitals in New Jersey. The unencrypted disk was scheduled to be delivered via UPS on June 16, but JCMC learned that the package did not arrive as scheduled. The CD did not include addresses, personal contact information or specific medical information; however, it did include the patients' names, social security numbers and birth dates. JCMC is sending letters to affected patients; advising the patients to be aware of any suspicious activity on their credit reports and financial accounts; and offering 12 months of free professional identity monitoring services. JCMC is still working with UPS to make sure they are doing everything they can to locate the missing packages. Read more.

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.

MSNJ's 8th Annual Golf Outing: October 15, 2014

To benefit the MSNJ Foundation

Proceeds from the event will benefit the MSNJ Foundation, the Institute of Medicine & Public Health of New Jersey (IOMPHNJ).
   
Golfers and Sponsors, click here for more information and registration.

For more information: contact Erin at
[email protected].
Practice Management

Questions Regarding Insurance Coverage through the Exchange

Since passage of the Affordable Care Act, there has been patient confusion regarding insurance coverage through the exchange. The AMA provided four questions that patients are likely to ask the physician or office staff, and how to answer them:

  1. What does my plan cover?
  2. Why do I have to pay a copay or deductible?
  3. What is a tax credit?
  4. How do I renew my coverage?
Read the AMA article for assistance in responding to these patient questions.

AMA's Claims Workflow Assistant Tool

The AMA updated the Claims Workflow Assistant tool, which helps physician practices understand Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA), advocate for accurate payment, and take appropriate action upon claim denials. The tool now reflects the most recent code combination update from the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH) Committee on Operating Rules for Information Exchange (CORE) and now includes property and casualty workflows. Visit AMA's website for more details on how physician practices can use this resource to process ERAs and handle claim payment denials. Read more.

New ICD-10 Compliance Date Finalized

As of July 31, the HHS issued a rule confirming October 1, 2015 as the new compliance date for transitioning to ICD-10. Read the AMA's article. CMS is taking a comprehensive four-part approach to preparedness and testing for ICD-10 to ensure that CMS, as well as the Medicare Fee-For-Service provider community, is ready:
  • CMS internal testing of its claims processing systems
  • CMS Beta testing tools available for download
  • Acknowledgement testing
  • End-to-end testing 
View the MLN Matters� Special Edition Article #SE1409 for more information. MSNJ is also developing educational opportunities and resources for its members. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

CMS Releases ICD-10 Tool for Small Practices

CMS has released a new webcast that introduces the new "Road to 10" tool. This webcast covers the history and benefits of ICD-10. Five more webcasts will follow, all aimed at helping small practices get ready for ICD-10 by the October 1, 2015 compliance date. Also available is a brief video introduction to the "Road to 10" tool. The tool offers:

  • Clinical documentation tips
  • Coding concepts
  • Clinical scenarios
  • Training calendar

View August's Coding Tip of the Month for information on the use of J codes for diseases of the Respiratory System in ICD-10. 

Corporate Partners

Liberty Mutual - Silver Level Partner   

 

Contact: Michaelesha Godfrey
Address: 80 Grasslands Road, Elmsford, NY 10523
Phone: 914.785.0180 ext. 60626
E-mail: [email protected]
Website  

 

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

 

Discounts and savings are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; not all applicants may qualify.

 

Since 1912, we at Liberty Mutual have committed ourselves to providing broad, useful and competitively-priced insurance products and services to meet our customers ever-changing needs.

 

Our delivery on this commitment is the reason we're now the 5th largest P&C insurance company in the United States, why we've earned an A.M. Best Co. 'A' (Excellent) rating, and why we have the breadth, depth and financial strength that you can always depend on - in the United States and around the world.

 

For your business: From commercial property to specialty risk to workers compensation, we provide products and services to solve your ever-changing business needs.

 

For your personal needs: Liberty Mutual Group, through its various companies, offers a full line of insurance products for you and your entire family. Including auto, home and life, as well as personal liability.

 

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.   

 

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.

 
Medical Society of New Jersey
2 Princess Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
(o) 609-896-1766 e-mail:
 

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.