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.

Exclusive New Medical Professional Liability Insurance Program for Physician Groups

MSNJ is pleased to announce that one of its platinum sponsors, Arthur J. Gallagher, has negotiated a program that will give qualifying physician groups that are insured on a claims-made policy, extended reporting ("tail") coverage AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.

At last, a program now exists that allows physicians to switch to an occurrence-type policy and eliminate the worry associated with expensive tail coverage - AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.

Are you Communicating in Your Patients Preferred Way?

POS® Messaging is much more than your traditional automated communication system. With POS Messaging your practice can send automated patient messages via email, phone, text and mail to increase practice revenue, simplify internal processes and improve patient care.

Try it for FREE!

For a limited time, try POS Messaging for FREE!

Click here to watch a short demo video.

MSNJ and New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA) proudly announce a joint effort to offer discounts to all of our members on prescription blanks. Visit our website for participating vendors and pricing. 

MSNJ, HRET and HFMA will host a seminar "Show Me the Money: Capturing the Benefits and Avoiding the Risks of Healthcare Reform" on October 30, 2014 at New Jersey Hospital Association. View the brochure and register online.

MSNJ has made arrangements with an on-line resource (Education in Palliative and End-of-life Care) to satisfy the 2 credit end-of-life training requirement 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! See related News story. 

Register for a Free CME event!

Oncology Cancer Care Symposium

Jersey Shore University Medical Center

October 21, 2014 8am to 12pm

Join MSNJ, in conjunction with the Burlington County Medical Society and the Monmouth-Ocean County Medical Society for A Free Advocacy & Financial Planning Seminar for Physicians.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at Sheraton Eatontown, Eatontown, NJ

This event is FREE to physician members and non-members. Dinner and cocktails will be served. More information and registration.

The Delaware Stroke Initiative and the Delaware Medical Society will host "The John Scholz Stroke Education Conference" on Saturday, November 8, 2014 from 7:00am to 1:45pm at the Ammon Medical Education Center on the campus of Christiana Care Health Services in Newark, Delaware.

Learn:

• The continuum of care for stroke rehabilitation patients;
• The effects of stroke on vision;
• New treatment options for stroke prevention and brain hemorrhage;
• Stroke risk factors, including hypertension and atrial fibrillation;
• The psychological impact of stroke on caregivers;
• The radiographic evaluation of stroke;
• The risk factors, symptoms and management of pediatric stroke;
• How orthotics are used for movement and stability in stroke recovery; and
• The common principles of primary prevention of stroke. 

NY and NJ 2014 Symposium on Opioids and End of Life Care

November 9, 2014 from 8:00am to 4:00pm at Hyatt Regency on the Hudson, Jersey City, NJ

NJ Chapter, American College of Surgeons 63rd Annual Clinical Symposium

Saturday, December 6, 2014 from 7:30am to 5:30pm at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel & Conference Center

Clinical Sessions include:  

Bariatric Surgery; Cardio-Thoracic Surgery; Colon & Rectal Surgery; Neurosurgery; Trauma Surgery; Plastic Surgery; Otolaryngology; Urologic Surgery; Vascular Surgery; Trauma Surgery; Global Surgery.

Special Sessions include:  

End of Life Care - POLST; 2014 ACS Update; Sheen Award Lecture; Resident Jeopardy/Resident Manuscript Awards

Registration coming soon.

Time is Running Out!

Renew your dues ONLINE by October 15, 2014 and receive a 5% discount on your state dues!

Policy and Strategy Panel Meeting

"New Physician Programs"

Thursday, October 23, 2014 at 5:30pm

Hear presentations on two new exciting physician programs:

• MSNJ Shared Savings Program
• MSNJ/Horizon Prior Authorization Streamlining Initiative

This is a free event. Registration is required.

CDC Intercepts Sick Passenger at Newark Liberty International-Cleared for Ebola

On October 4 the CDC's Quarantine Public Health Officer met a flight from Europe to assess a sick passenger who had traveled from West Africa. The passenger was evaluated at a local hospital and later discharged from the emergency department. A full medical evaluation was conducted in coordination with federal, state, and local public health officials which found no evidence of Ebola. Read the press release.
Yesterday, the CDC announced that Ebola screenings will begin next week at Newark Airport.  A non-contact thermometer will be used to screen for sick passengers.  Read the CDC's statement.  

• Click here for Information for Healthcare Workers from CDC
• Click here for Information for Clinicians in the U.S. from CDC
• Click here for Ebola Key Messages from CDC

First Enterovirus D68 Death in New Jersey

Friday evening, October 3, 2014, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) notified the New Jersey Department of Health that a Mercer County child who died last week tested positive for enterovirus D68 (EV-68). CDC also confirmed a positive case of EV-68 in a Middlesex County child. The state currently has a total of nine confirmed cases in Camden, Burlington, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Essex, Passaic and Sussex counties. Read the NJ Department of Health's Press Release. Visit its web site for more information.

The NJ Department of Health's FAQ's can be found here.

Drug Addiction

Today, Governor Christie created the Facing Addiction Task Force, a 12-member team of leaders and experts, including MSNJ member Soumen Samaddar, MD, to fight drug addiction through treatment and prevention. View the press release.

MSNJ testified in the Assembly Appropriations Committee last week on A2859, which codifies the New Jersey "Project Medicine Drop" program and requires Division of Consumer Affairs to maintain secure prescription medicine drop-off receptacles at certain law enforcement agencies.  MSNJ urges the State to maintain a list of all drop off locations in the state, including private ones, so that patients know of all of their options.  This will become important as private drop off locations increase due to the recent DEA rule change which allows pharmacies and other facilities to accept medications. Another bill, A709, would require physicians to advise patients of the drop off program. MSNJ, along with specialty societies, are working with the bill sponsors to ensure that the notice is effective.

MSNJ also participated in the fifth Do No Harm CME event for physicians last week.  The purpose of this CME series is to educate physicians about new issues in drug addiction, including new tools like the NJ Prescription Monitoring Program. See event information here. This regional event was held at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick (RWJ).  See media coverage here, with MSNJ member and President of the RWJ medical staff, Dr. Andrea Harangozo quoted.  

This week, MSNJ physicians participated in roundtable discussion about the NJ Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) with Governor Chris Christie, Department of Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd and acting Attorney General John Hoffman. MSNJ President Dr. Paul Carniol, President Elect Dr. Steven Berkowitz and members Dr. James Salwitz, Dr. Andrea Harangozo, Dr. Peter Staats and Dr. Soumen Samaddar participated in the round table, along with physicians and representatives of Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, the host of the meeting.  Physicians expressed support for the Governor's drug addiction reduction initiative and offered ways to improve the PMP and make it more user-friendly.  See media coverage here. Governor Christie announced that New Jersey is expanding its efforts to combat prescription drug abuse by sharing prescribing records with doctors and pharmacists in Delaware, and soon with New York. View the video in which Governor Christie discusses increased participation in the Prescription Monitoring Program.   

Health Insurance Networks

IOM's Most Read Reports for September 2014

CMS Reopens Submission Period for Hardship Exception Applications

CMS announced that it would reopen the submission period for hardship exception applications in the EHR Meaningful Use Program. The new deadline to submit hardship exception applications is November 30, 2014. This allows more physicians to avoid next year's penalty for not demonstrating meaningful use.

This reopened hardship exception application submission period is for eligible professionals and eligible hospitals that:

• Have been unable to fully implement 2014 Edition CEHRT due to delays in 2014 Edition CEHRT availability; AND
• Eligible professionals who were unable to attest by October 1, 2014 and eligible hospitals that were unable to attest by July 1, 2014 using the flexibility options provided in the CMS 2014 CEHRT Flexibility Rule.  

ICD-10 National Provider Call

CMS will host a National Provider Call on "Transitioning to ICD-10" on Wednesday, November 5 at 1:30pm. CMS will discuss ICD-10 implementation issues, opportunities for testing and provide resources. Register online.  

ICD-10: One-Year Away

October 1, 2015 is the deadline to transition to the ICD-10 code set. MSNJ encourages all physicians to begin preparing for implementation by working with software vendors and testing their systems. Read the AMA Wire article and view more resources on MSNJ's website.

2015 Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment

The 2015 open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace will begin November 15, 2014 and go through February 15, 2015. Coverage for the 2014 Marketplace plans ends on December 31, 2014. Coverage for the 2015 Marketplace plans can begin on January 1, 2015. Visit the HealthCare.gov website for more information. 

Medicare Open Enrollment Beginning Next Week

PQRS Incentive Payments Now Available

The incentive payments for the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) are now available for eligible professionals and group practices who successfully met the reporting criteria. Read more.

Open Payments Data Fact Sheet

CMS created a new data fact sheet that includes details from the September 2014 publication of the 2013 Open Payments data. Know the numbers for:

• Records published in September 2014
• Identified and de-identified data
• Data that was not included in the September 2014 publication
• Reviewed and disputed records

Need help searching for the Open Payments data? CMS has developed directions that includes:

• How to search for specific data
• Find doctors by first and last name
• Search by drug or medical device name

Questions can be submitted to the Help Desk at openpayments@cms.hhs.gov. For live assistance, call Help Desk Support on 1-855-326-8366.

NJ Medicaid ICD-10 Testing Opportunities

ICD-10 testing opportunities are being offered by the NJ FamilyCare (NJFC)/New Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program (Charity Care).Click here to view how to submit FFS/Charity Care/HMO Encounter ICD-10-CM/PCS test claims.

NJ Medicaid Preventive Care Services Guidelines and Modifier 33

NJ Medicaid revised its guidance on the Preventive Care Services Guidelines and Modifier 33 in order to notify healthcare providers about preventive services which are now recommended and considered a priority by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. These US Preventive Services Task Force A and B rated services may be identified by appending modifier 33 to the procedure. Read the newsletter.

Dual Eligible Beneficiaries under the Medicare and Medicaid Programs

CMS has revised its fact sheet on "Dual Eligible Beneficiaries under the Medicare and Medicaid Programs" This fact sheet includes information on the Medicare and Medicaid Programs; dual eligible beneficiaries; assignment; and prohibited billing. Read the fact sheet.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. - Platinum Level Partner   

Contact: Brian S. Kern, Esq., Area Executive Vice President
Address: 101 JFK Parkway, Short Hills, NJ 07078-5000
Phone: 973.921.8497; Mobile: 908.642.4454
Fax: 973.921.2876
E-mail:  Brian_Kern@ajg.com
Website  

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.