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.

Jos. A Bank is offering exclusive coupons for Corporate Card Members for November 3 only! View the coupons!  

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 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. 

MSNJ Guest Speaker on Drug Shortages at OSMAP

MSNJ Guest speaker Erin Fox, PharmD of the University of Utah, a nationally recognized expert on medications shortages, will be presenting at the OSMAP (Organization of State Medical Association Presidents) meeting on November 7 in Dallas. More information.

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.

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

During the 2014 AMA Interim Meeting on November 9, the CDC will present a live streaming continuing medical education session on how to prepare for and manage Ebola patients in hospital and ambulatory care setting. The session will begin at 4:30pm CST. More details on viewing this session remotely coming soon. Read more. 

POS® will host a Financial Communication Focus Group on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm at Due Mari in New Brunswick, NJ.

The New Jersey Department of Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), NJ Chapter invite you to attend the Vaccines for Children (VFC) & Vaccine Preventable Disease Conference: "Celebrating 20 Years of Saving Lives through Immunizations" on November 13, 2014. Topics include: 

• Alternative schedules & safety
• University meningococcal update
• New Jersey Immunization Information System (NJIIS) update
• Vaccine storage & handling
• VFC update
• Hepatitis B birth dose update

AmeriHealth Caritas Partnership's Dental Medical Conference is only weeks away!  This conference brings together the entire medical community promoting a holistic, integrated approach to caring for patients.  On November 13-15th at the Hilton City Avenue in Philadelphia, PA participants will receive up to 10 CME/CE credits through our academic partners: Rutgers University, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry. Scholastic, Academic and Professional Health Care Leaders will deliver innovative presentations on topics such as:

• integrated case management and care models,
• reimbursement and payment models and
• interprofessional education, training and communications

Registration is FREE for students and $99 for professionals. More information.

The Center for Italian & Italian-American Culture, Inc. is hosting their 2014 Annual Gala on November 21 at 7:00pm at the Villa at Mountain Lakes. This year's hon­orees are Ken Rosata, Chan­nel 7 News Anchor (Man of the Year) and MSNJ member, Dr. Josephine Vin­cenza Jasper, a board cer­ti­fied endocri­nol­o­gist (Woman of the Year). Call The Center office at 973-571-1995 for more details.

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

More information and registration. 

Resolutions due November 12

The next meeting of the Revolving Reference Committee is December 1, 2014. All resolutions need to be vetted by your County Medical Society prior to submission to MSNJ. Resolutions are due from the County Medical Societies by November 12. Click here for instructions on writing a resolution.

MSNJ STATEMENT ON ISOLATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK OF DEVELOPING EBOLA:

Recent events in the developing story around Ebola and the concerted medical and public health efforts to contain the epidemic in the United States have caused the Medical Society of New Jersey to review guidance issued by the federal and state governments and offer the position of the state's physicians with respect to the isolation of patients and those asymptomatic individuals that are deemed to be at risk of developing Ebola. Examples of individuals at risk of acquiring Ebola include healthcare workers and others who provided direct care for Ebola patients or handled their infected waste.

New Jersey's population density and position as a hub for international travel makes it a logical location to implement efforts to contain the highly infectious Ebola virus.  The best method of control of the Ebola virus is the identification and isolation of cases and potential cases of the disease.  How the identification and isolation is accomplished is the province of state public health authorities.

Ebola virus is spread by direct contact with blood or body fluids from infected individuals. At present there is no evidence that casual contact with asymptomatic individuals poses a risk of spreading Ebola to others. At-risk individuals should self-monitor twice daily to detect fever or other symptoms for 21 days after their last exposure to Ebola; this monitoring should be effective to protect the public. It is the domain of public health officials to oversee this monitoring and determine if mandatory quarantine is necessary. If at-risk individuals develop fever or other symptoms compatible with Ebola, then prompt reporting to public health officials and isolation in specially trained and equipped healthcare facilities is warranted.

Healthcare workers and those caring for patients with Ebola virus are at the highest risk for infection.  These individuals, both domestic and those serving in West Africa, deserve the utmost dignity when they are deemed to have had sufficient contact to warrant isolation.  Healthcare workers should be advised on the isolation protocols and the clinical rationale underpinning those protocols in advance of their service.

MSNJ Supports Legislation to Amend Sunshine Act

NY City Health Department Accused of Medicaid Fraud Scheme

AMA Code of Ethics

Consumer Fraud Act Legislation

The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee released A207, sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora.  This bill eliminates the awarding of attorneys' fees, filing fees, and costs of suit for certain victims of technical violations under the Consumer Fraud Act. Under current law, a person who suffers an ascertainable loss of money or property, as a result of another's violation of the Consumer Fraud Act, is entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees, filing fees, and costs of suit. Additionally, the State's courts have held that even in cases where a violation is found to be technical, and there were no ascertainable losses, a person may still be entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees, filing fees and reasonable costs of suit. MSNJ, along with the business community, supports this bill.

Down Syndrome Information

The Senate unanimously passed S.475, sponsored by Senator Fred Madden, Jr., which would require certain information regarding Down Syndrome be provided to certain parents and families.

Health Insurance Networks

The Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee held its second hearing on out of network charges. The Committee aims to hear from stakeholders before considering legislation. MSNJ has met with the Chairman, members and staff of the committee regarding this issue. Please find press coverage of the hearings here:

• Hospital Chief Spars with Insurers 
• Advocates Call for Changes to Out of Network Billing 

Health Information Protection

The Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee released A3322/S.562, which requires health insurers to encrypt patient data. MSNJ supports this bill, which has already passed the Senate. As previously reported, this bill is based on an incident in which unprotected patient data was released by a Horizon employee.

Drug Addiction Legislation

The Senate Health Committee released 8 of the 21 bills aimed at reducing drug addiction this week. The bills include:

S.2371 - Directs poison control and drug information program to establish clearinghouse of drug overdose information, report on trends, and provide education on safe storage and disposal of medications; appropriates $500,000.

S.2373 - Requires Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services to annually prepare, and make available to the public, a substance abuse treatment provider performance report.

S.2375 - Provides for licensure of ambulatory care facilities to provide integrated primary care services including behavioral health care.

S.2377 - Directs certain four-year public institutions of higher education to establish substance abuse recovery housing program.

S.2379 - Establishes pilot program for Medicaid enrollment, by screening and enrolling eligible incarcerated defendants awaiting court hearing on bail; requires enrollment opportunity for eligible defendants prior to admission to certain court supervised rehabilitative programs.

S.2380 - Requires DHS and DOC to share regulatory authority in regard to prison-based mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.

S.2381 - Requires certain drug treatment programs operating in State correctional facilities or county jails to offer medication-assisted treatment; permits successful completion of special probation drug court program notwithstanding use of medication-assisted treatment.

S.2499 - Requires sober living homes and other aftercare facilities to provide certain notifications to next-of-kin when patient is released from care, and clarifies DHS authority to regulate certain facilities; designated as "Nick Rohdes' Law."

As previously reported, the committee already released 9 of the bills earlier this month. MSNJ is engaging with the sponsors and committee members with our concerns. For example, along with NJHA and NJ ACEP, we successfully sought amendments to S.2371, which requires reporting of overdoses. The Assembly Health Committee released some of the bills in this package, including the counterpart to S.2371. During a hearing on the issue in Assembly Health, MSNJ member Dr. Bruce Bonanno testified about barriers to treatment.

Federal Issues

MSNJ attended events with our Congressional delegation this week and reminded them about the need for SGR and ACA reform.

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: Less than 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. View resources on MSNJ's website.  

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.   

Medicare Open Enrollment Began October 15 

Reporting the Service Location NPI on Anti-Markup and Reference Laboratory Claims

October Update to CY 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database

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.

CMK provides health care law services including counseling and representation on matters involving:

•  Accountable Care Organizations
• Counsel to Professional Medical Societies
• Coding (ICD-10)
• Defense of fraud & abuse investigations
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
• EMTALA
• Guardianships
•  HIPAA/HITECH compliance & enforcement matters
• Hospital general counsel representation
• Medical Staff counseling, quality and peer review
• Physician practice group business planning & transactional services
• Professional licensure & Board of Medical Examiners matters
• Professional liability defense
• Regulatory compliance programs
• Third party reimbursement

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.