Medical Society of New Jersey e-Newsletter
 
November 7, 2014

   
In This Issue
-Resolutions due November 12
Repeal Medicare's SGR
MEMBER BENEFITS
CME/EVENTS/TRAINING
-NJ ACOG Semi-Annual Meeting
-MSNJ's Delegation to the AMA
-Ebola Live Stream
-Ebola Statement
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
NEWS
-CMS Releases Final Rules for Medicare Program
-Surgical Practice Registration Notification
-AMA Penalty Program Letters
-Insurance Fraud
-New PIP Rulemaking
-New Consumer Booklet on Hepatitis
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
-Hardship Exception Submission Period Reopens
-ICD-10
-Medicare Open Enrollment
CORPORATE PARTNERS
 

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.


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.

Member Benefits

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.

This exciting and exclusive offer is available only to qualifying groups with at least 3 physician members. More information.
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. Visit our website for participating vendors and pricing. 


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

Check out the MSNJ Calendar for upcoming meetings!

MSNJ is happy to report in response to many hundreds of professional organizations (MSNJ included) and stakeholders, CMS has redefined its Open Payment reporting rules to specifically exclude virtually all CME payments so long as CME guidelines are followed. For more details, please read announcement from CME Coalition and further information provided by Policy and Medicine.

MSNJ held its 26th CME Provider Conference on October 27, 2014.  We were honored to have Murray Kopelow, MD, Chief Executive of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, make presentation to our audience.  The conference was attended by over 90 CME leaders and administrators representing 38 NJ hospitals and organizations.  We gratefully acknowledge the American Academy of CME, Inc. for joint-providing this event with MSNJ as they have done for many years.

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. 


The Federation of State Medical Boards is providing free CME activities on Opioids. Read more and register online.

PCSS-MAT Online Module: Hepatitis C and B Prevention and Treatment in Persons who Use Drugs

This presentation provides an overview of the epidemiology of Hepatitis B and C infection among persons who use drugs in the United States as well as an overview of current recommendations on diagnosis and treatment for these infections. In addition there is a brief overview of diagnosis and prevention of Hepatitis A infection. View the module.

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.

Register.

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

More information and registration. View the agenda.

ebolaDuring 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.

Learn and share ideas with healthcare leaders about the challenges of patient-owed balances. Register online.

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
Register online.

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.


Seabrook House is offering a complimentary CME event with Monmouth-Ocean Medical Society on "Identifying and Addressing Addiction in my Private Practice" on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at TR Hotel in Toms River, NJ. Click here for more information and registration.

New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome presents their First Annual Childhood Mental Health Symposium: Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Tics, OCD and Trichotillomania on November 20, 2014 from 10:00am to 4:00pm at Rutgers. Register online.

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 hon�orees are Ken Rosata, Chan�nel 7 News Anchor (Man of the Year) and MSNJ member, Dr. Josephine Vin�cenza Jasper, a board cer�ti�fied endocri�nol�o�gist (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


The AMA will host a one-day seminar on CPT� Changes on December 8 from 8:30am to 4:00pm at the Hilton Newark Penn Station in Newark, NJ. This seminar will provide a comprehensive review of changes to the CPT� 2015 codebook. Register online.

The CDC will host a 2-day course on Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases on March 17 and March 18, 2015 from 8:00am to 5:00pm at the Busch Campus Multi-Purpose Center, Rutgers, The State University in Piscataway. More information.

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MSNJ staff and members, including President Dr. Paul Carniol, attended the NJ ACOG Semi-Annual meeting today. We congratulate NJ ACOG on a successful event, as they were joined by Congressmen Frank Pallone and Leonard Lance, State Senator Joseph Vitale and State Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick. There was a very good discussion with these elected officials about issues affecting all physicians, including high deductible plans and insurance networks.

MSNJ's Delegation to the AMA Heading to Interim Meeting

The AMA's interim meeting is being held in Dallas between November 8 and 11. MSNJ's delegates are Drs. Robert Rigolosi, Chair, John Poole, Vice-Chair and AMPAC Chair, Bonki Rao, AMA Council on Education, Donald Cinotti, Charles Moss, Nancy Mueller, and David Swee. They will carry forward a resolution on Medicare Straddle Drug Pricing  and be assisted by alternates Drs. Mary Campagnolo, Joseph Costabile, Joseph Fallon, Christopher Gribbin and Ralph Kristeller.

 

MSNJ has arranged for a guest speaker, Erin Fox, PharmD of the University of Utah, who is a nationally recognized expert on medication shortages, to make a presentation to the Organization of State Medical Association Presidents (OSMAP). MSNJ was previously successful in spearheading the passage of an AMA resolution, and subsequently a federal law, which requires pharmaceutical companies to monitor and notify of anticipated interruptions of drug manufacturing. Dr. Fox's presentation is follow-up on this issue. A resolution on a Tobacco Free Military submitted by Dr. Rigolosi will be reaffirmed.

 

In addition to MSNJ-driven activities, physicians and medical association staff have a special opportunity this weekend to view live updates about two critical issues being presented at the 2014 AMA Interim Meeting (at www.ama-assn.org/sub/meeting/livestream.html).
  • "Infection control for Ebola: An update from the field" will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Central time Nov. 9. Arjun Srinivasan, MD, associate director for health care-associated infection prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, will discuss how to prepare for and manage Ebola patients in hospital and ambulatory care settings. This session also offers continuing medical education credit.
  • Robert McDonald, U.S. secretary of Veterans Affairs, will give an update on improving access to care for America's veterans. This address is scheduled to begin between 3 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Central time Nov. 8
Details, including information on claiming AMA PRA Category 1 credit™ for the ebola update, can be found in AMA Wire at www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/ama-wire/ama-wire/post/live-preparing-ebola-improving-veterans-health-care-1, which also includes links for the live streams.

Preparing your Clinic or Facility for an Ebola Patient

Streaming Video from the US Department of Health

Monday, November 10 at 2:30p.m.

MSNJ Statement on Isolation and Quarantine of Suspected Cases of Ebola Virus 
While MSNJ recognizes that the responsibility of deciding how to identify and isolate patients with potential cases of Ebola is squarely in the province of the state public health officials, we have attempted to quell unfounded fears of how the disease is spread. In our statement on October 31 we noted that "there is no evidence that casual contact with asymptomatic individuals poses a risk of spreading Ebola to others." Newspapers have picked up and conveyed our message that not all healthcare workers returning from the West African countries with Ebola outbreaks would need to be automatically quarantined. We believe that healthcare workers returning from service in these countries should be treated with the respect that they have earned and that they should be compensated during any quarantine. The state has also indicated that some compensation during quarantine should be available.

MSNJ's committee on Ebola is led by two infectious disease physicians, Dr. Richard Porwancher and Dr. Ted Louie. The committee has met regularly to be in a position to provide information to physicians and the public about the risks of the spread of the disease and how to mitigate those risks. This week MSNJ released a guidance document for medical offices to prepare for the possibility of treating a patient who may have been exposed to Ebola. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the New Jersey Department of Health, MSNJ and virtually all healthcare professionals agree that the first line of defense is to direct symptomatic patients with a potential exposure to Ebola to emergency transport and the emergency department of the local hospital. Visit www.msnj.org/ebola for more information on Ebola preparedness.
 
Legislative Update 

New Jersey Election Results

New Jersey elections went largely as predicted. Senator Booker won his seat and all incumbent Congressmen stayed in their seats. All three open seats remained with the party of the resigning member. Democratic State Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman won the seat in District 12 that was left open by Rush Holt, defeating Dr. Alieta Eck. Democratic State Senator Donald Norcross won the seat in District 1 left open by Rob Andrews. And, Republican Tom MacArthur won the seat left open by John Runyan in District 3, defeating Burlington Freeholder Aimee Belgard.  Read the full results, including local races.  

 

Assisted Suicide

Two MSNJ physicians were featured in a story about assisted suicide this week.  Read the article. Read MSNJ's position statement

NewsTOP

CMS Releases Final Rules for Medicare Program 

CMS released final rules outlining 2015 payment rates and rules in the Medicare program.

The final rules include:

  • Better coordination of care for beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions;
  • Paying providers for quality, not quantity of care;
  • Providing incentives to hospital outpatient departments and facilities to deliver efficient, high-quality care;
  • Better information for providers to understand the total scope, cost, and quality of care that the Medicare beneficiaries they serve receive;
  • Expand and add new measures to the Physician Compare website; and
  • New quality and performance measures for dialysis facilities. Read more.
MSNJ had advocated for CMS to pay for separately administered anesthesiology during screening colonoscopy. CMS's adopted rule now allows for payment of anesthesiology during these procedures with no cost sharing on the part of Medicare beneficiaries. In addition to our advocacy on anesthesia during colonoscopy, we urged CMS not to eliminate the exception for accredited CME from Sunshine Act reporting. The final rule preserved the exemption of certified CME.  Read CMS's Fact Sheets on the rule. Read CMS's summary of the final rule.

Alert! Surgical Practice Registration Notification
This week physicians began to receive a letter from the Department of Health and the Board of Medical Examiners notifying them of a "final period of registration of surgical practices." Physicians who do not have surgical practices or who have already registered need take no further action. Physicians who may be operating a surgical practice, but who did not register in the past are being given an opportunity to take advantage of this final "grace" period to register. This opportunity is provided because some practices may not have realized that registration was necessary. Details of the surgical practice registration requirement will be published in the November 17 New Jersey Register. Practices will have 60 days from November 17 to submit an application.  

 

The Department considers a surgical practice to be a physician's office where anesthesia, other than local or topical, is used.  The Department has also indicated exceptions for rooms used only for pain management injections and rooms with sinks that are used only for endoscopies, hysteroscopies and cystoscopies.  We will keep members updated on information that we receive from the state. We will provide further information when the New Jersey Register is published. Physicians who may be performing procedures under anesthesia in their offices and who are not registered should review the letter and watch for further information.

AMA Penalty Program Letters

The AMA recently sent a letter to CMS outlining all of the coinciding reporting programs that include penalties for non-compliance. They suggest that CMS simplify the requirements to avoid these penalties and to reverse its proposals to raise total penalties from these programs to ten percent or more in the future. A second letter to CMS was sent from the AMA that outlines their ideas for Stage 3 of the Meaningful Use program and also offers a significant number of proposed changes to the current stages. Read more about the deadline to file a hardship exception to avoid the penalty in 2015 below.

State Focuses on Insurance Fraud
The Christie Administration is focusing on insurance fraud. In a press release recently issued by the Commissioner of the Department of Banking & Insurance Commissioner Ken Kobylowski urges consumers to be aware of instances of insurance fraud, particularly with regard to PIP benefits. He notes that PIP benefits are more generous in New Jersey than most other states. Commissioner specifies billing for medical services not provided or performing unnecessary medical services for personal financial gain, as well as billing for more expensive procedures than were performed as examples of fraud.

New PIP Rulemaking
The state has shared its plans to conduct further rulemaking on the internal appeals procedure for PIP claims with a goal of standardizing the process for all carriers. MSNJ was invited to discuss the forthcoming rule proposal which was the result of comments by many in the regulated community concerning the appeal process. We will remain engaged in the pre-proposal stage and will formally comment when the proposed rule is published.  

SAMHSA's New Consumer Booklet on Hepatitis

A new consumer booklet on Hepatitis has been developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for physicians to provide to patients. Topics covered include screening, vaccination, treatment, liver transplant, behaviors for avoiding hepatitis infection, and living with hepatitis C disease. Illustrations reinforce each message, and treatment providers can share individual pages with clients to support their hepatitis-related educational needs. This booklet can be downloaded or ordered for distribution.

Practice Management

hardshipCMS 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.  
These are the only circumstances that will be considered for this reopened hardship exception application submission period. Read the AMA Wire article.

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.  

Medicare Open Enrollment Began October 15 

The annual enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans began on October 15, 2014 and ends on December 7, 2014. Medicare beneficiaries have until December 7 to analyze their options and make plan choices. During open enrollment, Medicare beneficiaries who do not have a Part D plan can enroll in one, and those who do have Part D coverage can change plans. Beneficiaries can also return to traditional Medicare from a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, enroll in an MA plan, or change MA plans.  Enrollment requests made during open enrollment will have an effective date of January 1, 2015. The 2015 plan information will be available on the Medicare Plan Finder. More information. Use MSNJ's Medicare Enrollment poster in your office to advise your patients of the open enrollment period and let them know what plans you accept.
Corporate Partners

QualCare, Inc. - Platinum Level Partner  

 

    

 

Contact: Jenny Martinez
Address: 30 Knightsbridge Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: 888.670.8135, option 6
E-mail: [email protected]
Website 

 

QualCare, Inc., administers the MSNJ Affiliated Physicians and Employers - MEWA Health Plan, a multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) which provides members with access to healthcare coverage options that might otherwise be too costly. Through this program, physicians may buy self-insured health plans at the equivalent of large-group rates.

 

QualCare, Inc. is New Jersey's largest, provider-sponsored Managed Care Organization that offers self-funded PPO, HMO network, point of service (POS) network, and open access health plans; third party administration (TPA) services, provider network access, wellness programs, care management services, and a workers' compensation product. QualCare also provides ACO consultative services and infrastructure.

 

Headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey, QualCare services over 800,000 members and is owned by 16 non-profit hospitals and physician-hospital organizations, with a clientele that spans health systems, unions, local governments, school boards, and other commercial employers. QualCare's network covers over 100 acute, specialty and rehabilitation hospitals, as well as over 31,000 physicians and other ancillary providers across NJ, PA & NY.


 

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"  

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