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Medical Society of New Jersey e-Newsletter
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 | Employment Contract Review Program
Entering into an employment agreement can change your professional life for years to come. Don't sign until you have consulted with counsel. Check out our Employment Contract Review Program today! View the flyer.
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Please join Sonesta for their Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting
February 4, 2015
Sonesta ES Suites Princeton
4375 Route 1 South, Princeton, NJ 08540
Chamber breakfast 7:45-9:30am
Ribbon cutting to follow at 10:00
Please RSVP to Sarah Armstrong, or call 609-436-2744
Take advantage of Sonesta's benefit to MSNJ members!
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The Philadelphia 76ers are offering discounted tickets to MSNJ members. Access the discount!
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Having Trouble with Patient Portal Adoption?
Increase your portal adoption rate by communicating with your patients. From statement inserts and portal ID cards to office signage and features and benefits brochures - POS can help you educate your patients. For a limited time, POS is offering 25% off any new patient portal education piece.
Contact POS today to brainstorm ideas on how to educate and engage your patients with your portal.
800.331.4976 | www.poscorp.com | info@poscorp.com
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| MSNJ, in conjunction with the Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic County Medical Societies, is hosting a free dinner seminar on Hot Topics in Health Care on February 25 at 6:00pm at Il Villaggio. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. More information.
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SoFi and MSNJ will host a webinar on: Stumped with your student loans? What you need to know about advanced refinancing techniques on Wednesday, March 4, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.
The presentation will provide an introduction to student loan debt, review government repayment programs, and advanced debt reduction techniques applicable to Physicians. Register online.
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AHRQ is hosting a webinar on January 28 from 12:30pm to 2:00pm on meeting Stage 3 Meaningful Use Objectives. This presentation will outline findings from research on Meaningful Use of clinical decision support, care coordination and electronic health records in pediatric primary care settings. Register.
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New! Free on-line course on End of Life Care
Meets NJ BME education requirement for two Category 1 Credits in End of Life Care needed for 2015 license renewal.
Members access here.
We also have an alternative online option with a modest fee:
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.
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| The Federation of State Medical Boards is providing free CME activities on Opioids. Read more and register online.
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PCSS-MAT and the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine will host "The Office-Based Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders: The 'Half and Half' Course Webinar". This webinar training, in conjunction with a 3.75 hour online study and exam, will provide the required 8 hours needed to obtain the waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in the office setting. This webinar will be offered on three dates:
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The Sentinel Project will host a free conference on "Insurance Coverage Issues for Behavioral Health and Addiction Services" on February 6, 2015 at 10:00AM at Seton Hall Law School. This conference will discuss several areas of coverage that have raised concerns historically in insurance markets, including access to outpatient therapy and drug treatment and access to transitions of care following acute episodes. Registration coming soon.
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Join your colleagues and the American Medical Association, February 23-25, in Washington, D.C., at the National Advocacy Conference (NAC). By attending this important conference you will demonstrate your commitment to being an active, well-informed advocate for patients, the medical profession and the future of health care. More information and registration.
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| 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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News
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MSNJ In The News
Health care experts, including MSNJ's President Dr. Paul J. Carniol, react to news of a brand new NJ medical school in the works in this NJBIZ article.
MSNJ's Mishael Azam, COO & Senior Manager, Legislative Affairs, and President Paul J. Carniol, MD are featured in this NJ Spotlight article for their participation in a forum of health care experts that convened on Tuesday at Kean University.
MSNJ CEO Larry Downs reacts to a study that shows doctors are seeing more Medicaid patients if they get paid more in the Philly.com and NJ.com articles.
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US Supreme Court Considers Adequacy of Medicaid Payment Rates
This week the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in Armstrong v. Exceptional Child Center. At issue is the Medicaid Act's "equal access" provision. It requires that states that accept federal funding set payment rates that are "sufficient to enlist enough providers so that care and services are available under the plan at least to the extent that such care and services are available to the general population in the geographic area."
The AMA's amicus brief argues that Medicaid rates in many states do not cover the costs of treating Medicaid patients so physicians end up paying out of their pockets to treat Medicaid patients. New Jersey is one of those states. New Jersey Medicaid consistently pays among the lowest rates of all states, by all measures. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, on average Medicaid in New Jersey pays only 45% of Medicare rates. The inadequate payment rates lead to fewer physicians treating Medicaid patients.
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Tavenner to Step Down in February
After more than three years as CMS Administrator, Marilyn Tavenner has announced her resignation; she will be leaving at the end of February. Her temporary replacement is Andy Slavitt, formerly a UnitedHealth Group executive who is now principal deputy administrator. Read more.
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ICD-10: Only 251 Days 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. Register for upcoming ICD-10 Webinar Workshops. Participate in NJ DOBI's ICD-10 Readiness Survey.
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Medicare Limiting Charge after EHR and PQRS Negative Adjustments
Medicare physicians, who are not meaningful users and/or have not successfully submitted PQRS data, are subject to penalties, resulting in lower fee schedule amounts. These penalties apply to both participating and non-participating physicians. Read more about the application of these penalties in CMS's updated guidance document. See 2014 PQRS Data Submission deadlines below.
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Nominating Committee Candidates
MSNJ is pleased to announce the following candidates are interested in positions on the Board of Trustees, AMA Delegation and various positions. Candidates for the Board of Trustees and AMA Delegation will be have the opportunity to make a 5 minute presentation at the Nominating Committee on Sunday, February 1, 2015 at 1:00 pm. The following members have agreed to serve as Nominating Committee Delegates/Alternates. Thank you for your involvement at MSNJ.
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Hospice and Palliative Care Services Survey
In order to better understand how to best address the market for hospice and palliative care services in Southern New Jersey, Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice is asking you to participate in a brief survey of healthcare providers who may refer patients and their families to hospice and palliative care services. Take the survey!
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De Groote Award Nominations
MSNJ is accepting nominations for the De Groote Award which will be conferred at the MSNJ Inaugural Gala of the 223rd President, Steven Berkowitz, MD on May 9, 2015. The De Groote Award was established by resolution to honor the selfless work of Dr. Robert De Groote in service to the medical profession. The De Groote Award will be given to the individual whose selfless and idealistic work benefits humankind and not himself or herself.
Nominations should be made by submitting a brief narrative to info@msnj.org by close of business on Friday, February 20, 2015.
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Legislative Update
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NJ Health Summit
MSNJ President, Dr. Paul Carniol, and MSNJ COO, Mishael Azam, participated in a healthcare summit hosted by Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, the Minority Leader of the lower house. Panel participants discussed important issues like insurance contracts and payments and hospital readmissions. See coverage of the event. Read more.
Prison Healthcare
The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee passed two bills last week relating to prisoner health. It passed S.221, which prohibits correctional facility staff or medical providers from applying restraints to a female inmate known to be pregnant during any stage of labor, any pregnancy related medical distress, transport to a medical facility, delivery, or postpartum. Restraints would be allowed if a supervising employee or medical provider makes an individualized determination that: (1) the inmate presents a substantial flight risk; or (2) some other extraordinary medical or security circumstance dictates that the inmate must be restrained to ensure the safety and security of the incarcerated person, the employees of the facility or medical facility, other incarcerated persons, or the public. When restraints are permitted, the bill requires that the least restrictive type and application of restraint necessary be used. The bill requires that a restrained female inmate be attended at all times by an employee of the facility or a medical provider with the ability to release the restraints if medically necessary. The employee or medical provider would be required to immediately remove all restraints upon request of the doctor, nurse, or other health care professional caring for the female inmate. The bill also specifies that it would never be permissible to use leg and waist restraints on a female inmate who is in labor.
The Committee also passed S.53, which requires the Commissioner of Corrections to ensure that all medications prescribed for inmates prior to incarceration for treatment of chronic conditions are continued while they are incarcerated in a State correctional facility. The bill would place similar requirements on county correctional facilities. The bill requires that medication prescribed for the treatment of chronic conditions be administered to the inmate for a minimum of 30 days from the date the inmate is committed to the custody of the department before resuming treatment in compliance with State law and regulations promulgated by the commissioner. The bill also requires the commissioner and each chief executive officer, warden, or keeper of a county correctional institution to establish a means for providing medication and treatment for chronic conditions, including establishing a screening process and a means of verifying prescriptions.
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Practice Management
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Ready Set Code! ICD-10 Webinar Workshops
The compliance date for implementation of ICD-10 is October 1, 2015. Will you be ready? MSNJ and the New Jersey Hospital Association will host a series of specialty specific webinar workshops on ICD-10. These hands-on coding workshops will help you master ICD-10-CM and the documentation requirements associated with coding for your specialty-specific practice. Participants will gain an understanding of the code format and structure of ICD-10 and the ability to successfully assign diagnosis codes using ICD-10. Choose one workshop that best describes your practice. Each 2-hour Specialty Workshop will be repeated on two different dates/times for your convenience. All workshops are approved for 2 AAPC CEUs. More information and registration.
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NJ DOBI Standard ICD-10 Readiness Survey
The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) ICD-10 Implementation Task Force, which MSNJ participates in with NJHA and many New Jersey payors and hospitals, is conducting a standardized ICD-10 Readiness Survey to collect information regarding your ICD-10 readiness. We are looking for solo and small practices in particular to take the survey. Please take this opportunity to tell us where you are in the transition process. Your survey responses will be shared. Everyone who participates in the survey will receive the results in Excel format. Trading partners, including participating payors, may use this information to follow your progress and schedule a time to begin end-to-end testing with you. This survey will be reissued periodically so you can continue to update information as you continue to make progress. Only one person should register and submit a response on behalf of your organization. Once you have done so, you will have access to all other trading partners that have submitted survey responses. Please keep in mind that registered users will also have access to your information. We urge all members to participate in this survey and begin communicating with payors about transitioning to ICD-10. Take the survey!
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Share your ICD-10 Story with the Health Care Community!
CMS is asking physicians and office staff to share their ICD-10 success stories with the health care community to help prepare others across the country for the October 1, 2015 deadline. CMS is interested in hearing about:
- Training and educating staff about the transition,
- Clinical documentation improvement,
- Coordinating with vendors to update software,
- Testing systems within your practice and with clearinghouses and health plans, and
- Collaborating with other health care organizations on ICD-10
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 Important 2014 PQRS Data Submission Deadlines
There is still time to avoid the 2016 Medicare payment penalties by participating in PQRS for 2014. The following reporting methods are still available:
- January 1, 2015 - February 28, 2015: EHR direct or data submission vendor that is Certified EHR Technology
- January 1, 2015 - February 28, 2015: Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDRs) (using QRDA III format) reporting for PQRS and the Clinical Quality Measure component of meaningful use for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program
- January 26, 2015 - March 20, 2015: Group Practice Reporting Option Web Interface
- January 1, 2015 - March 31, 2015: Qualified registries
- January 1, 2015 - March 31, 2015: QCDRs (using XML format) reporting for PQRS only
- January 1, 2015 - March 31, 2015: Maintenance of Certification Organizations
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Opting out of Medicare and/or Electing to Order and Certify Items and Services to Medicare Beneficiaries
CMS has revised the "Opting out of Medicare and/or Electing to Order and Certify Items and Services to Medicare Beneficiaries" guidance document. This document was revised to add clarifying language on the opt-out process and requirements, especially with regard to the definition of "opt-out." Read more.
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View January's Practice Tip of the Month for information on the new modifiers for the New Year!
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Princeton Insurance - Gold Level Partner 
Contact: Lois Hogya, CPCU
Address: P.O. Box 5322, Princeton, NJ 08543-5322
Phone: 609.951.5862
Fax: 609.734.8461
E-mail: lois.hogya@princetoninsurance.com
Website
Princeton Insurance exists to protect the New Jersey healthcare community and partner with them in their efforts to provide outstanding patient care. Measured either by numbers of policyholders or total premiums, Princeton is the leading healthcare malpractice insurer in New Jersey, with the longest continuous market presence of any company offering coverage in the Garden State.
Rated A++ (Superior) by independent rating agency A.M. Best, Princeton Insurance is a member of MedPro Group, Berkshire Hathaway's dedicated healthcare liability solution. MedPro Group provides unmatched financial strength, winning defense, and innovative solutions to physicians, dentists and other healthcare providers in all fifty states.
Princeton's local knowledge and expertise, joined together with MedPro's nationwide presence and Berkshire's unmatched financial strength, result in an even stronger partnership with our policyholders to meet the challenges they face and provide the protection they deserve.
To find out more about Princeton Insurance or to obtain a no-obligation premium indication, contact your independent insurance agent or visit our website.
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STI Computer Services, Inc.- Bronze Level Partner
Contact: Joseph Cerra, Sales Manager
Address: Valley Forge Corporate Center, 2700 Van Buren Avenue, Eagleville, PA 19403
Phone: 800.487.9135
Fax: 610.650.9272
E-mail: evcorp@salesassoc.com
Website
The ChartMaker® computerized patient-records software is a complete, pen-based, template-driven system for personal computers using Microsoft Windows Operating systems. Computerized patient records comply with the new E&M coding guidelines. Also ChartMaker Practice Manager® - billing/scheduling software. A 10% discount on software is available to members.
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| 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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Medical Society of New Jersey
2 Princess Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
(o) 609-896-1766 e-mail:
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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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2015 © 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.
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