Climate for NJ Physician Practice

A recent report has highlighted the unfavorable climate for physicians in New Jersey. Taxation, regulation and practice limitations are among the factors that have put New Jersey at the bottom of the list. Read the study.

CMS Considering Proposals to Shorten Meaningful-Use Reporting Period

CMS announced their intent to engage in rulemaking to update the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs starting in 2015. MSNJ is a proponent of simplifying and coordinating this CMS program with other quality and reporting programs. In response to input from health care providers and other stakeholders, CMS is considering the following changes to both EHR Incentive Programs:

• Shortening the 2015 reporting period to 90 days to address provider concerns about their ability to fully deploy 2014 Edition software.
• Realigning hospital reporting periods to the calendar year to allow eligible hospitals more time to incorporate 2014 Edition software into their workflows and to better align with other quality programs.
• Modifying other aspects of the programs to match long-term goals, reduce complexity, and lessen providers' reporting burden.

Revolving Reference Committee to Hear Two Resolutions
On February 2 at 7:00pm, MSNJ's Revolving Reference Committee (RRC) will hear two resolutions via webinar. 

1. Physician/Patient Relationship - Right to Continuity of Care, Admitting and Consultation Privileges for Family Physicians and Internists for their Hospitalized Patients - Camden County
2. Recreational Use and Abuse of Prescription Drugs - Hudson County

Information on these resolutions may be found on MSNJ's website and by taking the following steps.

Your Input is Needed: Data Exchange Survey

Congress has recently directed HHS to identify EHR vendors who actively limit interoperability and to develop a report on data blocking.  MSNJ is assisting the AMA in its advocacy efforts on this issue. We need your help in collecting data on how much vendors are charging to exchange information. Please complete the survey by February 5, 2015.  

ICD-10: Only 243 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.

Nominating Committee Candidates

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.

Physician Mandates

The Senate Labor Committee passed S.1519, a bill that would require employers, physicians and hospitals to provide certain notices regarding employee benefits.  The NJ Chamber of Commerce and Business and Industry Association oppose the bill on behalf of employers, since the bill increases reporting requirements.  MSNJ, the NJ Hospital Association and specialty societies also oppose the inappropriate mandate on physicians to provide this information.  Read our opposition letter.

The Senate Health Committee passed S.876, which would require physicians and hospitals to provide testing for Hepatitis C for adults born between 1945 and 1965.  The bill would require that the test be offered at every patient encounter unless the patient confirms that she has already been tested.  MSNJ, the NJ Hospital Association and specialty societies oppose this mandate.  See our testimony.

The Senate Health Committee passed S.1533, which would require the State Board of Medical Examiners to conduct international background checks and contact each past employer of an applicant, as long as the employment was in the last 10 years and related to the practice of medicine.  MSNJ, the NJ Hospital Association, specialty societies and the NJ Board of Medical Examiners oppose this bill.   

The bill stems from a case in which an applicant lied about a foreign criminal conviction and practiced medicine irresponsibly upon receiving his NJ license.  Though his license was eventually revoked, the bill aims to prevent such instances.  But, NJ physician licenses are already the 6th most costly in the state, are time-consuming and still paper-based (not online), and are usually delayed because of current background check requirements. MSNJ testified in opposition to the bill, arguing that the cost of attracting qualified physicians is greater than the benefit of adding further measures to prevent unqualified applicants from gaining NJ licenses.

Gestation Agreements

The Senate Health Committee passed S.866, which would allow for and provide legal parameters for gestational carrier agreements.  The Governor vetoed this bill last session, making it a priority for Democrats to pass this session.  MSNJ has not taken a position on the bill.  See press coverage.

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! 

February 28 EHR Attestation Deadline for Eligible Professionals

Eligible Professionals (EPs) participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program have until February 28 to attest to meeting meaningful use of the data collected during their 2014 reporting period.The attestation includes the  2014 Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) Flexibility Rule options. Starting January 1, 2015, penalties were applied for Medicare EPs that did not successfully demonstrate meaningful use in 2013 and did not receive a 2015 hardship exception. Medicare EPs that did not successfully demonstrate meaningful use in 2014 and do not receive a 2016 hardship exception will have payment adjustments applied beginning January 1, 2016. Read the payment adjustment tipsheet for more information.

Please Note: You must attest to demonstrating meaningful use every year to receive an incentive and avoid a Medicare payment adjustment.

Medicaid EHR Incentive Program participants should refer to their state's deadlines for attestation information. 

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

Patient Payment Management Process Practices should be reviewing their patient payment management process as more patients are purchasing health insurance and seeking care from physicians. Read AMA's tips on how to refine your patient payment management process.

AMA Webinar: Stop Paying to Get Paid: Effective Electronic Payments
The AMA is offering an on-demand webinar to assist physicians in effectively implementing electronic payments into their practice. The webinar is designed to provide attendees with the knowledge of electronic payments, an overview of the implications of accepting virtual credit card payments, and an introduction on how to implement the new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standard electronic funds transfer (EFT) transaction in their practice. The webinar can be viewed at any time via the AMA's Online Learning Center and has been approved for 1 hour of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

View January's Practice Tip of the Month for information on the new modifiers for the New Year!

QualCare, Inc. - Platinum Level Partner   

Contact: Jenny Martinez
Address: 30 Knightsbridge Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: 888.670.8135, option 6
E-mail:  mewasales@qualcareinc.com
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.

Valley National Bank- Bronze Level Partner