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Medical Society of New Jersey e-Newsletter
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There is still time to submit 2014 PQRS data and avoid the penalty in 2016! Marcy Le, Medical Software Trainer at STI Computer Services, MSNJ corporate partner, will present a free webinar "PQRS Reporting Simplified." Learn about the program and how to avoid the penalty. This webinar will be presented on
Space is limited and registration is required. Registration will close at 4:30pm the day prior to the event.
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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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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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SAVE THE DATE!
MSNJ's 2015 Advocacy Conference and House of Delegates Meeting
Friday, May 1, 2015
7:30am to 6:00pm
Crowne Plaza Princeton
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MSNJ "Hot Topics" Dinner Seminar with CME:
MSNJ, in conjunction with the Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset County Medical Societies, are hosting a free dinner seminar on Hot Topics in Health Care on March 25 at 6:00pm at Salt Creek Grille. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. More information.
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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.
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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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Union County Medical Society is pleased to present with
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway: A Conversation at End-of-Life: POLST
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 3:45PM
L'Affaire Caterers
This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
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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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IOM National Action Conference: Policies and Payment Systems to Improve End-of-Life Care
Friday, March 20, 2015 from 9:00am to 5:00pm
National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC
More information and registration.
A live video webcast will be available. Register for the webcast.
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| NJIT will host a Cyber Security Conference and Networking event on Monday, March 30 from 8:30am to 2:00pm at NJIT. For the 14th consecutive year, identity theft is the nations' biggest threat for consumers, topping the annual rankings of filed complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. Experts will discuss emerging and potentially damaging cyber crimes, which industries are most at risk, and solutions for concerned business owners. Register online.
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Two River Community Bank - Bronze Level Partner
Contacts: Ross Zimmerman, SVP/Managing Director; Maria Cianci, Private Banking Officer; Michael Schutsky, Private Banking Officer; Edward Wurzel, Private Banking Officer
Address: 766 Shrewsbury Avenue, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Phone: (732) 982-2080
E-mails: rzimmerman@tworiverbank.com, mcianci@tworiverbank.com, mschutsky@tworiverbank.com, ewurzel@tworiverbank.com
Website
Private Banking for Medical Professionals
You can count on us the way your patients count on you. With a tremendous amount of experience, our Private Bankers have assisted medical professionals in achieving their financial goals by providing favorable rates, impeccable service and state-of-the-art technology. We invite you to experience the benefits we provide...we're confident you'll be glad you did. Credit is a powerful tool that you can utilize to manage your day-to-day operations, achieve short and long-term goals and resolve unanticipated challenges.
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Princeton Insurance - Gold Level Partner
 Mailing 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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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.
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News
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Anti-trust Immunity for State Medical Boards Requires Active State Supervision
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court held in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC that state boards on which a "controlling number of decisionmakers" are "active market participants" in the occupation that they regulate must be actively supervised by the state for the boards to invoke state action antitrust immunity. The decision will have an impact on medical boards across the country and raises more questions than it answers. Justice Alito's dissent predicts a morass and confusion. Read more.
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| Horizon Unilateral Contract Amendment Update
We previously reported that in response to MSNJ's complaints about its unilateral contract amendments, Horizon would do three things: extend the time to respond to audit and record requests; consider our request that physicians be permitted to collect deductibles at the time of service; and, be more transparent with patients and physicians on any future reference-based insurance plans. Unfortunately, Horizon subsequently informed us that the extension from 20 to 45 days on record requests would only apply to risk adjustment audits. Horizon has agreed that it will consider reasonable requests for extensions of time on other record requests. Read Horizon's statement. We are continuing our efforts to clarify with Horizon and get the Department of Banking & Insurance to support the right of physicians to collect deductibles at the time of service.
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| MSNJ Participates in PIP Rulemaking
This week MSNJ representatives met with Peter Hartt, the Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, and his staff to discuss its latest version of proposed rules on internal appeals. We expect the rule proposal to include changes recommended by MSNJ and other stakeholders. The rulemaking has spanned a number of years and is aimed at making the appeal rules uniform among the carriers. MSNJ will file formal comments when the proposal is released.
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Legislative Update
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Patient Centered Medical Home Proposal
Senate President Sweeney announced last week a proposal for a pilot project to create a Patient Centered Medical Home in which selected physicians (about 60) would have limited patient panels (1,000 patients each) made up of certain public employees. Read More.
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NJ Fiscal Year 2016 Proposed Budget
This week, the Governor made his annual address presenting his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2016. The healthcare highlights include increased Medicaid and Graduate Medical Education funding and decreased Charity Care funding. Read more.
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Student Health
The Assembly has passed S.471, which requires annual physical examinations of children 19 years of age or younger that include certain questions related to cardiac health and requires increased physician training on cardiac health. MSNJ opposes issue-specific education for physicians. Read more.
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Legal Update
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NJ Committee on Rules of Evidence Unresponsive on Scientific Evidence Rule
The New Jersey Committee on the Rules of Evidence has decided not to heed the concerns of stakeholders to improve its rule on the admissibility of scientific evidence. MSNJ and a number of other stakeholders urged the NJ Supreme Court and its Committee on the Rules of Evidence to make the state court rule consistent with the federal "Daubert" rule. Read more.
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CMS Responds to MSNJ Concerns
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CMS Extends Decision on Reporting & Returning Medicare Overpayments
Last week CMS announced that it will delay by a year publication of its final rule on reporting and returning Medicare overpayments due to the rule's complexity and number of comments. MSNJ was among those raising serious concerns about the scope and implementation of the rule. We challenged: the ten-year look back period; the time and cost for physicians to comply; the 60 day time period to respond; and, the trigger of a reporting obligation without an actual knowledge requirement. Read more.
CMS Responds to MSNJ on Medicare RAC Audits
Last week CMS responded to MSNJ's complaint about the several year-long backlog of Medicare appeals due in large part to the RAC audits. CMS is now requiring the RACs to: decrease the number of records requested of physicians to parallel the denial rates; make the RAC Medical Director who is a physician available to speak with physicians; delay the contingency fee paid to RACs until the second level of appeal is exhausted; require an overturn on appeal rate of less than 10%; require a 95% accuracy rate on automated record reviews. Read more.
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Department of Health News
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NJ DOH to Receive $11,494,745 to Improve Children's Health in New Jersey
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. announced this week that the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services will receive $11,494,745 to improve children's health in New Jersey. Read more.
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NJ DOH Awards $380,000 in Grants to Communities to Improve Health in Communities
The NJ Department of Health, Partners for Health, and Atlantic Health System has given $380,000 to 31 communities to improve access to healthy food and opportunities to be physically active. Read more.
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MSNJ News
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MSNJ HOD Resolutions
In preparation for MSNJ House of Delegates on Friday, May 1, 2015, enclosed are the guidelines for resolution submission, writing and due dates. Please submit all resolutions via resolutions@msnj.org or fax 609-896-1347.
Resolutions may not be submitted to MSNJ directly by individuals, and resolutions must come from county societies or the MSNJ Board of Trustees. Resolutions submitted directly to MSNJ by an individual member will be forwarded to that member's county society for action. The county societies will determine which resolutions to submit for consideration by the HOD. All resolutions need to have the submission form attached to the resolution.
- March 16, 2015 - Resolutions due from counties
- March 27, 2015 - Resolutions posted on MSNJ website
- April 3, 2015 - Comments and recommended changes on resolutions due from counties
- April 7, 2015 - Reference Committee Webinar 6 - 9 pm - Register (Session 1 HOD)
- April 24, 2015 - Reference Committee Report posted on MSNJ website
- May 1, 2015 - MSNJ HOD
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Top Doctors 2015: Make Your Voice Heard in New Jersey Monthly by Sunday, March 1
New Jersey Monthly's annual survey of physicians is underway. This is the only survey that is mailed to all doctors in active practice in New Jersey rather than relying on the opinions of a smaller group of doctors or a national poll. MSNJ encourages all members to participate. Vote online by Sunday, March 1. You will be asked to enter your medical license number before entering the site to vote. The list is "locked down" before any solicitation of advertising, and a variety of methods are employed by the polling company to prevent ballot-box stuffing. The results will be published in the November issue of New Jersey Monthly and is searchable throughout the year at www.njmonthly.com.
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Practice Management
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There is still time to submit 2014 PQRS data and avoid the penalty in 2016! Marcy Le, Medical Software Trainer at STI Computer Services, MSNJ corporate partner, will present a free webinar "PQRS Reporting Simplified." Learn about the program and how to avoid the penalty. This webinar will be presented on:
Space is limited and registration is required. Registration will close at 4:30pm the day prior to the event.
New PQRS Registry Reporting Benefit: PQRSwizard Have you submitted your PQRS report to CMS for 2014? If not, time is running out, and you may be hit with significant (up to 4%) penalties from CMS.However...It's not too late to avoid penalties and there is still time to report. Read more.
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EHR Attestation Deadline for Medicare EPs Extended to March 20, 2015
CMS has extended the deadline for eligible professionals (EPs) to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program 2014 reporting year to March 20, 2015. Read more.
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Medicare Remittance Advice Issue: Incorrect Patient Responsibility on Unassigned Non-participating Provider Claims
MSNJ has received reports from several other state medical societies that their Medicare contractors are processing unassigned non-participating provider claims incorrectly. The claims list the patient responsibility incorrectly by anywhere from a couple cents to a couple dollars. Read more.
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CMS May Fine Medicare Advantage Plans For Faulty Provider Lists
CMS is now going to carefully monitor Medicare Advantage provider networks and may fine plans that don't accurately show which doctors are available at in-network prices. Read more.
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ICD-10: Only 216 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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CMS ICD-10 Acknowledgement Testing Week: March 2 through March 6, 2015
CMS offers acknowledgement testing weeks to help prepare for the transition to ICD-10. These testing weeks give submitters access to real-time help desk support and allow CMS to analyze testing data. Read more.
ICD-10 Guidance Updated
CMS has updated their Q&A on ICD-10 to include the following question:
- Will the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allow for dual processing of ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes (accept and process both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes for dates of service on and after October 1, 2015)? Read the answer.
We are excited to introduce a new member benefit coming soon to help your practice transition to ICD-10: ICD-10/ ICD-9 Crosswalk powered by SuperCoder.com. Stay tuned for more information.
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View February's Coding Tip of the Month for information on the use of E codes in ICD-10 for Endocrine, Nutritional, and Metabolic Diseases (E00-E89).
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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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