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Medical Society of New Jersey e-Newsletter
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Public Health
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CME activities provided by QuroumEDU:
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NJ DOH Webinar: New Jersey Poison Information and Education System
March 31, 2016 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Register online.
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Chamber of Commerce Southern NJ Presents: The Future of Healthcare
Featuring MSNJ's CEO, Larry Downs
Friday, April 29 from 8:00am to 10:00am at Woodcrest Country Club, Cherry Hill, NJ
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New Jersey Health Care Stakeholders Summit
Thursday, April 21, 2016
New Jersey Hospital Association Conference Center
More information.
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Save the Date! MSNJ's 2016 Advocacy Conference and House of Delegates Meeting
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Save the Date! MSNJ's 250th Anniversary Celebration and Inaugural Gala honoring Dr. Joseph Costabile
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Corporate Partners
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Legal Services:
Brach Eichler, LLC - Bronze Level Partner
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Billing Services:
Cape Medical Billing - Bronze Level Partner
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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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Attention OMNIA Tier 2 Physicians:
Physicians who have been assigned to Tier 2 by Horizon for its OMNIA plans are encouraged to take our surveys to help us assess the impact of these plans.
- Tell us about the impact OMNIA has had on your practice.
- Tell us about the impact of OMNIA on continuity of care and the physician-patient relationship.
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Registration Now Open!
MSNJ's 2016 Advocacy Conference & House of Delegates Meeting
May 13-14, 2016
Seaview Hotel & Golf Club, Galloway, NJ
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OMNIA Update
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Before the Legislature:
MSNJ testified in front of two legislative committees this week on tiered networks. For all networks, including tiered ones, we continue to urge true network adequacy and transparency on ranking for physicians and patients. Read our testimony. See press coverage.
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In Court:
The New Jersey Legislature previously asked the Attorney General to review whether the OMNIA Health Alliance violated any law. Acting Attorney General, Robert Lougy, advised Horizon in a letter dated March 4 that "no further action is warranted as a result of that review." The approval of the OMNIA program, including the two-tiered OMNIA products, by the New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance is currently the subject of a pending lawsuit filed by Tier 2 Hospitals against DOBI. It is before the appellate division where MSNJ will seek permission to file an amicus brief. Read the statement of CEO Larry Downs. |
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Tier 2 Physicians-Explore Your Legal Options
MSNJ conducted a survey to determine the negative impact of Horizon's designation of physicians into Tier 2. Our survey found significant loss of revenue and interruption in patient care. MSNJ is working with outside counsel to evaluate potential legal causes of action that could be brought by Tier 2 physicians against Horizon. We have brought nationally renowned healthcare lawyers from the Whatley Kallas law firm to speak to members about potential theories of liability.
Attorneys from Whatley Kallas were involved as lead-counsel in the national class-action lawsuits against all the major carriers for unfair business practices. They negotiated the settlement of the national class-action with most of the Blues in the country, including Horizon. The firm is currently lead counsel for doctors and other providers in an antitrust case against the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and all Blues, including Horizon. Any member who would like to discuss potential claims against Horizon should write to Omnia@msnj.org. |
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Second Survey for OMNIA Tier 2 Physicians
Please take our second survey to help us assess the impact on patients in terms of continuity of care and patient-physician relationships. |
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News
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Health Affairs publishes Study on the Costs of Quality Reporting Funded by the Physicians Foundation
MSNJ CEO Larry Downs joins Larry Casalino, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College Professor of Healthcare Policy Research, at the National Press Club, where lead author Casalino shared the results of his study on physician costs for implementing quality measures. The study, funded by a grant from the Physicians Foundation, found that U.S. physician practices spend more than $15.4 billion annually (or $40,069 per physician per year) to track and report quality measures for Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurers. Read more about the report. MSNJ is a founding member of the Physicians Foundation. Larry Downs, MSNJ's CEO, is on the board of directors and serves as the secretary.
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The Physicians Foundation's Fourth National Survey
The Physicians Foundation is launching its fourth national Survey of America's Physicians, one of the largest physician surveys ever undertaken in the United States. The survey is being conducted by national physician search and consulting firm, Merritt Hawkins, and will be emailed to more than 650,000 physicians across the country from March-May of 2016. The survey will take approximately 10-12 minutes to complete and will allow physicians to share their thoughts on health reform, electronic medical records, new methods of physician reimbursement, ICD-10, and a variety of other topics. A full copy of the final survey report will be emailed to all physicians who participate, and participants will also be entered to win one of five $500 Amazon gift cards and one $5,000 Amazon gift card. Take the survey! |
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National Advocacy Conference Recap
From February 22-24, hundreds of physicians gathered in Washington, D.C. to discuss solutions to health care issues such as reforming Meaningful Use regulations, passing telemedicine legislation and tackling the Opioid abuse epidemic.
Participants had the chance to hear from three members of Congress about key federal health care concerns and the importance of promoting physician advocacy. Physicians also took their messages to Capitol Hill and sat down with lawmakers to discuss legislation to improve patient care and fix burdensome regulations.
The 2016 National Advocacy conference was a step in the right direction for improving our broken health care system. But, further steps need to be taken.
Now is the time to join together and break the government red tape. We need your help to expand our network by encouraging physicians to fight to protect our patients and our practices. |
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AMA Article: New Guidance on Meaningful Use Reporting
As a result of the AMA's request for clarification around the new Public Health-Clinical Registry objective finalized in the 2015-2017 electronic health record (EHR) meaningful use modification rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently published frequently asked questions (FAQ) clarifying the requirements.
The FAQs include new and updated answers about when physicians can register their intent to report to a registry, what physicians should do in 2016 if they did not previously intend to report on a public health reporting measure, the alternate exclusions available for public health reporting in 2016, steps physicians have to take to determine if there is a specialized registry available, and the definition of a specialized registry. Review these FAQs to learn more:
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Reference Committee Webinar, April 19
Session I - HOD
The first session of MSNJ House of Delegates will convene on Tuesday, April 19 via Webinar/Conference call from 6-9 pm. Resolutions are due from the Counties by March 28. Register online. Read more.
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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 224th President, Joseph Costabile, MD on July 23, 2016. 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 him or herself.
Nominations should be made by submitting a brief narrative to info@msnj.org by the close of business on Friday, April 15, 2016. |
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Lifetime Achievement Award
MSNJ is accepting nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented at the Inaugural Gala of the 224th President, Dr. Joseph Costabile, on July 23, 2016. Submit a short paragraph to info@msnj.org describing their commitment to the Medical Society. |
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Practice Management
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EHR Incentive Program Attestation Deadline: Tonight
The attestation deadline for Eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program is today, March 11 at 11:59pm. Medicaid EHR Incentive Program participants should refer to their respective states for attestation information and deadlines. To attest to the EHR Incentive Programs in 2015:
- Eligible Professionals may select an EHR reporting period of any continuous 90 days from January 1, 2015 (the start of the 2015 calendar year) through December 31, 2015.
- Eligible Hospitals/CAHs may select an EHR reporting period of any continuous 90 days from October 1, 2014 (the start of the federal fiscal year) through December 31, 2015.
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There's Still Time to Avoid Medicare PQRS Penalties in 2017
Submit Your 2015 Data by March 18
Through a partnership with PQRSwizard®, MSNJ has made it easy for your practice to participate. PQRSwizard, like Turbo-Tax™ for PQRS reporting, will help guide you step-by-step to simplify the CMS PQRS reporting process. Visit www.msnj.org/benefits to access the preferred MSNJ price of $225 per provider (Regular Fee is $299). The deadline for 2015 reporting through PQRSwizard, using the MSNJ discount, is now March 18, 2016 at 5pm EST. Learn more by attending one of PQRSwizard's® upcoming webinars.
- PQRSwizard Live Demo - Individual provider reporting through Individual measures and Measures Groups
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EHR Incentive Program Hardship Application Deadline Extended: July 1, 2016
CMS has extended the application deadline for the 2015 program year Medicare EHR Incentive Program hardship exception process to July 1, 2016. This is so providers have sufficient time to submit their applications to avoid payment penalties in 2017. Review the new applications and instructions for providers seeking a hardship exception. Read AMA's guidance document. |
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CMS Delays Enforcement of the Medicare Part D Prescriber Enrollment Requirements to February 1, 2017
CMS is now recommending that physicians, who write prescriptions for covered Part D drugs and are not currently enrolled in or opted out of the Medicare Program, to submit an enrollment application or an opt-out affidavit to Novitas by August 1, 2016. Read more. You may submit your enrollment application electronically using the Internet-based Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) or by completing the paper CMS-855I or CMS-855O application. Due to member concerns, MSNJ has asked for guidance from Novitas on how this requirement affects physicians with retired active (reduced fee) license status. Novitas has confirmed that retired active licensees may file an opt-out affidavit, or the CMS-855O application as an alternative to opting out, in order to continue prescribing for Part D beneficiaries. |
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Changes to the Medicare Program
Medicare implemented prior authorization of non-emergent hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in July 2015 for New Jersey. Medicare also implemented prior authorization of repetitive scheduled non-emergent ambulance transportation services in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in December 2014. When the program began, Medicare beneficiaries who had legal representative payees on file through the Social Security Administration (SSA) were excluded. Beginning with dates of service on or after April 1, 2016, beneficiaries with a representative payee are now included in the program. Novitas has notified those beneficiaries and their providers of this change. Read more.
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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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2016 © 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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