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Medical Society of New Jersey e-Newsletter
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MSNJ partners with New Jersey Drug Card to provide a prescription assistance program for patients.
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First Healthcare Compliance Webinar: OSHA for Medical and Dental Office Employees
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 12:00pm
More information and registration. |
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Register Now! MSNJ's 250th Anniversary Celebration and Inaugural Gala honoring Dr. Joseph Costabile
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New Frontiers in Cosmetic Medicine Symposium
November 19-20, 2016
Hilton Hasbrouck Heights/Meadowlands
More information. |
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Legal Services:
Campanella Law Office, LLC - 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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MSNJ's 250th Anniversary Celebration and Inaugural Gala honoring Dr. Joseph Costabile
July 23, 2016 at 6:00pm
The Heldrich Hotel, New Brunswick, NJ
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News
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PROPOSED FEDERAL RULE - ACTION NEEDED
We MUST act now to maintain and protect high quality, physician-led care for our Veterans in VA hospitals. On May 25, the VA posted the "Advanced Practice Registered Nurses" rule to the Federal Register for a 60-day public comment period. If adopted, the rule would mandate the transition to independent practice for all Advanced Practice Registered Nurses within the VA system, including nurse anesthetists, regardless of state laws and regulations. The comment period ends on July 25.
Please join your colleagues in New Jersey and around the country to support safe care for our veterans. Click here to submit comments!
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Out of Network
The Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee passed A.1952 this week to attempt to limit patient exposure to bills from out-of-network physicians in in-network hospitals. MSNJ and a dozen other physician organizations oppose the bill because it in fact caps payments to OON physicians, thereby reducing in-network rates, while also failing to ensure payment from insurance carriers when patients are held harmless. Read more.
In addition, the Senate Health Committee passed S.1261, which caps out of network payments to physicians who treat patients with physical disabilities. The bill requires the out-of-network provider to accept an in-network rate as payment in full for the covered service and prohibits balance billing of the covered person. MSNJ opposes this bill, which has already passed the Assembly. Read our letter.
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OMNIA Litigation Update
The same appellate division panel that recently found Horizon to have complied with network adequacy standards in its OMNIA program has reversed discovery rulings by two lower court judges in the cases brought by Tier 2 hospitals against Horizon. The hotly contested documents were already redacted and subject to a protective order. They include the key McKinsey report, on which the OMNIA program was designed, and documents related to the OMNIA Alliance. Siding with Horizon and overruling the trial courts discovery orders the appellate division found that the documents were not related to the hospitals' causes of action or were privileged as they contained confidential business information. Steve Goldman, ex-Commissioner of the Department of Banking & Insurance and attorney for the hospital coalition, stated that the hospitals would appeal and are confident of prevailing on the merits. Read more.
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CMS to Support Small Practice Transition to MIPS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that over the next five years $20 million will go towards supporting small practices transitioning to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). CMS will award contracts to qualified contractors who will provide individual or small group practices of 15 or fewer with support services tailored to meet the specific needs of the practice to ensure success in the MIPS program. CMS is now accepting applications from organizations that wish to receive funding to support physicians participating in MIPS. Learn more.
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MEGA-MERGER Activity:
Hackensack-Meridian Merger Completed After almost two years, Hackensack University Health Network and Meridian Health will be merged into Hackensack Meridian Health as of July 1. The merged entity includes 6,000 physicians, 13 hospitals and 200 facilities. In addition, the Seton Hall school of medicine will be affiliated with the system when it opens in 2018. Read more. California Approves Aetna-Humana Merger with Conditions The California Department of Managed Health Care approved Aetna's $37 billion bid to acquire Humana. However, the Department is imposing conditions on the merger including limited increases in premiums in the small group market and increased rate oversight as well as other investments in the state. Read the Department's Press Release for details. Upon the announcement, the stock price went up for both companies. The federal government continues to consider anti-trust concerns.
California Objects to Anthem-Cigna Merger The California Department of Insurance (CDI) took a different view of the Anthem-Cigna merger and urged the Department of Justice to block the merger because it will substantially lessen completion. This is significant because California has the largest health insurance market in the nation. Both the AMA and the California Medical Association testified before the CDI which relied upon their analysis of the anti-competitive effects of the merger in reaching its conclusion. Read more.
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FDA's New Tobacco Rule
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently finalized a rule that extends its regulatory authority to all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah and pipe tobacco, as part of its goal to improve public health. MSNJ supported extending FDA's authority over these products.
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UHC Exchange Plans No Longer Accepted at Hackensack University Medical Center in Advance of UHC's 2017 Exchange Exit
UnitedHealthcare announced earlier this year that it will drop out of the Obamacare market in New Jersey and most other states at the beginning of 2017 because of financial losses. Due to failed contract negotiations, Hackensack is no longer accepting UHC's Compass plan (the individual plan available on the exchange) effective July 1. Read more.
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Annual New Jersey Healthcare Survey: Message from Brach Eichler
Currently in its 5th year, the 2016 New Jersey Health Care Monitor has become an important barometer for the state of the practice of medicine in New Jersey. Brach Eichler conducts the statewide annual survey among physicians, including solo practitioners, members of a group practice and employees of a health care facility, to collect valuable information on current trends and an outlook for the practice of medicine for the year ahead. Please respond by July 15th. Your participation is greatly valued as we continue to "take the pulse" of the healthcare community. To thank you for your time in completing this brief survey, all participants will be entered into a raffle to win an Apple iPad Air 2! Please provide your email address at the end of the survey so we may contact you if you're the winner. Take the survey!
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Depression Screening Guideline Discussion
The JAMA Network and the AMA invites you to participate in a Journal Club discussion on Twitter about the latest Depression Screening Guideline published in JAMA. To participate, read the related JAMA article and tweet your questions, comments, and reactions on Twitter using the hashtag #depscreen. The conversation will be running through June 26 and new participants may join at any time.
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Legislative Update
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Ambulatory Care Facilities
The Health Committees in both houses passed A.3101 allowing registered "one room" surgery centers to convert to ambulatory surgery facilities; combine with any existing ambulatory surgical facility to expand the services offered through that facility; or allow a New Jersey non-profit hospital or an entity owned in part by a New Jersey non-profit hospital to acquire up to a sixty percent ownership interest in the registered surgical practice, provided that regulatory oversight of the practice remains with the State Board of Medical Examiners and all clinically-related decisions at the practice are made by practitioners and are in the best interests of the patient. The bill additionally permits any two, or more, licensed ambulatory surgical facilities to combine. A conversion or combination will not be permitted under the bill, if it would result in a net increase in the total number of operating rooms. MSNJ has studied the bill and is neutral, but we still oppose the gross tax on ACFs.
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Psychiatry Shortage
To address the psychiatrist shortage in the state, the Senate Higher Education Committee passed S.2331, which establishes a tuition reimbursement program for certain psychiatrists who work in underserved areas in New Jersey. MSNJ supports this bill.
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Members in the News
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American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2016 Outstanding Advocate Award
MSNJ congratulates past president, Dr. Donald Cinotti on receiving the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2016 Outstanding Advocate Award. The Outstanding Advocate Award, developed as a result of a Council Advisory Recommendation (CAR), was created to recognize Academy members who have made a long-standing commitment to participate in advocacy-related efforts at the state and/or federal levels.
Congratulations to MSNJ member, Dr. Bipin Patel for being recognized as a NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes finalist. Read more.
Congratulations to MSNJ's partner Suzanne Mulrain from Seabrook House for being appointed as their Director of Healthcare Collaboratives. Read more.
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Practice Management
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Two July 1 Deadline Alerts!
EHR Incentive Program Hardship Application Deadline: July 1, 2016- Avoid Payment Penalties in 2017
The application deadline for the 2015 program year Medicare EHR Incentive Program hardship exception is July 1, 2016. All providers are encouraged to apply, even if they believe they will meet the EHR Incentive Program criteria. Providers, who haven't yet applied, should submit their applications right away to avoid payment penalties in 2017. Review the applications and instructions for providers seeking a hardship exception. Read AMA's guidance document.
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Medicaid FFS Provider Re-validation Required; Termination Effective July 1 for Non-Compliance
NJ Medicaid has been in the process of re-enrolling and re-validating physicians who participate in the NJ Medicaid Fee-for-Service (FFS) program, since July 2015. Under the Affordable Care Act, this process must be completed by September 2016. Physicians who have not responded to NJ Medicaid's requests for re-validation/re-enrollment by JULY 1 will be terminated from the program. Termination will also negatively impact physicians who participate with Medicaid Managed Care plans and use the State's eligibility system for information. If you received a re-validation/re-enrollment request from NJ Medicaid, it is important that you return the application as soon as possible to avoid termination. For more information, see the Division's May 2014 Newsletter. For assistance with your enrollment status, contact the Re-enrollment Help Line at 1-855-849-1099.
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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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