Medical Society of New Jersey e-Newsletter
 
July 1, 2016

   
In This Issue
 
Member Benefits

MSNJ partners with New Jersey Drug Card to provide a prescription assistance program for patients.
Read the press release.

Zika Virus

CME/Events /Training

Check out the MSNJ Calendar for upcoming meetings!

First Healthcare Compliance Webinar: OSHA for Medical and Dental Office Employees
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 12:00pm
More information and registration.

Register Now! MSNJ's 250th Anniversary Celebration and Inaugural Gala honoring Dr. Joseph Costabile 
July 23, 2016
More information. 

New Frontiers in Cosmetic Medicine Symposium
November 19-20, 2016
Hilton Hasbrouck Heights/Meadowlands
More information.

Save the Date! NJAMHAA and Attitudes in Reverse Presents their National Suicide Prevention Day Conference: Back to School: Take a Breath
September 12, 2016 from 9:00am to 1:00pm
Department of Children and Families, New Jersey Child Welfare Training Academy, New Brunswick, New Jersey
More information coming soon.
Corporate Partners

Legal Services:
Carroll McNulty & Kull LLC - Gold Level Partner

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

MSNJ Policy & Strategy Panel 
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at 5:30pm 
MSNJ Conference Room, 2nd Floor 
Insurance Update
MACRA-Organized Medicine Comments on Proposed Regulations
On June 27 most of organized medicine weighed in on CMS's proposed regulations that will transform the way that physicians are paid for treating Medicare patients. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), that repealed the flawed SGR formula, aimed to combine various reporting and penalty programs and provide opportunities for physicians to receive incentive payments based on savings. MSNJ signed onto a letter authored by the AMA and agreed to by most of organized medicine. We also submitted our own comments, focusing on New Jersey specific concerns and requesting that accredited CME be used for Clinical Improvement Activities.

It will be a challenge for physicians to comply with the regulations, especially if the November rule adoption requires a reporting period for the entire calendar year of 2017. We objected to that requirement. Read AMA's detailed comments. Visit our website for resources.
 
Horizon's Revised OMNIA Awareness Policy Horizon recently introduced a policy that would have required physicians to provide insurance counseling, advising patients about tiering and various cost-sharing requirements, and document the conversation in the patient's medical record or face contract termination. MSNJ objected to the overbearing policy in a letter to the Department of Banking & Insurance. At our behest, the Board of Medical Examiners also weighed in with its mutual concerns. Horizon agreed to drop the provisions requiring that the session be recorded in the patient chart and the threat of termination for non-compliance. Read the revised policy.
Legislative Update
Out of Network Legislation
After passing the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee last week, the OON bill has again stalled. MSNJ, specialty societies and NJHA testified against the latest version of the bill, which would now cap OON payment awards in arbitration at 200% of Medicare. MSNJ will continue to advocate for transparency on insurance products and participation, as well as improvements in insurance contracting, while opposing rate setting or caps on payments. See press coverage.  
Hospital Taxation
A legislative solution to the non-profit status of hospitals, for the purposes of property taxation, has stalled. Read more.
Needle Exchange
The Legislature passed A.415/S.1266, which establishes a permanent sterile syringe access program. The bill codifies the program that began here a decade ago. Read more. 
Pharmacy Dispensing
The Legislature passed a bill that allows pharmacies to re-dispense medication, in the event that a prepared prescription medication has been abandoned by a patient or a long-term care pharmacy does not dispense a prescription medication to a patient. The pharmacy may re-dispense the medication in a manner consistent with regulations promulgated by the Board of Pharmacy, provided that it was maintained under proper storage conditions to ensure its integrity, and remained under the exclusive control and custody of the pharmacy or the patient's long-term care facility at all times. The medication shall not be dispensed to patients later than one year from the date the medication was originally prepared for dispensing. A re-dispensed medication shall be marked with the same use-by date found on the medication when it was originally prepared for dispensing. MSNJ was neutral on this bill.
News
Historic Fraud Enforcement-900 Charged
Read the facts as reported by First Healthcare Compliance.
RWJ Foundation Projects US to Spend $2.6 Trillion Less on Health Care
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimates that the United States is on track to spend $2.6 trillion less on health care between 2014 and 2019, vs. the initial projections made after the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act. Read the report.
Providing Interpreters for Hearing-Impaired Patients 
MSNJ recently hosted a webinar on Providing Interpreters for Hearing-Impaired Patients, presented by Beth Christian, Esq., from Giordano Halleran & Ciesla, PC. Register to listen to the archived webinar. Read the FAQ.
New Jersey Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
MSNJ has an open seat on the New Jersey Council on Physical Fitness and Sports within the Department of Health and Senior Services. If interested in serving on the board, please contact Mishael Azam at [email protected] or 609-896-1766 ext. 207.
MSNJ's Board of Trustees met on June 23.
Please read the bullet points from the meeting.
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 health care facilities, 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!
 
Medical Society of New Jersey
2 Princess Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
(o) 609-896-1766 e-mail:
 

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.

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Medical Society of New Jersey | 2 Princess Road | Lawrenceville | NJ | 08648