California Oncology Weekly
"Where California Oncologists Go For Answers!"
A publication of the
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc.
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This Weekly's Hot Topics
- MOASC's Spotlight On Hematology, this Saturday 02/01 MOASC News
- Comments due this Saturday, 02/01, to prevent CMS from significantly reducing California's Medi-Cal funding. California News
- Community Oncology Alliance fighting to stop the Veteran's Administration from reimbursement clawbacks. National News
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Comments are due this Saturday,
February 1, 2020! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule-
Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation (CMS-2393-P)
- that will
significantly reduce California's Medi-Cal funding
, exacerbate provider shortages and undermine patient access to medical care. The proposal limits the funding states can put up to receive federal matching funds and it does not establish clear standards by which future state Medi-Cal funding will be reviewed.
The California Medical Association (CMA) is urging physicians to
comment NOW
and urge CMS to rescind the proposed rule. It is important that we send a large volume of individual letters to CMS. CMA has prepared a
sample letter
to get you started, but it is very important that you also include personal comments about the negative impact this proposed rule will have on your patients, your practice and access to care in your community.
- The deadline to enroll in a health insurance plan through Covered California is Friday, January 31, but consumers still have a few days to sign up and avoid the new state penalty for going without coverage in 2020. Due to a surge in enrollment last month, Covered California, the state's Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchange, extended its open enrollment period, for coverage starting February 1.
- Blue Shield of California and 17 other insurers announced last week that they would be putting $55 million behind a nonprofit that they believe can end the shortages and price gouging in the generic drug market. Californians and consumers around the world have been subjected in recent years to price gouging on insulin, EpiPens, anti-malarial drugs and other generic medications they need.
- In Gov. Gavin Newsome's budget released last week, there is a plan to make California the first state to sell its own brand of generic prescription drugs in an effort to drive down rising healthcare costs. Few details were provided about the mostly conceptual proposal where the state would contract with one of more makers of generic drugs to manufacture certain prescriptions under the state's own label.
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- Noridian/JEMAC has the following updates on their website
Publications:
* National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI)
* Quality Payment Program: Check Your Final 2019 MIPS Eligibility Status
* Quality Payment Program: MIPS Low-Volume Threshold Criteria for 2019
* Self-Administered Drug Exclusion List-R16
* Billing and Coding: Nerve Blockade for Treatment of Chronic Pain and Neuropathy-R2
* AUC for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging-Educational and Operations Testing Period-Claims Processing Requirements-Revised CR11268
* Update to Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapters 1, 23, and 35 CR10882
Forthcoming Noridian JEMAC meetings/webinars/workshop
* Medicare Part A/B Revalidation Webinar (January 29)
* Submitting Your Enrollment Online Part 1(I&A) Webinar (February 26)
* Common Error when Enrolling in Medicare Webinar (March 4)
* Submitting Your Enrollment Online Part 2 *(PECOS) Webinar (March 18)
* Rebuttal, Reconsiderations and CAPS Webinar (April 8)
* Medicare Part A/B Revalidation Webinar (April 22)
For more information and to register visit:
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- Spotlight:
MOASC Board Member Anthony Nguyen, M.D. will be speaking at the "MOASC Spotlight on Hematology" this Saturday, February 1
, 2020. Dr. Nguyen
will discuss advances in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia as presented at the Annual ASH Meeting.
Dr. Nguyen is a third-year
Hematology/Oncology Fellow at Loma Linda University
. Anthony Nguyen, M.D. Bio
- Don't miss this opportunity! Get a concise overview of the most important advances presented at the ASH annual meeting. Attend the MOASC Spotlight on Hematology, Saturday, February 1, 2020, 9am to 2pm, at The Waterfront Hilton in Huntington Beach. Through a grant from MOASC, UCI brings speakers from City of Hope, Loma Linda and UCI to present the highlights from ASH's Annual Meeting & Exposition. Hear a distillation of the new discoveries that are moving the field forward and improving patient care and learn how you can apply those advances in your own practice.
You do not want to miss the new discoveries in hematology that are moving the field forward and improving patient care.
Contact the MOASC office at 909-985-9061 ext.1 or
moasc@moasc.org
or
www.moasc.org
- Special thank you to Arthur Lurvey, MD, FACP, Noridian Medical Director, who presented a webinar, for MOASC members and the oncology community, on "Getting Ready for Medicare in 2020 and 2021." If you were unable to attend, the handouts can be accessed HERE.
- Join MOASC Board member and key opinion leader, Dr. Ashkan Lashkari (Providence Tarzana Medical Center) will lead a round table discussion on NSCLC / Metastatic NSCLC on February 18, 2020 at 7PM, at Estate Restaurant + Bar - 1519 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90403. This program is open to, and intended for medical oncologists treating NSCLC/Metastatic NSCLC. RSVP at
www.targetedonc.com/events
.
- Saturday, March 14, come celebrate MOASC's 30th Anniversary and listen to the
"Exciting Advances in Oncology"
as the focus of the MOASC 2020 Annual Oncology Summit Educational Symposium, Saturday, March 14
, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
. Speakers will highlight advances in several areas of oncology including melanoma, lymphoma, breast, colon, prostate, kidney, and lung cancers, among others. To register, contact the MOASC office at
moasc@moasc.org
or 909-985-9061 x1. #MOASC30
- MOASC Member, City of Hope CME presents: Immunotherapy of Cancer: CAR T Cell to Checkpoint Inhibitors, March 18, 2020 to March 21, 2020 at the Waldorf Astoria, Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information click
here
. To register go to
https://cme.cityofhope.org/eventinfo_11295.html
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- The latest
E-Reimbursement Newsletter
from Bobbi Buell, MBA,
onPoint Oncology is now available.
It covers MIPS results from 2018; Prolonged Services; Coding 2020; and, Medicare's Targeted Probe and Education (TPE) audits of visits billed with Modifier -25 with chemotherapy or other drug administration.
- Applications now being accepted for ANCO's Travel Awards to Fellows and Young Clinicians to support attendance at the ASCO Annual Meeting, ASH Annual Meeting, or other national oncology meeting in 2020. The deadline for submission is March 31. Awards will be announced by April 30. Learn more at
https://anco.org/membership/fellow-benefits/
.
- ANCO members are encouraged to provide feedback on California's CURES program by completing a recently e-mailed UC Davis
survey
. The e-mail was from the Medical Board of California.
-
REGISTER
for the 20th Multidisciplinary Management of Cancers:
A Case-based Approach taking place in Napa on March 13-15.
- Follow ANCO on Twitter at
@ANCO News
.
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National News
- The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is reporting on their fight to stop the Veteran's Administration (VA) from implementing excessive reimbursement clawbacks from as far back as 2012
. Practices with a substantial number of VA patients faced millions of dollars in clawbacks. Ultimately, the VA issued a statement to back down and not pursue the clawbacks, Once again, it appears the VA is looking into potentially reopening the clawback initiative. COA is thinking through several approaches to deal with this situation. COA is asking if you know anything further on these VA clawbacks, please get in touch with Ted Okon, Executive Director tokon@COAcancer.org or Nick Ferreyros, Communications Director nferreyros@coacancer.org.
- WEDI presented prior authorization (PA) survey results during testimony before the HHS National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS). In summary, the results highlighted technology limitations, increased PA requirements and the desire for mandated standards. WEDI analyzed the current medical services' prior authorization process to be used in developing guiding principles to support increased automation and standardization. An infographic of the survey results can be found here. WEDI, formed in 1991 by the Secretary of Health & Human Services and designated in the 1996 HIPAA legislation as an advisor to HHS, is the nation's leading nonprofit authority on the use of health IT to create efficiencies in health care information exchange.
- If you have specific questions about TRICARE health, dental, and pharmacy benefits, you can view, print, or download these products from the TRICARE Publications page. To learn more, read the full article.
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CMS News
- The next CMS Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, January 29, 2020, 11:00am - 12:00 PM Pacific Time (PT). The Agenda, subject to change, will include: Announcement on New Prior Authorization Process, Open Payments, The Importance of Diagnosis Reporting and Physician Documentation under the Patient Driven Groupings Model. This call will be Conference Call Only.
To participate by phone: 1-888-455-1397 & Conference Passcode: 9375124.
-
On
February 11, 2020; 10:00am - 12:00pm PST, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will present the final of -Future Direct Contracting webinars:
- CMS Expands Coverage of Next Generation Sequencing as a Diagnostic Tool for Patients with Breast and Ovarian Cancer.
Final decision provides new access to Next Generation Sequencing tests for certain Medicare patients with cancer to enable more tailored and personalized care.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took action to cover FDA approved or cleared laboratory diagnostic tests using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for patients with germline (inherited) ovarian or breast cancer. https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/details/nca-decision-memo.aspx?NCAId=296
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Affiliate Association News
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- On January 30, 2020, join Targeted Oncology™ for a sit-down discussion with key opinion leader: Dr. Natalie Galanina from UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. Experts will discuss pathology report findings, patient diagnostic workup, the most likely diagnosis and potential treatment options across multiple cases in a given therapeutic area. The round table discussion on Lymphoma will start at 7pm, at George's at the Cove - 1250 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037. These programs are open to, and intended for medical oncologists treating lymphoma. Please RSVP at
www.targetedonc.com/events
.
- CMA is hosting a webinar titled, "
The ABCs of AB 5: Classifying Health Care Workers in California's Gig Economy,
to help physicians better understand AB 5, the new law governing independent contractor vs. employee distinction. The webinar is on January 30, 2020 at 12:15pm the webinar will discuss recent changes to CA law (AB 5) governing the independent contractor vs. employee distinction, provide physicians who are employers, employees and independent contractors, with a basic understanding of how California classifies various health care workers, what business and workers can do to protect their rights, risks of misclassification and what's next for AB 5. The webinar is free for CMA members and their staff. Price is $99 for non-members. To register or for more information go to
https://www.cmadocs.org/event-info/SESSIONALTCD/CMA20_0130_AB5/t/CMA20_0130_AB5
- Now is the time to share your findings at ASCO 2020, the largest multidisciplinary oncology conference in the world.With more than 3,500 opportunities for scientific presentations and discussions. The deadline to submit is February 11.
Submit an Abstract
. The
2020 ASCO Annual Meeting
is being held May 29 - June 2, 2020 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.
- MOASC member,
The Angeles Clinic, with the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), will be hosting Advanced CSCC Regional Lecture, featuring Dr. Omid Hamid and Dr. Mark Faries these experts will discuss caring for patients with CSCC and high-risk non-melanoma skin cancers. On February 5, 2020 at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 1700 Los Angeles, CA 90067.*This event is complimentary (dinner to be provided), and seating is limited to the first 50 registrants
.
Register online at
bit.ly/2RAewRn.
View invitation
HERE
.
- MOASC Board member and key opinion leader, Dr. Ashkan Lashkari (Providence Tarzana Medical Center), with Targeted Oncology™, will lead a round table discussion on NSCLC / Metastatic NSCLC on February 18, 2020 at 7PM, at Estate Restaurant + Bar - 1519 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90403. This program is open to, and intended for medical oncologists treating NSCLC/Metastatic NSCLC. RSVP at
www.targetedonc.com/events
.
- Save the Date! National Cancer Survivors Day® is Sunday, June 7, 2020.
www.ncsd.org
- NCCN has published updated guidelines for bladder cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma at
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MOASC CALENDAR
Spotlight On Hematology
February 1, 2020
City of Hope CME presents: Immunotherapy of Cancer: CAR T Cell to Checkpoint Inhibitors
March 18-21, 2020
(San Francisco, Januar 30)
(Stanford, April 2-3)
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The
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California
(MOASC) is a leading oncology society that advances and protects the ability of cancer patients to obtain, and the ability of the oncology physicians to provide, optimal cancer care.
The material contained in the
California Oncology Weekly
is intended as general information for MOASC members. Because diagnostic, treatment, contracting, coding, and billing decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, any such information contained in the
California Oncology Weekly
may not apply in any given situation. Members are encouraged to contact their own consultants or advisors to obtain specific advice on matters relating to contracting, coding, and billing. The information contained in
California Oncology Weekly
should not be used as a substitute for such advice.
This publication provides a summary of regulations affecting oncology and its business practices. Reading this newsletter does not substitute for understanding regulations and verifying the validity of every claim. This information is time-sensitive and is subject to change. MOASC accepts no liability for any statements or articles herein.
CPT codes are owned and trademarked by the American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
MOASC: P.O. Box 161, Upland, CA 91785 | P (909) 985-9061 | F (909) 804-5006| www.moasc.org
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