California Oncology Weekly
"Where California Oncologists Go For Answers!"
A collaborative publication of the
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc.
and the
Association of Northern California Oncologists, Inc.
January 30, 2018
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- Noridian requires providers to use Enrollment Application Status Search. (Noridian News)
- Bobbi Buell presentation Benchmarking and 2018 Updates, tomorrow! (MOASC News)
- Participants in Quality Payment Program begin submitting 2017 data (CMS News)
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California News
- California's right-to-die law has been embraced by many around the state, from scores of patients and their families to individual doctors, some hospice caregivers and several health care systems. But as positive as the reception appears to be so far, plenty of challenges remain, according to testimony offered from experts and other stakeholders during an almost 3½ hour-long legislative hearing at the state capitol on Wednesday. San Jose Mercury News: California's Right-To-Die Law Is Working But Challenges Remain (Seipel, 1/24)
- Californians have until Jan. 31 to buy a plan. Despite ongoing uncertainty around the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on a national level, the state's insurance marketplace, Covered California, is recording higher enrollment numbers this year when compared to the same time last year. Deadline Nearing For Californians To Buy Coverage Through State Exchange KQED spoke to Covered California's executive director, Peter V. Lee, who emphasized that despite these challenges, his program remains solid.
- A Utah pharmacy and the husband-and-wife owners of a Tennessee medical practice have been indicted on allegations that they used Marines and sailors in San Diego County as pawns in a nearly $66 million medical insurance scheme, according to an indictment unsealed Friday. Jimmy and Ashley Collins, who own Choice MD in Cleveland, Tenn., made their first court appearance Friday in Chattanooga, a precursor to an upcoming San Diego hearing. Military members in San Diego would be paid to recruit other service members to participate in a fake medical study, according to the allegations. The participants were paid $100 to $300 to speak with a doctor in a telemedicine session and would be prescribed compound medication - some in cream form, according to details in a search warrant affidavit obtained last year by the Union-Tribune.
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- Noridian/JEMAC has posted more updates to its website:
* MLN Connects
Announcements--CMS Provider Minute Video: CT Scans-Reminder; CMS Updates Open Payments Data; Improve Open Payments Data Website; SNF Quality Reporting Program: Submission Deadline Extended to May 15; Hospice Quality Reporting Program: Quality Measure User's Manual Version 2; Reporting Changes in Ownership-Reminder
Publications
--How to Use the Medicare Coverage Database Booklet-Revised
* MolDX: Cystatin C Measurement Draft LCD Published for Review and Comments
* MolDX: Approved ALK Companion Diagnostic Tests Billing and Coding Guidelines
Article Retirement-Effective February 27, 2018
* Open Public Meeting Announcement-February 1, 2018
* MolDX: Guardant360 Plasma-Based Comprehensive Genomic Profiling in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Draft LCD Published for Review & Comments
* ICD-10 and Other Coding Revisions to NCDs-Revised CR10318
* In Vitro Chemo-sensitivity & Chemo-resistance Assays Draft LCD Published for Review & Comment
* MolDX: Corus CAD Assay Draft LCD Published for Review & Comment
* MolDX: MDS FISH Draft LCD Published for Review & Comment
- Upcoming Noridian/JEMAC webinars include:
*
MIPS Annual Call for Measures and Activities Webinar-(February 5)
* Advance Beneficiary Notice of Nonycoverage (ABN) Webinar (February 6)
* Modifier 59, NCCI, and MUE Webinar (February 7)
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- TOMORROW! Tuesday, January 31, 2018, 12:00pm - 1:30 pm Bobbi Buell will present at the MOASC LunchTime Series on Benchmarking and 2018 Updates. Please RSVP to
[email protected] or call 909-985-9061x1.
- You are cordially invited to MOASC's 3rd Annual Oncology Summit®, Harnessing the Power of Immunotherapy. March 3, 2018 at the Waterfront Hilton, Huntington Beach. Topics & speakers: *Head and Neck Ezra Cohen, MD, UCSD *Colon Cancer Marvan Fakih, MD, COH *Lung Cancer Karen Reckamp, MD, COH *Breast Cancer Sara Hurvitz, MD, UCLA *Melanoma Omid Hamid, MD, The Angeles Clinic & Research Institute. Register at
[email protected].
- Once you are registered for the MOASC Oncology Summit®, you are invited to participate in the Biocept Advisory Board Meeting, Saturday, March 3, 2018, 2pm - 5pm, immediately following the MOASC Oncology Summit®. Topic: Liquid Biopsies: The Future is Now. Register early as there is limited seating for the advisory board. Honorarium is provided. The purpose of the ad board is to:
1. Compare the relative strengths and limitations of liquid biopsy against those of conventional tissue biopsies;
2. Discuss current and emerging testing technologies with respect to sensitivity, specificity, and clinical applications for patients with cancer;
3. Evaluate clinical evidence pertaining to specific testing modalities that may help to individualize treatment protocols for patients with cancer;
4. Discuss which cancer types are best suited for liquid biopsy testing;
5. Discuss the clinical value of plasma testing be used be used in conjunction with tissue testing;
6. Discuss the value of doing targeted marker liquid biopsy testing vs. large panels for liquid biopsies.
- Attend, MOASC Member, City of Hope's dual track presentation of "How the Experts Treat Hematologic Malignancies," March 14 - 17, 2018 in Las Vegas.
OBJECTIVES:
- Provide an update of new molecular & immunological treatments being developed for these diseases.
- Discuss the rationale for new targeted diagnostic therapeutic strategies for lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia
- Summarize the evolving therapeutic strategies in the treatment of hematologic malignancies
- Review the role and timing of hematologic cell transplant in the management of younger and older patients
- Integrate best practices for prevention, detection and management of side effects related to current therapies.
- MOASC member, UC Irvine, presents their 3rd Annual UCI Hematology Symposium on Saturday, April 21, 2018, will feature regional and national experts bringing you state-of-the-art updates on sickle cell disease, modern anticoagulants, CAR-T Cell therapy, and others. New this year, we will feature a Case Conference segment with individual case presentations and interactive discussions. We hope to see you at the 3rd Annual UCI Health Hematology Symposium.
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- The 18th Multidisciplinary Management of Cancers: A Case-based Approach returns to the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa on March 16-18, 2018. The meeting is sponsored by the Association of Northern California Oncologists, Stanford Cancer Institute, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, and UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Go to
www.multicancers.org
for more information, to register, and arrange for housing.
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- The deadline is now March 2, 2018 for reporting offers of health coverage made during the 2017 calendar year. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued an extension of the due date. Previously, insurers and employers had until January 31, 2018, to provide individuals with either Form 1095-B, Health Coverage, or Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage. Click to continue »
- Three major employers, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase, announced today they were partnering to create an independent company aimed at reining in health care costs for their employees. The independent company would be jointly led by executives from all three companies and would be focused on technology that could increase transparency and simplify health care, according to the joint announcement. It will be free from the need to deliver a profit. The three corporate giants will create an independent company that will focus on technology to provide simplified, high-quality health care for their employees at a reasonable cost, the companies say. The health care industry has been nervously anticipating Amazon's entry as a competitor.
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CMS News
- To help you prepare for the transition to the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) on Medicare cards beginning April 1, 2018, review the new information about remittance advices. Beginning in October 2018, through the transition period, when providers submit a claim using a patient's valid and active Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN), CMS will return both the HICN and the MBI on every remittance advice. Here are examples of different remittance advices:
Find more new information on the New Medicare Card provider webpage.
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Applications for the Model Performance for BPCI Advanced must be submitted via the
Application Portal
,
which will close on March 12, 2018, at 8:59 pm PT
. The Model Performance Period for BPCI Advanced starts on October 1, 2018, and runs through December 31, 2023. For more information about the model and its requirements or to download a Request for Applications document, the application template, and attachments, visit the
BPCI Advanced
webpage. See the full text of this excerpted
CMS Press Release
.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the second issue of their recurring newsletter about Patients over Paperwork, in an effort to reduce administrative burden and improve the customer experience while putting patients first. In this edition, CMS reflects on 2017 and update you on how they have been working to reduce burdensome regulations, streamline requirements and improve the clarity of their programmatic guidance. This work is in accordance with CMS' strategic goals:
1. Empower patients and clinicians to make decisions about their health care.
2. Usher in a new era of state flexibility and local leadership.
3. Support innovative approaches to improve quality, accessibility, and affordability.
4. Improve the CMS customer experience.
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Affiliate Association News
- ASCO seeks applications for volunteers at
http://volunteer.asco.org
. Your application will be used for all upcoming Volunteer Corps opportunities and 2018 committee consideration. Apply by January 31, 2018 for 2018 committee consideration.
- Highlights from the 2017 National Oncology Benchmark Study (NOBS) for Infusion Services and Radiation Oncology will be presented complementary by Oncology Management Consulting Group, Thursday, February 8th at 11:00am Pacific.
- You are invited to the
2018 ASCO Annual Meeting
in Chicago from June 1-5, 2018
. First,
reserve your hotel now
to ensure the best accommodations and experience. The Scientific Program Committee seeks abstracts across 24 disease-based and cross-cutting tracks in oncology research for this meeting. When submitting,
select
the track and subcategory that best fits the focus of your research. The deadline to submit is February 13, 2018, at 8:59 PM (PST) to be considered for presentation or publication at this year's Annual Meeting.
Abstract submission guidelines
.
- 2018 Highlights of ASH®. Get a synopsis of the top hematology research presented at the latest ASH annual meeting and learn how it can help improve your patient management and care strategies at Highlights of ASH. For more information or to register,
click
here
.
- NCCN has published updates to the below. For the complete updated versions, please visit NCCN.org. Recent updates include: adult cancer pain (V1.2018), cancer-related fatigue (V1.2018), chronic myeloid leukemia (V4.2018), melanoma (V2.2018), occult
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- AMGEN informs ANCO and MOASC that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Xgeva for the prevention of skeletal-related events in patients with multiple myeloma and in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors.
- AstraZeneca will host a dinner meeting entitled Head to Head Progression-Free Survival Data for Patients who have Progressed After EGFR TKI Therapy with Hatim Husain, M.D., Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, at Morimoto Restaurant in Napa on March 17 at 6:30PM. RSVP to Jason Yonehiro at (415) 205-3699 or [email protected].
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MOASC CALENDAR
Spotlight on Hematology
January 27, 2018
Huntington Beach, CA
LunchTime Series
January 31, 2018
Oncology Summit
March 3, 2018
Huntington Beach, CA
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(San Francisco, February 8-10)
(Napa, March 16-18)
(San Francisco,
April 27-28)
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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
Association of Northern California Oncologists
(ANCO) is an association of hematologists/oncologists dedicated to promoting high professional standards of cancer care by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, data, and knowledge.
The material contained in the
California Oncology Weekly
is intended as general information for ANCO and 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 or ANCO 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
ANCO: P.O. Box 151109, San Rafael, CA 94915 | P (415) 472-3960 | F (415) 472-3961 | www.anco-online.org
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