California Oncology Weekly
"An Oncologists’ Source for Timely Information"
A publication of the
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc.
January 26, 2021
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TOMORROW! MOASC’s LunchTime Series, Update on Coding, at 12:30pm MOASC News
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Doctors and Clinicians Preview Period is officially opened yesterday CMS News
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Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act H.R. 315 National News
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Is your practice pacing for success in 2021? It may be early in the year, but if you're measuring against the same KPIs (key performance indicators) as 2020, you may not have the clearest picture. Unique challenges call for unique solutions. Stay on track and set your practice up for long term success with these 5 billing KPIs built for 2021.
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MOASC reminds you that you should be billing the insurance company using the new vaccine codes when administering the Covid-19 vaccine in your office. Listen in to MOASC’s LTS tomorrow for more!
MOASC members are on the cutting edge of research:
UCI Health physician, Farshid Dayyani, MD, PhD, discusses his research on treatment for gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma for CancerNetwork.
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Dr. Sai-hong Ignatius Ou, MD, PhD was the corresponding author of a paper on how taletrectinib showed preliminary efficacy and manageable toxicities at the maximum tolerated dose in a phase 1 trial of patients with advanced solid tumors.
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MOASC Programs - Save the Dates - All Times are Pacific
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MOASC’s LunchTime Series presents Bobbi Buell bringing an “Update on 2021 Medicare Regulations and E/M Coding,” scheduled for January 27 at 12:30pm. The new year brought many changes to the healthcare industry, specifically to Medicare and E/M policies. But what are these changes and how will your practice be impacted? These questions (along with several more) will be addressed in this webinar for MOASC members by Codemisstress Bobbi Buell.
Other topics include:
- Final Physician Fee Schedule Rule for 2021
- Final Hospital Outpatient Payment Program Rule 2021
- E/M Updates for 2021.
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Targeted Oncology has a DTC program February 3 for MOASC members. This program is open to, and intended for, oncologists treating DTC. The Case-Based Peer Perspectives Roundtable virtual meeting will feature a thought leader in the field who will discuss pathology report findings, patient diagnostic workup, the most likely diagnosis and potential treatment options for a few case studies. The audience is encouraged to ask questions and discuss as the cases are presented. Attendees are paid $300 of compensation for their attendance, participation & completion of the post-event HRA survey. Meeting specifics are outlined below, for reference.
A Roundtable Discussion on DTC
Speaker: Dr. Misagh Karimi (City of Hope)
Date: Wednesday, February 3rd
Time: 7:00-8:30 PM PacificTime
Location: Virtual
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MOASC presents Spotlight On Hematology, February 20. Selected fellows and faculty, from the University of California, Irvine, will present the premier topics from their attendance at the 2020 Annual ASH Meeting. Through virtual conferencing, the presentations will promote collegial discourse among colleagues and networking among attendees.
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Have you checked out the event tab on our Facebook & Twitter page? Keep up to date with #MOASC events by “liking” us on our Facebook page. There, we post easy-to-share events about the latest news in #oncology.
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The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is attempting to resume the Medi-Cal retroactive recoupment of payments (clawbacks) on February 8, 2021. The California Pharmacist’s Association utilizing the legal process and working on a legislative remedy. To support their legislative efforts, they need evidence of DHCS shameful attempt to hurt patient access and independent pharmacy when it is needed most during a pandemic. If you have received a letter from DHCS that includes your clawback amount, please send Nick Chiappe a copy by email at NChiappe@cpha.com or by fax at 916-779-1401. Your immediate response is needed.
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Provider Enrollment Live Chat Webinar - January 27, 2021, will include: Provider Enrollment Live Chat, Provider Enrollment Basics, Provider Enrollment Applications.
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Provider Enrollment Medicare Additional Updates - 2021 Webinar - February 3, 2021.
This event includes: Provider Enrollment, 2021 Updates, Notification Letters, Request for Additional Information, and Electronic Fund Information.
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Evaluation and Management - 99202-99215 and Related Services Webinar - February 25, 2021. This event includes: 2021 Change Summary, Office and Outpatient Services, Time Component, Medical Decision Making, and Resources.
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EFT and Payment Holds Webinar - March 3, 2021. This event includes: Provider Enrollment, Electronic funds transfer, EFT, and Payment Holds.
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2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Now Available. The 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) has been published to the MPFS page.
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Quarterly Update to the NCCI PTP Edits, Version 27.1, Effective April 1, 2021.
CR 12110 provides the quarterly update to the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) Procedure-to-Procedure (PTP) edits.
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The Medicare IVIG Demonstration Project has been extended through December 31, 2023. Beneficiaries enrolled as of November 15, 2020, do not need to re-enroll. New beneficiaries can continue to enroll in accordance with the demonstration procedure.
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Region-specific events, webinars and training for January are found JEA, JEB, JAF and JFB.
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CMS News
The Doctors and Clinicians Preview Period is officially opened yesterday. You can now preview your 2019 Quality Payment Program (QPP) performance information before it will appear on clinician and group profile pages on Medicare Care Compare and in the Provider Data Catalog (PDC). You can access the secured Preview through the QPP website.
Please refer to the resources below on how to preview your information:
CMS Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forums are scheduled for Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 11:00am – 12:00 PM Pacific Time. Announcements will include: Documentation Requirements Reminder for Physicians Ordering Repetitive, Scheduled Non-Emergent Ambulance Services, Updates to 2021 PFS due to the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Billing, Enrollment information, Links to MAC’s hotlines for enrollment, Information on Vaccines https://www.cms.gov/covidvax, Toolkit: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/covid-19/coding-covid-19-vaccine-shots.
Open Door Participation Instructions: Please dial-in at least 15 minutes before call start time.
This call will be Conference Call Only. To participate by phone 1-888-455-1397 & Conference Passcode: 8604468. Persons participating by phone do not need to RSVP.
Instant Replay is an audio recording of this call that can be accessed by dialing 1-866-461-2738 (no passcode needed) beginning 1 hour after the call has ended. The recording expires Jan. 29, 2021, for the call of Jan 27, at 8:59pm Pacific Time.
CMS released the Calendar Year (CY) 2022 Request for Applications (RFA) (PDF) for the Part D Payment Modernization (PDM) Model. In order to address the high list price and high beneficiary out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs, CMS is testing the impact of an updated Medicare Part D payment structure focused on the catastrophic phase of the Part D benefit. For CY 2022, the PDM Model is being updated to better enable Part D sponsors to help beneficiaries manage costs, as well in light of the changes to the discount safe harbor to the Federal anti-kickback statute that removes protection for certain reductions in price in connection with the sale or purchase of prescription pharmaceutical products from pharmaceutical manufacturers to Part D sponsors that will take effect on January 1, 2022. The CY 2022 PDM Model overview webinar will be held on February 3, 2021, from 1:00-2:00 PM PST. Registration is now open.
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Contact you Representative TODAY! Ask them to co-sponsor the Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act H.R. 315. As the pandemic continues to place a financial strain on physician practices and the healthcare system, it is important that Congress act to extend relief from the 2% sequester cuts passed March. Representatives Bradley Schneider (D-IL-10) and David McKinley (R-WV-1) recently introduced the Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act, H.R.315, which would delay the sequester through the duration of the Public Health Emergency, easing the threat of further financial strain on their practices.
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Affiliate Association News |
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ANCO News
For further information on any of the ANCO articles presented below please contact ANCO Executive Director courtney@anco.org
UCSF CME Integrative Oncology: Approaches for Enhancing Patient-Centered Palliative and Supportive Care 2021, is being held virtually January 28-30, 2021. The course will review key evidence and focus on national practice guidelines in developing integrative treatment plans for cancer patients during active treatment and in post-treatment survivorship, including care for underserved populations.
The 2021 Stanford Review of the 62nd Annual ASH Conference will highlight cutting-edge research and data on hematologic disorders presented, as well as provide participants with updated treatment algorithms and strategies for optimizing the care of their patients. Saturday, February 13, 2021, 8:00 AM - 3:50 PM PST
21st Multidisciplinary Management of Cancers meeting to be held March 12-14, 2021. The program represents a collaborative effort of expert clinicians from the Stanford Cancer Institute, University of California, Davis, University of California, San Francisco, and the Association of Northern California Oncologists. The program will be held virtually.
NCCN News
NCCN has recently formed a COVID-19 Vaccine Committee including top hematology and oncology experts with particular expertise in infectious diseases, vaccine development and delivery, medical ethics, and health information technology. This committee has established recommendations that can help cancer care providers make informed decisions on how to protect their patients from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, based on available evidence plus expert consensus. The committee’s recommendations state that all people currently in active cancer treatment should get the vaccine, with some advice to consider regarding immunosuppression and timing.
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For the complete updated versions, please visit NCCN.org.
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Astra Zeneca is to share that the FDA has approved TAGRISSO® (osimertinib) for adjuvant therapy after tumor resection in adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test.
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Pfizer Oncology Breast Cancer Webinar Series, begins January 26, 2021 and runs through February 4. |
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Pfizer Oncology is proud to announce a new FDA-approved indication for XALKORI® (crizotinib) capsules. The following information is available for State Society review:
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Daiichi Sankyo announces the FDA approved fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal (GEJ) adenocarcinoma who have received a prior trastuzumab-based regimen.
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Incyte presents their final live disease education webinar for patients diagnosed with a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), on January 28. Please share with your patients and peers
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Bristol-Myers Squibb announces the FDA approval of the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) and cabozantinib as first-line treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
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Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announces the FDA accelerated approval of daratumumab plus hyaluronidase (Darzalex Faspro) in combination with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone for newly diagnosed light chain (AL) amyloidosis.
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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.
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