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
.
|
|
|
|
|
- TODAY at noon, Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology will host a webinar entitled Pursuing Precision Medicine through Oncology Biomarkers. Industry News
- Please tell us of your accessibility to IVIG.MOASC News
- Sign onto a letter led by the AMA regarding MACRA. National News
|
|
|
- CalHIPSO and Integrated Healthcare Association ("IHA") are excited to partner to provide an update on the Symphony Provider Directory roll-out on Thursday, June 27, 2019 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT. The Symphony Provider Directory is California's centralized platform for provider data, which streamlines the way health plans and providers share, validate and reconcile provider information in compliance with state and federal requirements such as SB 137, Medicare Advantage and Medi-Cal. To register go to https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5520597704807510285
Led by non-profit organization IHA, Symphony is the result of cross-industry collaboration and has seen great early momentum since launching officially in January 2019. Current participants include Blue Shield of California, Health Net of California, Anthem Blue Cross and Aetna as well as over 40 provider organizations across the state. https://calhipso.org/.
-
Save the date for the 2019 Sacramento Regional Colorectal Cancer Roundtable on June 27, 2019.
Be sure to block out this time for an opportunity to discuss best practices with colleagues in your region. Please
click here
to learn more details.
- The California Medical Association (CMA) reminds all physicians that the changes to the Anthem Blue Cross Prudent Buyer Participating Physician Agreement and fee schedule will take effect on July 1, 2019. The new rates are available on the Availity website (http://www.availity.com) by selecting Payer Spaces > Anthem Blue Cross > Education and Reference Center > Administrative Support > Prudent Buyer Fee Schedule Update.
- The California Medical Association (CMA) reminds all physicians that United Healthcare (UHC) began phasing out reimbursement for consultation services for commercial product lines beginning in June 2019. UCD announced this change in March 2019. For dates of service starting June 1, 2019, UHC will no longer reimburse CPT codes 99241-99255 for providers on a 2010 and newer fee schedule. For dates of service starting October 1, 2019, UHC will no longer reimburse CPT codes 99241-99255 for all fee schedules.
|
|
|
Announcements:
Quality Payment Program: MIPS 2019 Call for Measures/Activities Ends July 1; Promoting Interoperability Programs: Submit Comments on Proposed Changes by June 24; Promoting Interoperability Program: Submit a Measure Proposal by June 28; Hospice Provider Preview Reports: Review Your Data by July 1.
Publications:
Quality Payment Program: 2019 Resources
* MolDX: MammaPrint Billing and Coding Guidelines-R4
* MolDX: Targeted and Comprehensive Genomic Profile Next-Generation Sequencing Testing
* MolDX: HLA-B 15:02 Genetic Testing LCD-R1
* Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)-R6
* Contractor Advisory Committee Meeting: Pharmacogenomics-June 26, 2019
* Appeals Decision Tree Helps Determine the Next Step
* MLN Connects Special Edition-April 23, 2019
Forthcoming Noridian JEMAC meetings/webinars/workshops
* Completing Appeals through the Noridian Medicare Portal (NMP) Webinar (June 19)
* Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABM) Webinar (June 21)
* Modifier 59, NCCI, and MUEs Webinar (June 26)
* Submitting Your Enrollment Online-Part 2 Webinar (PECOS; June 26)
* New Provider New Biller Review Entities and Appeals Part 2 of 2 Webinar (June 28)
* Reopenings Webinar (July 9)
* Telehealth/Telemedicine Enrollment Only Webinar (July 10)
* What's New in the Third Quarter 2019 Webinar (July 11)
* Understanding National and Local Coverage Determinations Webinar (July 23)
* Understanding the Basics of Medicare Secondary Payer (A/B) Webcast (July 24)
* Medicare Part A/B Revalidation Webinar (July 24)
* Revocation, Caps and Appeals Webinar (August 7)
* Submitting Your Enrollment Online-Part 1 (I&A) Webinar (August 21)
|
|
|
- MOASC IS INTERESTED TO KNOW IF YOUR PRACTICE HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE IVIG. Please tell us of your accessibility to IVIG, the machinations and recommendations you use to access IVIG at moasc@moasc.org. The FDA is rolling out a pilot program, authorized under the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act, to explore bolstering prescription drug supply and distribution security with the use of blockchain technologyFDA pilot program looks at blockchain for drug supply security
- SAVE-THE-DATE for MOASC's Spotlight On Oncology, August 17, 2019 in Huntington Beach. Through a restricted grant from MOASC, selected oncology fellows and faculty from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), present the premier topics from their attendance at the 2019 Annual ASCO meeting. The presentations promote collegial discourse among colleagues along with networking in an informal setting. Contact the MOASC Office for more information at
moasc@moasc.org.
- Renew your MOASC Membership TODAY! Continue your investment in your state association.
MOASC will be able to continue to advance oncology in California, with your continued support and membership in MOASC. In 2018, MOASC successfully worked to create the California Cancer Caucus in Sacramento. YOU, the California oncologist, are the reason for MOASC's existence. MOASC advocates diligently insuring your ability to serve the California oncology community.
You can renew your membership in two ways:
Print the application
HERE
mail it along with your check made payable to:
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc.,
P.O. Box 161, Upland, CA 91785.
OR
We are looking forward to an exciting year ahead with benefits you will not want to miss.
If you have any questions, please contact the MOASC Office at 909-985-9061 ext.1 or at
moasc@moasc.org.
- MOASC Member, City of Hope CME presents: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Cancer Symposium on October 10-13, 2019 @ Waldorf Astoria, Las Vegas, Nevada. This intensive program will provide participants with an enhanced ability to interpret and apply best treatment options into their individual cancer practices. For more information click HERE. To register go to:
https://cme.cityofhope.org/eventinfo_10946.html
- MOASC Member, City of Hope CME presents: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Cancer Symposium on October 10-13, 2019 @ Waldorf Astoria, Las Vegas, Nevada. This intensive program will provide participants with an enhanced ability to interpret and apply best treatment options into their individual cancer practices. For more information click
HERE. To register go to: https://cme.cityofhope.org/eventinfo_10946.html.
JOB Board
- Julie Yumi Oda, MD
is a Hematology-Oncology fellow at Baylor Scott and White Health in Temple, Texas. Dr. Oda is looking for a position as a Clinician-Educator when she graduates next year in June 2020. If you are interested or have any additional questions, you can reach Dr. Oda at 254-654-2908 or email Julie.Oda@BSWHealth.org. Dr. ODA CV
|
|
|
-
ANCO members may register with a discounted rate using code ILC19ANCO for the 20th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress
taking place on July 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach. Visit
- Follow
ANCO on Twitter
at
@ANCO News
.
|
National News
- ASH signed onto a letter led by the American Medical Association (AMA) regarding MACRA. The letter urges Congress to make further refinements to improve MACRA, including calling on Congress to replace the 2020-2025 physician payment update freeze with positive payment adjustments for physicians. Read the full letter at
- Understanding the needs of all physicians means collecting vital demographic data. The AMA requests that physicians take a moment to fill out the survey linked below
. Having this information means the AMA will be better equipped to meet the specific needs-and better reflect the makeup-of the nation's increasingly diverse physician community. Physician responses to the AMA's request for this personal information is voluntary and will be kept confidential. No physician will be required to provide this information. Physicians can access or create a free account at https://fsso.ama-assn.org/login/account/login and provide this information.
- The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD) successfully passed three resolutions led by the ASCO delegation as well as a resolution calling on CMS to ensure additional patient protections for step therapy in Medicare Advantage this plan year. Finally, the HOD also reaffirmed existing policy stating that physicians who have proven adherence to high quality clinical pathways should be exempt from prior authorization requirements. Learn more at https://www.asco.org/advocacy-policy/asco-in-action/ama-house-delegates-approves-asco-backed-resolutions-alcohol-use.
- Banner Health is taking steps to avoid physician burnout by improving its EHR system to remove unnecessary alerts that were disrupting workflow. Alerts are helpful, "but if health systems don't have programs in place that constantly assess and reassess whether those alerts are functioning the way they're supposed to, providers can start to experience alert fatigue," said Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer at Banner Health
Health IT Analytics
.
Where, The Cleveland Clinic gives physicians a "wellness day off."
The Cleveland Clinic began giving its physicians a wellness day off two years ago, as employers are starting to pay more attention to mental health, says Sonya Weiland of WeilandWorks Consulting. "You've got to go with that trend or you're not going to be an employer of choice," she notes.
The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
- If you hosted a National Cancer Survivors Day® event in your city on June 2, 2019, NCSDF wants to hear from you. How can National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation make National Cancer Survivors Day® even better? Please email your suggestions to info@ncsd.org with the subject line "NCSD Feedback." Your opinions and insight on how NCSDF can better help you celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day® in your city.The 33rd annual National Cancer Survivors Day® will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2020. Keep updated on all things NCSD through the website, NCSD.org. If you know anyone who would like to take part in the NCSD 2020 celebration, please forward to them this newsletter and encourage them to sign up for the NCSD newsletter.
|
CMS News
- ASH submitted comments to CMS on the development and reevaluation on an outpatient outcome measure for MIPS. The specific measure up for comment is on acute admissions for patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). The measure will assess each eligible clinician or clinician group admission rate relative to that of other MIPS participating clinicians or clinician groups with similar patients. ASH's concern is that while hematologists/oncologists are included in the clinicians covered by the measure, none of the MCCs included are primarily managed by hematologists/oncologists, increasing the likelihood that hematologists/oncologists could be unfairly penalized. ASH has recommended that hematologists/oncologists be removed from the measure. Read ASH's comments at
- ASH submitted comments to CMS on the reopened NCA for next generation sequencing (NGS) for Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancer. ASH specifically asked that CMS revise the repeat testing limitation in order to allow MACs the discretion to cover repeated use, when reasonable and necessary. Additionally, ASH asked that CMS explicitly authorize MACs to retain the discretion to evaluate NGS-based testing for hematological malignancies that do not meet the definition of advanced cancer at the local level. Read ASH's comments
|
Affiliate Association News
- ASCO's Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) is an oncologist-led, practice-based quality assessment program for outpatient oncology clinics. Round 2 registration is now open and data submission will run from July 1 to December 3, 2019. Register for QOP at
https://myqopi.asco.org/registration/login.aspx
.
- The QOPI Reporting Registry, a QCDR brought to you by ASCO and ASTRO, allows oncology practices to report on CMS-approved quality measures as well as latest to Improvement Activities and Promoting Interoperability measures data. The program supports continuous quality improvement and directly submits your data to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Sign up to report, monitor, and improve your practice's quality of care so you can receive the maximum payment increase in 2021 at https://practice.asco.org/quality-improvement/quality-programs/qopi-reporting-registry.
- The 2019 Best of ASCO® Bellevue Meeting will be held on July 19-20. This meeting will highlight the most cutting-edge science and education from the ASCO Annual Meeting, the world's premier oncology event. To register or for more information click HERE.
- ASCO's Oncology Practice Conference takes place in San Diego on September 5. Focused on the business of cancer care, this conference will address the needs of practice administration and operations, with timely and practice strategies for the challenges faced by all those involved in the business of cancer care. Learn more and register at https://meetings.asco.org/opc/register.
- The ASCO Quality Care Symposium, September 6-7 in San Diego, encompasses the latest strategies and methods for quantification of patient experience, provider efficiency, clinical outcomes, and quality and safety in the cancer care field. The Symposium will include a variety of sessions that will cover the latest science in precision and personalized medicine. Oral abstract presentations will feature the highest-quality science submitted to the Symposium and Poster Walks will allow for networking while exploring the presentation of the newest science. This meeting will bring leaders in quality improvement science together to participate in stimulating conversation with opportunities for networking among physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and others.
ASCO Quality Care Symposium.
- Join ASH on September 6-7, 2019, at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park for the 2019 ASH Meeting on Hematologic Malignancies to gain knowledge that can help you make an immediate impact in your practice. The meeting will feature top experts in the field, comprehensive clinical content, the latest clinical research, and opportunities to interact with colleagues in an intimate, small group setting with no competing sessions. The program content will be structured as "How I Treat" presentations, which will highlight each speaker's evidence-based treatment approaches, present cutting-edge scientific data that can be translated into new strategies for diagnosis and treatment, and address what to do in cases where there is no data. For more details, or to register, please visit the ASH Website.
- Present your research at the world's premier hematology event. The best new scientific research in all areas of hematology will be presented at the 61st ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando, Florida. We encourage researchers to submit an abstract by August 1, 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
B-cell lymphomas (V3.2019), colorectal cancer screening (V1.2019), head and neck cancers: lip and oral cavity (V1.2019); and Radiation Therapy Compendium™ for Uveal Melanoma (V1.2019).
|
|
|
- TODAY!
Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology
will host a webinar for ANCO and MOASC entitled Pursuing Precision Medicine through Oncology Biomarkers
on Tuesday, June 18 at 12PM. The speaker will be Tony Wang, PharmD, JD, Health Systems Liaison, Medical Affairs, Associate Director, Health Systems (Northwest Region), Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology. The call-on number is (866) 217-3840; the conference code is 1630309; and, the webcast address is
https://bms.webex.com/meet/wangt36
.
- Merck announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least one other prior line of therapy.read corporate press release
- Coherus Academy for Biosimilars Learning and Education (C.A.B.L.E.) informed MOASC and ANCO about two upcoming events:
1. UDENYCATM Clinical Review
, presented by Andrea Stebel, M.D. , Sante Medical Oncology Specialists on July 11, 2019 at 3005 Old Ranch Parkway, Seal Beach, CA 90740. To register go to
http://bit.ly/coh00135
or email
SWhite@coherus.com
.
2. Coherus Reimbursement Overview,
Presented by Francie Nordin, AAS Summit Cancer Center on July 16, 2049 at 17440 East 17th Street Tustin, CA 92780. To register go to
http://bit.ly/coh00138
or email
SWhite@coherus.com
|
|
|
MOASC CALENDAR
|
(NCCN, San Francisco, September 27)
(NCCN, San Francisco, September 27-28)
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
| |
|
