Your Daily COVID-19 News & Updates
MSNJ Member COVID-19 Update
June 10, 2020
A Message from MSNJ President, Marc J. Levine, MD
Dear Colleagues:

This Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 2 PM a special virtual meeting of the House of Delegates will take place. The main purpose of this meeting will be to transition the Executive Leadership of the Medical Society of New Jersey. This yearly event has taken place since 1766 and Dr. Philip Kline will be inducted as the 228 th President of MSNJ. Dr. Kline brings an exceptional skill set that I know will further advance our organization.

This past year has clearly shown the effectiveness of MSNJ in addressing critical needs of physicians and patients in New Jersey. MSNJ has been at the forefront of addressing the COVID Crisis by contributing in in so many ways in shaping policy that has been instituted; and is now helping to create policy to open up healthcare and the general economy in New Jersey. MSNJ has been an invited member of multiple committees and forums while independently seeking state and federal assistance by engaging legislators. 

Personally, I am so very proud of our profession as we continue to put patients first while protecting each other and the practices that provide healthcare to New Jersey.

I welcome each and every physician in New Jersey to join The Medical Society of New Jersey. Regardless of your employment status, whether it be private practice, hospital based or large employer; MSNJ is critical for your future. Now is the time to join.

Please make time this Sunday to join MSNJ’s virtual meeting and welcome in our new leadership team.

It has truly been my honor and privilege to steward this great organization over the past year. I thank each and every one of you for your support and dedication.

Be Well, Be Safe and Be Proud
Respectfully,
Marc J. Levine, MD
COVID-19 Updates & Resources
KN95 Masks Available for Physician Practices
MSNJ has been sourcing KN95 masks and can make them available to members to purchase. If you have interest in obtaining KN95 masks, please reply with your contact information here .
New Jersey Health Care Transparency Act
In an effort to help provide clarity and transparency for New Jersey patients, MSNJ recently introduced legislation that helps ensure patients know the education, training and licensure of their health care provider. Under S-2465, also known as the “New Jersey Health Care Transparency Act,” all health care professionals will be required to wear a name tag during all patient encounters, clearly identifying the type of license they hold. Health care professionals will also have to clearly display their education, training and licensure in their office. This bill is sponsored by Senate President Sweeney and the Assembly bill is sponsored by Chairman Conaway. S-2465 will be heard in Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee this Friday.
MSNJ signed on to a letter to congressional leadership urging them to include liability protections for physicians in the next COVID-19 relief package.
REMINDER: Naloxone Prescribing by Healthcare Professionals
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, NJ CARES, and the Division of Consumer Affairs recently announced that NJ physicians and other healthcare professionals who prescribe opioids for the management of chronic pain, must also prescribe the opioid antidote, naloxone, to certain at-risk patients during the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, it is required to prescribe the antidote if the patient has one or more prescriptions totaling 90 morphine milligram equivalents or more per day, or is concurrently obtaining an opioid and a benzodiazepine; and document the action taken within the patient record. Read the Administrative Order . Read more .
Provider Relief Fund
HHS posted an updated set of FAQs regarding the Provider Relief Fund established as part of the CARES Act to support physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following are among the updates issued by HHS:
  • Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal – HHS provides new information, including the following: the new Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal will initially be used for new submissions from Medicaid and CHIP providers seeking payments under the Provider Relief Fund beginning June 10, 2020, and is open to providers who received Medicaid and CHIP payments in 2017 through 2020 and who have not received any payments from the $50 billion Provider Relief Fund General Distribution.
  • General Distribution to Medicare Providers/Prescription Sales & 340B Drug Pricing Program – HHS indicates that organizations with prescription sales as part of its revenue cannot capture such sales in data submitted as “gross sales or receipts” or “program service revenue.” HHS adds that only patient care revenues from diagnosis, testing or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 may be included, and patient care revenues “do not include drug rebates paid to providers enrolled in the 340B program.”
  • Medicaid Targeted Distribution – HHS provides details about the process and requirements for the Medicaid and CHIP Targeted Distribution, including: (1) clarifying that providers who received payments in the prior $50 billion General Distribution payment are not eligible to receive payment in this current Medicaid Targeted Distribution; however, providers who received a “Targeted Distribution” payment – such as the High Impact Area, Rural, Indian Health Service, and Skilled Nursing Facility Targeted Distributions – could be eligible; (2) providing a detailed list of requirements for eligibility, including the requirement to have “directly billed Medicaid for healthcare-related services during the period of January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, or (ii) own (on the application date) an included subsidiary that has billed Medicaid for healthcare-related services during the period of January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019; (3) explaining that payments will be made to providers on the filing TIN list submitted by states to CMS, with HHS using an “additional process to validate eligibility” for providers not on the filing TIN list; (3) establishing a deadline of July 3, 2020 to submit an application for the Medicaid Targeted Distribution; and (4) stating that payments will be disbursed “on a rolling basis.”
  • Safety Net Hospitals Targeted Distribution – HHS also provides information on the new $10 billion Safety Net Hospital Targeted Distribution, including that the funds will go to over 700 “safety net” hospitals serving “a disproportionate number of Medicaid recipients” or providing “large amounts of uncompensated care” and operating “on thin profit margins.” HHS also posted Terms and Conditions applicable to the Medicaid and Safety Net Hospitals Targeted Distributions. See additional information.
Register Now: Lunch & Learn Webinar Series - COVID-19 Conversations: Legal Issues for NJ’s Healthcare Community
Presented by Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP in collaboration with the Medical Society of New Jersey, New Jersey Hospital Association, and the New Jersey Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Part 1: Delivering Healthcare in a COVID-19 World: What Providers Should Know to Adjust and Adapt to the Pandemic
June 17 from 12:00pm-1:00pm
With predictions of a likely second surge in the coming months, we will cover a variety of topics to help providers adapt their businesses and position themselves for the “new normal.”

Part 2: The Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Industry Employers and Next Steps
June 24 from 12:00pm-1:00pm
A timely review of employment law issues related to compliance and operations—and our thoughts about what healthcare industry employers can expect to see going forward.

Part 3: Insurance Coverage Issues and Defending Your Rights in the Age of COVID-19
July 1 from 12:00pm-1:00pm
A review of claims and coverage, both as an insured claiming against policies written before COVID-19, and as the holder of rights under health insurance policies issued to patients with pandemic-related healthcare expenses.
MSNJ Surveys
Counterfeit Masks Reporting Portal
MSNJ is trying to help get PPE distributed to physician practices throughout NJ. We would like to hear from you if you have purchased fraudulent masks and if you have paid more for masks since prior to COVID-19. Report here .
MSNJ COVID-19 Impact Survey
MSNJ is conducting a survey to determine the impact of COVID-19 on physician practices. Answer survey questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 on staff reductions, the need for PPE, education, and telemedicine issues so it can be brought up with legislators and government administrators and used to help us get medical practices reopened. Please note: this survey was previously fielded by Rockpointe in partnership with MSNJ. If you have already responded to this survey, there is no need to respond again.
HHS Provider Payments Survey
MSNJ would like to hear about your overall experience with the HHS provider portal to receive payments. Please take our short survey .
MSNJ Medical Student Section Update - COVID-19
MSNJ is proud to support the COVID-19 New Jersey Medical Student Coalition and their efforts to bring together medical students from across the state to provide aid to hospitals and healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more about the Coalition's extraordinary efforts.
Please continue to support the NJ COVID-19 Medical Student Coalition.
Donate and get involved! More information on the Coalition is listed below below.
Neil Jain (left), Immediate-Past Chair of the MSNJ Medical Student Section (MSS), started a Medical Student Coalition to collect medical supplies such as N95/99 masks, face shields, sterile gloves, latex gloves, protective eye wear, as well as other necessary supplies for NJ hospitals state wide. They have partnered with MSNJ and MSNJ-MSS on this initiative. We applaud them on their outstanding efforts! Check out their  website   for more information and to donate.
Virtual Education
MSNJ Member Discount: Endocannabinoid Educational Learning System
Medical Cannabis Deemed “Essential” and “Life-Sustaining”
In the current COVID-19 environment, state governments recognize medical cannabis as essential and life sustaining for many different qualifying medical conditions reinforcing the need for essential ECS knowledge. MSNJ has partnered with Havas ECS to give MSNJ members a 10% discount on their Educational Learning System which offers a 12 CME Credit Certification in Endocannabinoid Medicine.

When purchasing these modules, please register using the email address that MSNJ has on file.
Click here for more information and to access the module.
NJ Spotlight Roundtable Recording: Medical Ethics During COVID-19
Free CME Activity: Identifying PTSD in the Community
Click here for more information and to access the activity.
AMA Physician Burnout & Wellness CME Course
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