Your Weekly News & Updates
Medical Society of New Jersey e-Newsletter
June 18, 2020
MSNJ Office Will Be Closed Friday, June 19 in Observance of Juneteenth
In recognition of the movement to end racial injustice, MSNJ will close our office on Friday, June 19 to reflect. Juneteenth Independence Day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
COVID-19 Updates & Resources
MSNJ joined other State Medical Societies in a letter to Congress urging them to fight for funding for community physician practices in next stimulus package.
KN95 Masks Available for Members for Purchase
The MSNJ Foundation has partnered with Emergency PPE to make masks available to MSNJ members. See information below:

Raxwell RX9501 KN95 masks  are on the  CDC EUA list  and tested above 99% filter efficiency in  NPPTL results Click  here  for product images and spec sheet . There is availability to ship immediately.

Price:
  • 1,000 masks: $2,875.00 (shipping included)
  • 500 masks: $1,600.00 (shipping included)
  • 250 masks: $800.00 (shipping included)
FAIR Health COVID-19 Study Released
According to a new FAIR Health study, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professional services declined 68 percent in utilization and 48 percent in revenue based on total estimated in-network amounts, compared to April 2019, nationally. Read more about the impact of COVID-19. Read more about the study findings.
MSNJ Member, Dr. Shari Flowers talks with host Randi Zuckerberg on Randi Zuckerberg Means Business on converting practice to Telemedicine. Listen here .
Operation Warp Speed Fact Sheet
The HHS released a fact sheet on Operation Warp Speed (OWS). OWS is a partnership between HHS, including the CDC, the FDA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Department of Defense (DoD) aiming to deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by January 2021.
HHS Updates Provider Relief Fund FAQs
HHS issued the latest update to its FAQ document regarding payments from the Provider Relief Fund established as part of the CARES Act to support providers responding to COVID-19. The following have been updated in the FAQ guidance:
  • General Distribution for Medicare Providers – HHS offers information regarding situations in which a provider who bills Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) did not receive a payment from the initial $30 billion General Distribution. HHS notes, for example, that only providers who billed Medicare FFS in CY 2019 are eligible, and payments to providers and practices that are part of larger medical groups “went to the group’s central billing office.” HHS is working to determine eligibility for providers excluded for other reasons, such as having incomplete personal contact information. 
  • Targeted Distribution: General FAQs Applicable to All Categories of Targeted Distributions – HHS provides guidance to providers who received a Targeted Distribution payment that is greater than expected or received in error. For example, HHS informs providers who received an overpayment and who expect to have cumulative lost revenues/increased costs “attributable to coronavirus during the COVID-19 public health emergency that exceed the intended calculated payment” that they can keep the payment. 
CMS New Webcasts on Medicaid Provider Relief Fund
CMS will host webcasts on Provider Relief Fund and Medicaid CHIP Distribution and will provide information about the application process. HHS is expecting to distribute $15 billion to eligible Medicaid and CHIP providers through the Provider Relief Fund. See available dates below:
CMMI Accepting Letters of Intent for Direct Contracting Model in 2021
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced that it would accept Letters of Intent (LOIs) from organizations that have not previously sent a letter for participation in the Direct Contracting demonstration for the first Performance Year, beginning April 1, 2021. CMS is conducting the Direct Contracting demonstration to improve Medicare beneficiary health and reduce program costs by transforming Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) risk sharing, redesigning primary care, empowering beneficiaries and reducing provider burdens. The demonstration will offer risk-based payments in Medicare FFS to Direct Contracting Entities (DCEs), comprised of providers operating under a common governance.

Once an LOI has been submitted, the Performance Year 1 application portal will be available for the Professional and Global payment options. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on July 6, 2020 and the Performance Year 1 will begin on April 1, 2021. A second cohort will begin on January 1, 2022 and “CMS expects that the application period for this cohort will begin in the first quarter of 2021.” Read more .
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 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 Medical Student Section Update - COVID-19
The American Red Cross, which collects almost 40 percent of the blood donations in the country, warns of a blood shortage. As a result of the COVID pandemic which resulted in fewer people donating blood, The Red Cross reports that it’s inventories have been cut by half. With hospitals resuming elective surgeries, the increased demand is not able to be met by the staggering decease in supply. As a result, the Red Cross has only been able to meet 75% of the blood donation requests for hospitals in the country. Normally, the Red Cross usually has enough blood to meet the nation’s need for five days but now has less than two day’s worth.

The blood and plasma initiative team from the New Jersey Medical Student Coalition (NJMSC) has partnered with the Medical Society of New Jersey (MSNJ) and Hamilton YMCA to help meet the demand. This drive will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 8am – 1pm at the Hamilton YMCA . Those interested can use our flyer to make an appointment.

The NJMSC has recently partnered with RJWMS blood bank and has been aggressively promoting blood donations in central jersey. The coalition plans to continue their partnerships, and is currently setting up blood donation drives in South Jersey for the remainder of the summer.
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.
US Department of Veteran Affairs COVID-19 Training
Click here for more information and to access the module.
Free CME Activity: Identifying PTSD in the Community
Click here for more information and to access the activity.
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