California Oncology Weekly
"Where California Oncologists Go For Answers!"
A publication of the
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc.
September 29, 2020
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Click anywhere on picture to view the past 30 years |
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Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies white paper MOASC News
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Billing & Coding Chemotherapy Administration changes Medicare News/Noridian News
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Rulemaking to import certain prescription drugs from Canada National News
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MOASC encourages you to read this white paper co-authored by RxVantage and Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies. The paper covers information on top-down processes that have helped cancer centers improve operational efficiency. Here is the link and the full PDF to share with your staff. We know this information will be helpful to your practice.
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In consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, MOASC extended membership through the end of September. MOASC’s membership drive will start October 1 with renewing member dues prorated through June 2021. If you have any questions please contact the MOASC Office at moasc@moasc.org. Thank you.
* MOASC PROGRAMS - SAVE THE DATES
All Times are Pacific
Thursday, October 8, 2020, 5:30pm-6:30pm - MOASC Clinical Webinar
Title: “It’s Precisely the Time for More Precision in Genomic Testing and Targeted Treatment of NSCLC” Presented by: Jacob Sands, M.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Description: In this activity, oncology experts discuss the roles of genomic testing and targeted treatment in lung cancer. Practical guidance for expanding molecular testing for genomic alterations occurring in non–small cell lung cancer with FDA-approved targeted therapies is explored. Provider Statement: This CME/MOC/CC/CNE/CPE activity is jointly provided by Medical Learning Institute, Inc. and PVI, PeerView Institute for Medical Education.
Support Statement: This activity is supported by independent educational grants from AstraZeneca, EMD Serono, Inc., Lilly, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. View the invitation HERE.
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Wednesday, November 4, 2020, 12:00pm to 3:00pm - MOASC Oncology Administrator virtual program will cover: Patient Access Strategy for your practice; Optimize Cash Flow; and Telemedicine. . For further information on this programs, please e-mail moasc@moasc.org.
Thursday, November 12, 2020, 12:00pm to 3:00pm – MOASC Oncology Biller virtual program. Forthcoming Current Procedural Terminology codes for in-office and outpatient evaluation and management will be based on medical decision making or total time spent, including time spent on preparation, care coordination and similar tasks performed on the date of service. Yet, CMS will still require complete documentation of medical necessity. There is, also a new billing code for additional supplies and clinical staff time to perform safety protocols is out, effective Sept. 8. Learn how it differs from code 99070. These and topics to be addressed will cover: Medicare Updates on COVID Coding Changes/telehealth updates, Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Outpatient Prospective Payment System, How to prepare for a MAC/RAC Audit, 2021 changes to E&M coding, data from PracticeNET and CancerLinQ, as well as Guide for Cancer Care Delivery. For further information on this programs, please e-mail moasc@moasc.org.
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Dual-eligible enrollees constitute the highest-need, highest-cost segment of both the Medicare and Medi-Cal enrollee populations. A new primer from the research and advocacy group Justice in Aging provides a comprehensive overview of the characteristics of the dual-eligible enrollee population in California and the current structures for administration and delivery of services, including variations within the state. The paper breaks down the complex landscape of health care services for dual-eligible enrollees and can serve as a one-stop reference guide for policymakers, delivery system stakeholders, and advocates invested in improving care delivery for this population.
More of California was cleared to reopen additional businesses today, including most of the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California's Riverside county, as coronavirus infection rates have fallen to their lowest level of the pandemic.
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Noridian News
Upcoming Educational Events - October 2020.
Providers are encouraged to attend the many educational events offered by Noridian. Read the complete update The schedules of region-specific events, webinars and training are JEA, JEB,
LCA converted to Billing & Coding articled in the Medicare coverage Database and has been revised and published for notice. “Billing & Coding” is added to the article title for Modifier JW Billing Guidelines, R2 and Patients Supplied, Donated or Free-of-Charge Drug, R3. There is no change to coverage.
Effective October 1, 2020, the following updates were made to Billing&Coding Chemotherapy Administration R-25:
Remove outdated coding information from July & October 2019 in the Group 3 Paragraph table.
HCPCS codes Added: C9062 for daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj (Darzalex FasPro), C9064 for Mitomycin pyelocalyceal (Jelmyto™) instillation, 1mg, C9065 for romidepsin, non-lypoilized (romidepsin) (e.g. liquid), 1mg, C9066 for sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvey™), 180 mg all in the OPPS setting, and J9227 for isatuximab-irfc (Sarclisa®), 10mg.
HCPCS codes Revised: J9305 from Pemetrexed, 10 mg to Pemetrexed, not otherwise classified, 10 mg.
Effective October 1, 2020 three diagnosis codes have been added to the Medicare Coverage Database. Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of right breast (D48.61); Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of left breast (D4862), and Lymphocyte function antigen-1 [LFA-1] defect (D84.0). The LCA has been updated to add, revise and remove more than 45 ICD-10 codes effective for DOS 10/1/2020.
Visit the Noridian Medicare Coverage Articles web page to view the complete listing of locally hosted coverage articles, or the Noridian website to view all LCDs and LCAs.
Starting October 1, 2020, providers will be required to use the Noridian Medicare Portal (NMP) for all Re-openings that are available through Self-Service Re-openings. Read the complete update.
ABN of Noncoverage Webinar, October 8, 2020. This event includes: Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) basics, ABN completion, ABN Tips, ABN Resources, Noteworthy Information Read the complete update
Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Part B Billing Webinar on October 15, 2020 includes: MSP Part B Billing Options, Payments and Calculations, MSP Overpayment Process, Forms and Noridian Medicare Portal (NMP), Scenarios and Avoiding Delays, and References Read the complete update
Medical Review Top Trending Error: Chronic Care Management (CCM) webinar on October 22 at 12:00pm Pacific. Hosted by the Provider Outreach and Education (POE) staff, the event includes: Chronic Care Management Overview; Coverage & Indications; Documentation; Examples; Resources. To sign up for this webinar go to https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7316065019098577932 .
CMS News
CMS released an update to the Medicare Beneficiaries at a Glance infographic with data for 2018. This infographic is a quick reference tool that presents a visual summary of key metrics for the Medicare population including information on types of coverage, utilization, average cost for specific services, top chronic conditions, beneficiary satisfaction and access to care, and usual source of care. In 2018, there were approximately 60 million Americans enrolled in Medicare. Medicare beneficiaries reported high overall satisfaction rates including 95% satisfaction with their general care and 95% satisfaction with ease of access to their doctor. The top three chronic conditions for 2018 include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and arthritis.
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Allowing states to import certain prescription drugs from Canada, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration completed the rulemaking to help provide safe, effective, and more affordable drugs to American patients as part of the Safe Importation Action Plan, fulfilling the aspect of the July Executive Order on drug pricing.
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House Democrats on Monday released a $2.2 trillion pandemic relief package that includes: $75 billion for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and other health care programs; $1,200 checks for many Americans; $436 billion in funding for local and state governments; $225 billion for schools and child care; and support for expanded unemployment benefits through the end of the year. The HEROES Act 2.0 costs $1.2 trillion less than Democrats' previous proposal and includes several priorities backed by the Trump administration.
Multiple medical practice leaders across the country are reporting delays in receiving shipments of flu vaccinations, postponing or forcing cancellation of seasonal flu vaccine clinics at their facilities. The delays are particularly disruptive ahead of especially high demand, as public health officials encourage flu vaccines. The push to motivate patients to seek flu shots sooner rather than later — as Dr. Kevin Ban, chief medical officer for Walgreens, told The New York Times — is to reduce strain on the healthcare system amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A poll was conducted Sept. 25, 2020, with 706 applicable responses, by the Medical Group Management Association’s Stat poll asking healthcare leaders, “Is your practice experiencing delays in getting flu vaccines this year?” The majority (66%) responded “no,” while 34% said “yes.” Among practice leaders reporting delays, 48% attributed it to availability; another 47% cited problems with shipping, while 5% said “other.”
Outlining a planned review of the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of CAR-T treatments and a monoclonal antibody drug for multiple myeloma, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has posted a Draft Scoping Document. All interested stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments and suggested refinements to the scope to ensure all perspectives are adequately considered. Comments can be submitted by email to
Employer credits are still available during COVID-19. These credits were specially created to help small business owners during this unprecedented time. The IRS wants to ensure all eligible people know about the relief these credits provide.
Employee Retention Credit is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50% of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19.
Paid Sick Leave Credit and Family Leave Credit is designed to allow business to get a credit for an employee who is unable to work (including telework) because of Coronavirus quarantine, self-quarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis.
Guidance allowing employers to defer withholding and payment of an employee's portion of the Social Security tax, has finally been issued by the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service. This is related to the President’s August 8 memo. Employees’ wages must be below a certain amount, and as the tax is not withheld, the employer does not make deposits to the IRS.
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Affiliate Association News |
ANCO News
Four seats on the ANCO Board of Directors are up for election in 2020. ANCO seeks nominations for candidates to stand for election to these seats. This year's election will be conducted via mail ballot in December. Candidates with the top four vote totals will serve for three years (i.e., from 2021-2023, inclusive). The ANCO Board of Directors governs the Association, developing advocacy strategies and policies, approving educational meeting proposals and activities, and considering membership benefits. The Board meets in person approximately once per year in the San Francisco Bay Area and via bimonthly teleconference. Expenses associated with attending Board meetings are reimbursed. Communication with the Board is also conducted via e-mail. You may nominate an ANCO member (including yourself) to stand for election to the Board via e-mail to courtney@anco.org no later than November 16.
ANCO annually funds one Young Investigator Award (YIA) for a qualified Northern California early-career cancer researcher through Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation. We encourage all eligible Northern California Fellows and Trainees to apply. The YIA is a one-year, $50,000 grant that provides research funding to promising physicians to support the transition from their final years of subspecialty training to faculty appointment, and to encourage and promote quality research in clinical oncology. In addition, ANCO funds two Merit Awards for the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting, as well as supporting ASCO’s annual Scientific and Career Development Retreat each fall, which is by invitation only. For questions about eligibility and applications, please contact Conquer Cancer at grants@conquer.org.
ANCO's 2020 Virtual Professional Education Meeting will take place on Thursday, October 29th. The meeting will focus on the fiscal impact of 2021 E&M coding changes, Medicare update and Documentation, as well as preparing for the 2021 E&M coding changes. Register online no later than Friday, October 23.
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ANCO's three part series of Hematologic Malignancies Updates: Leukemias, Lymphomas, & Myelomas 2020 is going Virtual! The faculty will present the latest research on treatment modalities for hematologic malignancies—leukemias, lymphomas, and myeloma—along with case studies for these diagnoses. The series is scheduled to take place on the following Saturdays: November 14, and December 19.
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Use ANCO's job board to post or search for employment opportunities at ANCO member practices.
Follow ANCO on Twitter at @ANCO News.
ASH News
The schedule-at-a-glance for the 62nd ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition is now available online. Take a look, register, and start planning your meeting experience now. All attendees will have access to the virtual platform and meeting preview days starting on December 2. Don't miss the cutting-edge scientific and educational virtual sessions, invaluable abstracts and posters highlighting updates on the most critical topics in hematology, and a fireside chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci.
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COA News
The Community Oncology Alliance Issues Position Statement on Telehealth in Cancer Care.
The COA Board of Directors released a position statement supporting the use of telehealth as a valuable supplement to in-person visits during the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic and continued usage when appropriate after the pandemic has subsided.
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the rapid adoption of telehealth by oncology providers. The relative ease of use by patients and providers, new regulatory options from the Trump administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Congress, and the safety afforded by allowing remote physician visits all contributed to the near instant set up of infrastructure to support telehealth operations
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NCCN News
NCCN has publishes updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) and NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium (NCCN Compendium®) for Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis. These NCCN Guidelines® are currently available as Version 1.2020.
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Research-To-Practice News
The “Meet The Professors” virtual series is spanning several months with 3-5 sessions per week.
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Agios Pharmaceuticals, cordially invites MOASC Members to their upcoming webinar about TIBSOVO® (ivosidenib): A Targeted Therapy for IC-Ineligible Patients with Newly Diagnosed AML and Patients with R/R AML with an IDH1 Mutation, on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 6:00 PM-PDT. Presented by: Gary Schiller, MD, Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Ronald Reagan, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
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AstraZeneca announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved FoundationOne® Liquid CDx and Guardant360® CDx as next generation sequencing (NGS) based liquid biopsy companion diagnostics (CDx) for TAGRISSO® (osimertinib). For information on FoundationOne® Liquid CDx, visit https://www.foundationmedicine.com.
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AstraZeneca cordially invites MOASC Members to their upcoming webcast series in support of the PAOLA-1 launch. They will hold expert discussions on LYNPARZA® (olaparib) and LYNPARZA + bevacizumab as Maintenance Monotherapy or Combination Therapy in Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Results From Key Clinical Trials. View the multiple dates and invitation here.
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Innovatix invites MOASC Members to ACT NOW AND SAVE! Effective October 1, 2020, pricing for GAMUNEX®-C (Immune Globulin Injection [Human), 10% Caprylate/Chromatography Purified) under Grifols USA, Inc. will increase. CLICK HERE for detailed product and pricing information. For more information about our agreement with Grifols, please contact your Innovatix representative at (888) 258-3273.
Please plan to join Premier Alternate Site Programs’ Virtual Meeting & Expo on October 12 – 13, 2020 and register today! Click here for the current agenda and as a reminder this event is FREE to current Members, Sponsors, and Affiliates.
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Seattle Genetics cordially invites MOASC Members to their upcoming series of Educational Programs to review data from ECHELON-1, a superiority trial comparing ADCETRIS+AVD to ABVD. This trial introduces a bleomycin-free regimen for adult patients with previously untreated Stage III/IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL).1 They will also discuss the latest data from the North American subset analyses. Presented by: Andrew Evens, DO, MSc, Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ, New Brunswick, New Jersey. To register contact Stacey Dominguez at sdominguez@seagen.com or 310-560-1104.
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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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