ACCC & Palmetto/J1MAC News

The following information has been received by ANCO.


****ACCC NEWS****
The Association of Community Cancer Center's (ACCC) This Week at ACCC was published and is available at http://www.accc-cancer.org/mediaroom/newsletters/media_ACCCNEWSLETTER_10-06-2008.html.

It features:

ACCC's Highly Acclaimed Hospital Summit : Portable and Practical Information

Final Survey Released About Off-Label Drug Use by Practices

Medicare Publishes Billing Edits to Help Reduce Payment Errors

Regional Oncology Symposia Coming to Tampa and Philadelphia

Call for Nominations for ACCC's Board

AHFS Issues Off-Label Use Determination for Levoleucovorin

Q&A on ACCC's Listserv: Vincristine Administration

ACCC's CE Blackboard: Continuing Education Programs for You

State Medical Oncology Societies Host Upcoming Meetings

Intensive Course Offered in Clinical Cancer Genetics


****PALMETTO/J1MAC NEWS****
The following updates have been posted to the Palmetto/J1MAC website.

Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP) for Part B Drugs and Biologicals
Vendor Identification Number, Physician Election, and Iron Dextran Payment
Update
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Jurisdiction%201%20Part%20B~Articles~Drugs%20and%20Biologicals~%20Competitive%20Acquisition%20Program%20(CAP)%20for%20Part%20B%20Drugs%20and%20Biologicals%20Vendor%20Identification%20Number,%20Physician%20Election,%20and%20Iron%20Dextran%20Payment%20Update%20?opendocument

This article is based on Change Request (CR) 6210, which updates
instructions regarding Vendor Identification Number (VIN) Q103 in CAP
claims processing and other related processes. The CR also updates
procedures pertaining to CAP physician election and addresses the procedure
for paying CAP claims for Iron dextran products.


2009 Annual Update of Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)
Codes for Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing (CB) for the
Common Working File (CWF)
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Jurisdiction%201%20Part%20B~Articles~General~2009%20Annual%20Update%20of%20Healthcare%20Common%20Procedure%20Coding%20System%20(HCPCS)%20Codes%20for%20Skilled%20Nursing%20Facility%20(SNF)%20Consolidated%20Billing%20(CB)%20for%20the%20Common%20Working%20File%20(CWF)?opendocument

This article is based on Change Request (CR) 6220 which provides the 2009
annual update of Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Codes
for Skilled Nursing Facility Consolidated Billing (SNF CB). The updates
will be posted to CMS' Web site by the first week of December 2008.


Laboratory National Coverage Determination (NCD) Edit Software for October
2008
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Jurisdiction%201%20Part%20B~Articles~Lab~Laboratory%20National%20Coverage%20Determination%20(NCD)%20Edit%20Software%20for%20October%202008%20?opendocument

This article is based on Change Request (CR) 6213 which announces the
changes that will be included in the October 2008 release of the edit
module for clinical diagnostic Laboratory National Coverage Determinations
(NCDs). The last quarterly release of the edit module was issued in July
2008. CR 6213 incorporates all changes from July 2008 to the present and
has no other changes.


Medicare Publishes Billing Edits to Reduce Payment Errors
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Current%20News~Medicare%20Publishes%20Billing%20Edits%20to%20Reduce%20Payment%20Errors?opendocument

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that,
beginning October 1, 2008, it will publish most of the edits utilized in
its Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE) program to improve the accuracy of claims
payments. CMS established the MUE program to reduce payment errors for
Medicare Part B claims. Claims processing contractors utilize these edits
to assure that providers and suppliers do not report excessive services.
The edits are applied during the electronic processing of all claims.


Medicare Remit EasyPrint (MREP) Software for J1 Part B
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Jurisdiction%201%20Part%20B~EDI~Software%20Manuals~Medicare%20Remit%20EasyPrint%20(MREP)%20Software%20for%20J1%20Part%20B?opendocument

Medicare Remit EasyPrint (MREP) software has been updated to version 2.5.


November 18, 2008, 9am – 11am: Open Draft LCD Meeting Scheduled for
California
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Jurisdiction%201%20Part%20B~Articles~General~November%2018,%202008,%209am%20–%2011am:%20Open%20Draft%20LCD%20Meeting%20Scheduled%20for%20California?opendocument

Palmetto GBA J1 A/B MAC has scheduled an Open Draft LCD meeting in
California in order to allow for the submission of information related to
the proposed LCDs on November 18, 2008, from 9am – 11am. Click on the link
to view more details.


October 9, 2008
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Jurisdiction%201%20Part%20B~Learning%20Education~Post%20Transition%20Teleconference%20Call~October%209,%202008?opendocument

Click this link to view the Part B October 7, 2008, PTT Call information.


Physician Opt Out List
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Jurisdiction%201%20Part%20B~Articles~General~Physician%20Opt%20Out%20List?opendocument

Palmetto GBA is currently in the process of compiling the list of health
professionals who have elected to opt out of the Medicare program. This
list should be completed and posted to the J1 Web site by the end of
October. In the interim, please refer to the most current lists provided to
you by Noridian and/or National Heritage Insurance Company.


Reasonable Charge Update for 2009 for Splints, Casts, Dialysis Supplies,
Dialysis Equipment, and Certain Intraocular Lenses
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Jurisdiction%201%20Part%20B~Publications~Fee%20Schedules~Reasonable%20Charge%20Update%20for%202009%20for%20Splints,%20Casts,%20Dialysis%20Supplies,%20Dialysis%20Equipment,%20and%20Certain%20Intraocular%20Lenses%20?opendocument

Change Request 6221, from which this article is taken, instructs Palmetto
GBA how to calculate reasonable charges for the payment of claims for
splints, casts, dialysis supplies, dialysis equipment, and intraocular
lenses furnished in calendar year 2009. CR6221 also announces that the 2009
Inflation-Indexed Charge IIC update factor is 5.0 percent.


Time Limit for Filing Medicare Claims
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/DocsCat/Providers~Ohio%20Part%20B%20Carrier~Publications~Physician-Supplier%20Guide~Claims%20Filing:%20Medicare~Time%20Limit%20for%20Filing%20Medicare%20Claims?opendocument

Medicare law designates specific time limits for submitting claims for
physician and other Part B services. The terms of the law require that a
claim be filed no later than the end of the calendar year following the
year in which the service was furnished. Exceptions are outlined in this
article.