ACCC, DHCS/MediCal, & NOCR News

The following information has been received by ANCO.


****ACCC NEWS****
The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) This Week At ACCC was published and is available online at http://www.accc-cancer.org/mediaroom/newsletters/2009/media_ACCCNEWSLETTER_2-17-2009.html. ANCO is an Institutional Member of ACCC. This edition features:

Register by February 20 to SAVE, Just 5 Weeks Until ACCC's National Meeting

Sneak Peek: ACCC Meeting to Showcase More Than 60 Exhibitors

"Find a Cancer Program" Directory Updated Online, Is Your Profile Complete?

Costs Force Some Cancer Survivors to Pass on Healthcare

ACCC Seeks Cancer Program Administrators to Take Survey

Training Workshop for Psychosocial Intervention Program

Survey Looks at Reimbursement, Support System Concerns in Oncology Practices

Q&A on ACCC's Listserv: Decreasing Length of Stay

ACCC's CE Blackboard: A Full Range of Courses

ACCC Is Now on Facebook

State Medical Oncology Societies Host Membership Meetings


****DHCS/MediCal NEWS****
In an effort to reach out to the Medi-Cal provider community, the eTAR training team is providing associations with useful information regarding the electronic submission process of Treatment Authorization Requests (TARs) to share with members.

eTAR is an easy, effective, fast and free way to submit TARs. Providers that utilize the eTAR application are generally more successful when submitting TARs. Most Medi-Cal providers have been activated to use eTAR. To verify access, go to www.medi-cal.ca.gov, select the Transactions tab and log in with your NPI and PIN. An eTAR tab with options for Medical TARs will be available. If you do not have access or only see options for Inquire only, please contact Medi-Cal at 1-800-541-5555 and follow the prompts for eTAR to request access.

The eTAR training team would like to extend an invitation to access the free learning tools available to all Medi-Cal providers. Web based tutorials are available online to provide step by step instructions on how to submit eTARs and attachments, update eTARs, as well as inquire on previously submitted TARs. These tutorials can be viewed at http://pro.medi-cal.ca.gov/wct/etar/etarms05/etarms05default.asp or on the Medi-Cal Web site under "eLearning" and "eTAR Medical Services Tutorial.” An advertisement for the eTAR application is also located on the Medi-Cal Web site at http://pro.medi-cal.ca.gov/wct/etar/ad/AdeTar.asp to show benefits of using the eTAR application.

The following are the free Medi-Cal seminars where eTAR will be taught. Parking fees may apply. For more information about Training seminars, please visit the Medi-Cal Web site.

Burlingame Feb. 24-25, 2009
Doubletree Hotel San Francisco
835 Airport Blvd.
Burlingame, CA 94010

Redding March 10 - 11
Redding Convention Center
700 Auditorium Drive
Redding, CA 96001

Fresno May 12 - 14, 2009
Fresno Convention Center
800 M Street
Fresno, CA 93721

San Jose - July 14 - 16, 2009
San Jose Convention Center
408 Almaden Boulevard
San Jose, CA 95110

Santa Rosa - Sept. 10-11, 2009
Hilton Sonoma Wine Country
3555 Round Barn Boulevard
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Regional representatives are available to provide one-on-one trainings to assist providers in learning how to use the eTAR application. To request free onsite training from a regional representative, please contact Medi-Cal at 1-800-541-5555.


As you may remember, DHCS held a roundtable in October 2006 to discuss the NDC reporting requirements mandated by the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005. In July 2007, CMS addressed issues and concerns as part of the public comment for Section 42, CFR Part 447, Medicaid Program; Prescription Drugs; Final Rule. We are still hearing many of those concerns today in our wokshops. Those comments include operational difficulties that may exist for some hospitals, utilization data collection, emergency room considerations, inclusion of outpatient hospitals and clinics, etc. In order to assist you in responding to your member providers, click here to access the link to the final rule: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/07-3356.htm

In order to comply with the DRA, providers must bill for physician-adminstered drugs using the appropriate CPT-4, HCPCS Level II, or local HCPCS Level III codes and, in addition, must include the NDC on the claim form. Providers have been encouraged, for dates of service on or after September 1, 2008, to include the NDC code on the claim, but claims without an NDC code have still been paid. Unfortunately, we are seeing minimal voluntary submissions of NDC and now is the time for providers to practice how they are going to comply. Providers are reminded that, claims with dates of service on or after April 1, 2009 that do not meet the NDC reporting requirements to include a valid NDC with a HCPCS code, will be denied. [FPACT only] HCPCS codes X1500 and Z7610 used by the Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care and Treatment) Program do not require an NDC.

Resources
The ASC X12N Version 4010A1 Companion Guides have been updated and are available on the Medi-Cal Web site at http://files.medi-cal.ca.gov/pubsdoco/hipaa/hipaaspecs_home.asp . These guides will enable technical staff or software vendors to update your software to include the NDC requirements. Additionally, the September Part 2 provider bulletins (General Medicine, Obstetrics and Outpatient) include NDC information, physician-administered drug definitions, billing descriptions and examples for CMS 1500 and UB-04 paper claim forms, as well as both 837 Institutional and Professional electronic formats, and Section 340B information. These bulletins can be viewed on the Medi-Cal Web site at http://files.medi-cal.ca.gov/pubsdoco/Bulletins_menu.asp . Finally, the CMS 1500 and UB-04 claim form tutorials on the Medi-Cal Web site have been updated and can be viewed at: http://files.medi-cal.ca.gov/pubsdoco/eo/elearning.asp .

Provider Training Workshops
Additional training workshops have been scheduled in February and March 2009 to address the NDC reporting requirements. This workshop will also be held in Burlingame on 2/24 and 2/25 then again in Long Beach on 3/24 and 3/25. The dates, times and locations of these workshops and how to pre-register can be found on the Medi-Cal Web site: http://files.medi-cal.ca.gov/pubsdoco/eo/training.asp

Medi-Cal Website:
The NDC section of the Medi-Cal website (http://files.medi-cal.ca.gov/pubsdoco/ndc/ndc.asp) contains all information related to the NDC reporting requirements, including links to FAQs.


****NOCR NEWS****
The 15th Annual NOCR Meeting is being held March 13-14, 2009, Details are listed below. The complete conference announcement is available for your review online at http://www.imedex.com/AppWeb/announcements/a083-01.asp.

15th Annual NOCR Meeting
March 13-14, 2009
Las Vegas, NV – Westin Casuarina Las Vegas Hotel
CME: 12.5 hours, category 1 AMA-PRA

This symposium is an annual update that uses patterns of practice questions, clinical case discussions, debates, and panel discussions for exchanging information on the diagnosis and management of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Throughout the clinical sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with our internationally renowned faculty through and audience response system. Clinical presentations will be brief, focused, and designed to provide take home messages regarding changes in the day to day practice of oncology.

Website: http://www.imedex.com/AppWeb/announcements/a083-01.asp
Contact: meetings@imedex.com; tel: 770 751 7332, fax: 770 751 7334