ACCC, ASH, CMA, CMS, DMHC/MediCal, & Palmetto/J1MAC News

The following information has been received by ANCO.


****ACCC News****
The Association of Community Cancer Center's (ACCC) Connect was published and is available online at http://www.accc-cancer.org/mediaroom/newsletters/2010/ACCConnect-4-7-2010.html. ANCO is an institutional member of ACCC. This edition features:

• Tuesday, April 13th, Conference Call: Healthcare Reform and Oncology

• New Education Program to Study Challenges in Treating Small-Population Cancers in the Community Setting

• Heard on ACCC's ListServ: Breast Center and Physicians' Time

• Healthcare Reform Establishes New Requirements for Tax-Exempt Hospitals

• Improving the Efficiency of Clinical Trials: Decreasing Times by 50%

• Medicare Will Cover PET Scans to Detect Bone Metastasis of Cancer Under CED Only


****ASH NEWS****
The American Society of Hematology's (ASH) Practice Update was published and is available online at http://www.hematology.org/Practice/Updates/. This edition features:

• Physician Payment Cuts Began April 1: CMS Holding Medicare Claims for the First 10 Days of April to Avoid Disruption
• Historic Health Reform Legislation Signed Into Law

• President Obama to Nominate Dr. Donald Berwick for CMS Administrator

• WinRho Box Warning Creates Reimbursement Implications

• 2010 PQRI & E-Prescribing Incentive Program National Provider Call With Q & A Session

• Patients Who Take a Proton-Pump Inhibitor With Medicine to Prevent Blood Clots Are Less Likely to Be Hospitalized for Bleeding Ulcers

Few Days Left to Register in Advance for Highlights of ASH® Latin America


****CMA NEWS****
The California Medical Association's (CMA) Alert was published and is available online at http://www.cmaalert.org. This edition features:

• Deep Medicare Cuts Took Efect April 1; CMS Orders Temporary Payment Hold

• Superior Court Judge Overturns Medical Board Furloughs; Appeals Court Temporarily Stays Ruling

• Field Poll: California's Don't Support Health Care Cuts

• Joint Commission Approves New Medical Staff Standard

• How Will Health Care Reform Affect Your Practice?

• Nominate an Outstanding Colleague for the CMA Foundation Leadership Awards

• Register Today for CMA's 36th Annual Legislative Leadership Conference

• First Issue of CMA's New Practice Management Bulletin Now Available

• Physician Billing Staff: Become a Certified Coder


****CMS NEWS****
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Provider Communications Group will host a national provider conference call on the 2010 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program (eRx). This toll-free call will take place from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., EDT, on Thursday, April 15, 2010.

The PQRI is a voluntary quality reporting program that provides an incentive payment to identified individual eligible professionals (EPs), and beginning with the 2010 PQRI, group practices who satisfactorily report data on quality measures for covered Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) services furnished to Medicare Part B Fee-For-Service (FFS) beneficiaries.

The PQRI was first implemented in 2007 as a result of section 101 of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA), and further expanded as a result of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA), and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA).

The eRx Incentive Program is an incentive program for eligible professionals initially implemented in 2009 as a result of section 132(b) of the MIPPA. The eRx Incentive Program promotes the adoption and use of eRx systems by individual eligible professionals (and beginning with the 2010 eRx Incentive Program, group practices).

Following a few program announcements and updates, the lines will be opened to allow participants to ask questions of CMS PQRI and eRx subject matter experts.

Educational products are available on the PQRI dedicated web page located at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI , on the CMS website, in the Educational Resources section, as well as educational products are available on the eRx dedicated web page located at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ERxIncentive on the CMS website. Feel free to download the resources prior to the call so that you may ask questions of the CMS presenters.

Conference call details:

Date: April 15, 2010

Conference Title: Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) - National Provider Call

Time: 3:30 p.m. EDT

In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for the call. It is important to note that if you are planning to sit in with a group, only one person needs to register to receive the call-in data. This registration is solely to reserve a phone line, NOT to allow participation. Registration will close at 3:30 p.m. EDT on April 14, 2010, or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please be sure to register prior to this time.

To register for the call participants need to go to:
http://www.eventsvc.com/palmettogba/041510

Fill in all required data.

Verify that your time zone is displayed correctly in the drop down box.

Click "Register".

You will be taken to the “Thank you for registering” page and will receive a confirmation email shortly thereafter. Note: Please print and save this page, in the event that your server blocks the confirmation emails. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please check your spam/junk mail filter as it may have been directed there.

For those of who will be unable to attend, a transcript of the call will be available at least one week after the call at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri on the CMS website.

If you require services for the hearing impaired please send an email to: Medicare.TTT@PalmettoGBA.com.


The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a Special Edition MLN Matters article that provides guidance on the edits required to be identified in Part B claims from Medicare providers or suppliers who furnish items or services as a result of orders or referrals. Medicare providers and suppliers who order or refer items or services for Medicare beneficiaries must submit an enrollment application to Medicare by using Internet-based Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS), or by completing the paper enrollment application (CMS-855I). The article, SE1011, “Edits on the Ordering/Referring Providers in Medicare Part B Claims (Change Requests 6417, 6421, and 6696),” is available at http://www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE1011.pdf on the CMS website.


The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) changed its website address from www.cms.hhs.gov towww.cms.gov. Existing bookmarks and links from other websites will continue to work following this address change.


****DMHC/MediCal NEWS****
The eTAR application 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 are 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 Services 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. The eTAR Program Information webpage (www.medi-cal.ca.gov/go/etarhttp://www.medi-cal.ca.gov/go/etar) contains information useful to both new and experienced providers. Web based tutorials are available on this webpage to provide step-by-step instructions on how to submit eTARs and attachments, as well as update and inquire on previously submitted TARs This newly updated webpage also contains Medical and Pharmacy eTAR training dates, provider bulletins and helpful tips and pointers for both Medical and Pharmacy eTAR providers.

The following list contains the free Medi-Cal seminars where eTAR classes are taught. Parking fees may apply. For more information about training seminars, please visit the Medi-Cal Web site.

Fresno: April 13, 14, 15*
Fresno Convention Centerhttp://www.fresnoconventioncenter.com/index2.asp
800 M Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 445-8100

Anaheim: June 2*, 3, 4
Anaheim Convention Centerhttp://www.anaheimconventioncenter.com/>\
800 West Katella Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92802
714-765-8950

An asterisk (*) indicates a Pharmacy eTAR class will also be held that day.

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.


****PALMETTO/J1MAC NEWS****
Ancillary Services Rejected Incorrectly
This Alert announces that some services have been rejected in error due to
the set up of various surgical services and related ancillary services.
Palmetto GBA is in the process of correcting this issue. When the issue is
resolved, a mass adjustment will be performed for any services rejected
incorrectly. Providers are encouraged to review the information and to
share with their staff.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/848NKB3361?opendocument


Claim Status Category Code and Claim Status Code Update
This J1 A/B MAC MLN Matters article (CR6859) explains that the Claim Status
Codes and Claim Status Category Codes for use by Medicare contractors with
a specified Health Claim Status Request and Response were updated during
the January 2010 meeting of the National Code Maintenance Committee. Code
changes approved at that meeting were posted on the Internet on or about
March 1, 2010. At the January 2010 meeting, the committee also decided to
allow the industry six months for implementation of newly added or changed
codes. Included in the code lists are specific details, including the date
when a code was added, changed or deleted. Medicare contractors will
implement these changes on July 6, 2010. Providers are encouraged to review
the information and to share with their staff.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/848PP66217?opendocument


J1 Provider Outreach and Education Event Calendar
Check out the updated Palmetto GBA J1 Provider Outreach and Education April
2010 Calendar on our Web site! Besides our Spring Workshop Tour, there are
other training opportunities in April that you might be interested in.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/7TAL2C7131?opendocument


Sign up for the J1 Spring Workshop Tour Today
The J1 Spring Workshop Tour kicks off next Friday! If you have not already,
sign up today to reserve your seat at these educational events where our
ombudsmen present useful information on Medicare policy updates and tools
to your region.
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/vMasterDID/84AP4L7644?opendocument


The ANCO Online ListServ has moved and is now sent directly from the ANCO office computer. Please contact ListServ@anco-online.org if you wish to update or unsubscribe your e-mail address. Thanks!