ANCO Online ListServ

Overview of US Oncology Physician Services

2008-05-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

ANCO Members are invited to join us for an informational webcast

Overview of US Oncology Physician Services
Featuring the Role of the Pharmacist

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 12:00 PM PST

To register for this free event please visit http://www.opspharmacist.com/anco

Due to the recent shifting reimbursement rules and ESA issues, community-based oncology practices are facing more challenges than ever before. With decreasing revenue levels, practices struggle to maintain viable business and therefore, it is vital that they leverage resources that offer support from both a clinical and business perspective.

Join presenter Sean Taylor to learn about the services offered by US Oncology for the independent oncology practice. This presentation will feature a discussion of how an oncology-trained pharmacist works with practice staff to provide solutions for overall process improvement that include:

Regimen Analysis
Charge Capture/ Inventory Roll Forward
Admixture Services
Billing & Coding Education/Support
Cash flow management

For more information, please contact us 866-216-5053 or email ops@usoncology.com.

CMS/Medicare: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) ~ National Provider Call to held on May 28th

2008-05-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Provider Communications Group will host the third in a series of national provider conference calls on the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). This toll-free call will take place from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., EDT, on Wednesday, May 28, 2008.

This call will provide an overview of the alternative reporting periods and alternative criteria for satisfactorily reporting quality measures for the 2008 PQRI as authorized by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) (P.L. 110-173) which was enacted on December 29, 2007.

MMSEA requires that for 2008 and 2009 the Secretary establish alternative reporting periods and alternative criteria for satisfactorily reporting groups of measures. It also requires that for 2008 and 2009 the Secretary establish alternative reporting periods and alternative criteria for satisfactorily reporting quality measures data through registries.

In 2008, eligible professionals may earn an incentive payment of 1.5 percent of their total allowed charges for Physician Fee Service covered professional services furnished during the respective alternative reporting periods based on data submitted via these mechanisms. While TRHCA established a cap on incentive payments for 2007, based on an average per measure payment amount, there is no cap on incentive payments under MMSEA for 2008 and 2009.

These provisions provide increased opportunities for eligible professionals to report PQRI quality measures and the possibility to earn incentive payments for satisfactory reporting.

A PowerPoint slide presentation will be posted to the PQRI webpage at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/30_EducationalResources.asp, on the CMS website for you to download prior to the call so that you can follow along with the presenters, Dr. Michael Rapp, Dr. Daniel Green and Rachel Nelson.

Following the presentation, callers will have an opportunity to ask questions of CMS subject matter experts.

Conference call details:

Date: May 28, 2008
Conference Title: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative National Provider Call
Time: 3:30 p.m. -5:00 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. If you cannot attend the call, replay information is available below.

Registration will close at 3:30 p.m. EDT on May 27, 2008, 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://www2.eventsvc.com/palmettogba/052808

Fill in all required data.

Verify your time zone is displayed correctly 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 you unable to attend, a replay option will be available shortly following the end of the call. This replay will be accessible from 5:30 p.m. EDT 5/28/2008 until 11:59 p.m. EDT 6/5/2008. The call-in data for the replay is (800) 642-1687 and the passcode is 46870023.

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

CMS/Medicare Coverage of CTC for Colorectal Cancer

2008-05-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

CMS/Medicare has posted a new tracking sheet for the coverage of screening Computed Tomography Colonlgraphy (CTC) for Colorectal Cancer at https://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewtrackingsheet.asp?id=220

Stanford Head & Neck Clinical Trials

2008-05-20T06:34:00.000-07:00

The Head & Neck Oncology Program of the Stanford Cancer Center seeks patients for three new clinical trials:

• Lapatinib plus radiation is for potentially curable previously untreated patients with advanced non-metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) who are not candidates for standard cisplatin-based chemoradiation.

• BIBW2992 is an orally available inhibitor of EGFR. This trial is for patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC.

• XL880 is an orally available inhibitor of both MET and VEGF that has been shown to have anti-cancer activity in several tumor types.

Details and contact information for these trials is available at http://cancer.stanford.edu/trials/adult/
Head_and_Neck_Cancer.

Palmetto/J1MAC Website Updates

2008-05-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

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

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Web-based Training at 3:00 EST on May 21,
2008
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Electronic%20Funds%20Transfer%20(EFT)%20Web-based%20Training%20at%203%3A00%20EST%20on%20May%2021%2C%202008?opendocument

Find out how to register for and attend the EFT Web-based training on May
21, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Applies to:
Part A Transition: General
Part B Transition: General

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Palmetto GBA Announces Transition Workshops!
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Palmetto%20GBA%20Announces%20Transition%20Workshops!?opendocument

Palmetto GBA will be conducting workshops throughout the J1 region and will
be available to answer your questions concerning the transition. You will
have an opportunity to hear directly from your Medicare Administrative
Contractor (MAC) regarding such topics as transition dates, what is needed
to continue to bill electronically, how the Local Coverage Determination
process will work, address any differences in claims processing guidelines
and much more. Additional information, as well as the capability to
register for the workshops, will be provided as we near the dates of the
workshops.

Applies to:
Part A Transition: EDI
Part A Transition: General
Part B Transition: EDI
Part B Transition: General

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Part B - A/B MAC J1- PTT Call - May 20, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. EST
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Part%20B%20-%20AB%20MAC%20J1-%20PTT%20Call%20-%20May%2020%2C%202008%20at%203%3A30%20p.m.%20EST?opendocument

Throughout the Jurisdiction 1 (J1) implementation, Palmetto GBA will host a
series of Medicare Part B transition teleconference calls for Part B
providers in Hawaii, Nevada, California, Guam, American Samoa and the
Northern Mariana Islands. These one-hour sessions will provide you with the
most recent transition information and will address the questions you have
about the implementation. This is your opportunity to speak with the J1 A/B
MAC and to discuss the implementation topic of your choice. The
teleconferences are similar to the “Ask-the-Contractor Teleconferences”
(ACT) offered by the Medicare fee-for-service contractors but will be
focused on J1 transition issues.

Applies to:
Part B Transition: General
Part B Transition: EDI

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Provider Resource Checklist and Implementation Timeline
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Provider%20Resource%20Checklist%20and%20Implementation%20Timeline?opendocument

Palmetto GBA has posted a Provider Resource Checklist and an Implementation
Timeline in order to provide important implementation resource links and to
communicate critical implementation activities and dates. The Timeline
will be updated as new implementation activities, dates and information
becomes available.

Applies to:
Part A Transition: General
Part B Transition: General

----------

DHS/MediCal NPI Update

2008-05-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

Beginning May 24, 2008, Medi-Cal and the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) program will no longer accept claims billed with a Medi-Cal legacy provider number. Providers who have registered their National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) but have not submitted claims using their NPI are strongly encouraged to start submitting NPI claims now to avoid interruption in claim payments. Providers who have not already registered their NPI with Medi-Cal may have their claims rejected.

Medi-Cal previously announced that providers would no longer need to use both sets of identifiers on claims because the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) was able to accept an NPI only, effective December 17, 2007. Providers who were not ready to transition to the NPI were informed they could continue to submit their Medi-Cal provider number until instructed otherwise.

In February 2008, providers were reminded that once a claim was submitted with an NPI, the associated Medi-Cal “legacy” provider number(s) would be end-dated. In other words, effective for dates of service beyond the date of a claim submitted with an NPI, the Medi-Cal provider number would no longer be valid. Using the associated Medi-Cal provider number(s) following a claim submission with an NPI results in claim denials for subsequent dates of service.

DHCS plans to deactivate all Medi-Cal and CHDP legacy provider numbers as early as May 23, 2008. The only exception is atypical providers: Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), Christian Science Practitioners and blood banks. These providers may continue to use only their nine-digit Medi-Cal provider numbers.

This information is available on the Medi-Cal web site in the following link: http://files.medi-cal.ca.gov/pubsdoco/npi/articles/npi_9364.asp

Should you have any questions or need additional information, please call the Telephone Service Center (TSC) at 1-800-541-5555 or visit the NPI page on the Medi-Cal Web site.

THIS WEEK AT ACCC, MAY 19-23, 2008

2008-05-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

The Association of Community Cancer Center's (ACCC) This Week at ACCC was published today and can be viewed at http://www.accc-cancer.org/mediaroom/newsletters/media_ACCC_may19_08.html. ANCO is a member of ACCC.

It features:

ACCC Launches New Online Services and Database

ACCC Signs on to ONS Letter, Urges Support for "Nurse Reinvestment Act"

Call for ACCC Annual Awards Nominations

Innovative Prostate Cancer Programs: Do You Have One?

ACCC to Launch New Survey: "Benchmarking Trends in Cancer Care"

Heard on the ACCC Listserv: Chemotherapy Mixing Policy and More

ACCC's CE Blackboard: Register for Multiple Myeloma Webcast, Other Offerings

Last-Minute Glitch Hampers Final NPI Implementation

State Medical Oncology Societies Host Upcoming Meetings

Transplanting Procurement Best Practices into Community Oncology

2008-05-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

The Association of Northern California Oncologists is pleased to host two talks for oncology practices entitled

TRANSPLANTING PROCUREMENT BEST PRACTICES INTO COMMUNITY ONCOLOGY
with
Kyle Gilman, Esq., President & CEO, Forgefinder
&
Ben Favret, Co-Founder & Vice President, OneOncology

The speakers will provide concepts, examples, and tools with which to optimize procurement economies, effectiveness, and efficiencies. The speakers have worked to move several industries into more efficient and effective procurement methods that make transactions happen with far better financial results and better service for both buyers and sellers.

Kyle Gilman, Esq., is a leading expert on best practices, strategies, and technologies in procurement. Ben Favret, Co-Founder of OneOncology, is implementing digital marketplace technologies in the drug procurement marketplace.

Support for these meetings is provided by OneOncology.

These talks are scheduled for:

Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 9AM-12PM
Hyatt Regency
1209 L Street
Sacramento
(916) 443-1234

Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 9AM-12PM
San José Fairmont
170 South Market Street
San José
(408) 998-1900

Please call the meeting location of your choice for directions. FAX your reservation(s) to José Luis González, ANCO Executive Director, at (415) 472-3961 no later than June 6th. Registration will be available one-half hour prior to the program.

A copy of the meeting announcement and registration form is available at http://www.anco-online.org/procurement.html

Palmetto/J1MAC Website Updates

2008-05-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

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

Billing Vendor Directory for J1 A/B MAC
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Billing%20Vendor%20Directory%20for%20J1%20AB%20MAC?opendocument

Palmetto GBA has posted the Billing Vendor Directory for Jurisdiction 1 A/B
Medicare Administrative Contractor (J1 A/B MAC). This list provides contact
information for software vendors with approved ANSI X12N 837 Health Care
Claim version 4010A1 Medicare EMC capabilities to submit claims to the J1
A/B MAC.

Applies to:
Part A Transition: EDI
Part B Transition: EDI

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Palmetto GBA Announces Transition Workshops!
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Palmetto%20GBA%20Announces%20Transition%20Workshops!?opendocument

Palmetto GBA will be conducting workshops throughout the J1 region and will
be available to answer your questions concerning the transition. You will
have an opportunity to hear directly from your Medicare Administrative
Contractor (MAC) regarding such topics as transition dates, what is needed
to continue to bill electronically, how the Local Coverage Determination
process will work, address any differences in claims processing guidelines
and much more. Additional information, as well as the capability to
register for the workshops, will be provided as we near the dates of the
workshops.

Applies to:
Part A Transition: EDI
Part A Transition: General
Part B Transition: EDI
Part B Transition: General

----------

Providers Affected by the Jurisdiction 1 (J1) Implementation
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Providers%20Affected%20by%20the%20Jurisdiction%201%20(J1)%20Implementation?opendocument

There has been some confusion regarding the providers that are affected by
the Jurisdiction 1 (J1) implementation. Palmetto GBA has been selected by
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to serve as the new
A/B Medicare Administrative Contractor (A/B MAC) for Jurisdiction 1 (J1),
which includes the states of California, Hawaii and Nevada, the territories
of American Samoa and Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Applies to:
Part A Transition: General
Part B Transition: General

----------

NHIC/Medicare Website Updates

2008-05-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

The following updates have been posted to the NHIC/Medicare website at http://www.medicarenhic.com/cal_prov/updates.shtml.

The website navigation guide has been updated: Web Navigation Interactive Guide (PDF version Web Navigation PDF Guide).

The Introduction to Medicare Billing Guide has been updated.

On June 25, 2008 there will be an Ask the Contractor Teleconference (ACT) on the topic of DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.

ASCO's Cancer Policy Today Published

2008-05-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

The American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) Cancer Policy Today was published.

View it at http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe6315757167077e7612&m=ff311d707460&ls=fe0112707160057f72157377&l=fea516737564057975&s=fe1f15797d620479731d75&ju=fe1d157870660d747c1370.

It features:

Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Cancer Challenges and Opportunities

Sen. Brown Introduces Access to Cancer Clinical Trials Act

Senate Appropriations Committee To Include Increases to NIH and FDA in Supplemental Funding Bill

House Passes Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

FDA Plans To Add 1,300 Employees in Next Six Months

ASCO Provides Feedback on Biosimilars to House Subcommittee on Health

FDA Changes Acceptance Criteria for Foreign Clinical Trails

Scientists Form International Cancer Genome Consortium

Participate in the Physician Practice Information Survey

CMS/Medicare: National Provider Identifier (NPI) News for Medicare FFS Providers: May 23rd is Days Away - Are you Prepared?

2008-05-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

May 23rd is Days Away – Are you Prepared?
As of May 23, Medicare FFS will require and send NPI-Only in ALL provider identifier fields for all HIPAA and paper transactions where a provider identifier is required. If you send Medicare a transaction with a Medicare legacy identifier in any of the provider fields, your claim will be rejected. These transactions include all electronic and paper claims (837I, 837P, NCPDP, DDE and paper CMS-1500 and UB-04), the 276/277 claims status transaction, the 270/271 eligibility transaction, 835 remittance advice and SPR paper remittance.

If your billing software is set up to continue to send both the NPI and the legacy identifier, and your clearinghouse or billing service will not be stripping the legacy identifier from your claim as of May 23rd, the responsibility falls to the provider to send in the Medicare claim with NPI-only, i.e., NO legacy identifiers.

NPIs for Secondary Providers
If the entity that is required to be identified in the secondary provider field (i.e., the ordering/referring/attending/operating/supervising/purchased service/other/service facility provider or prescriber) does notfurnish an NPI, the billing provider must attempt to obtain that NPI in order to enter it on the claim. The billing provider may use the NPI Registry (https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/NPIRegistryHome.do) to obtain the secondary provider’s NPI or it may need to directly contact the ordering/referring/attending/operating/supervising/purchased service/other/service facility or prescriber in order to obtain the NPI.

· If the billing provider has exhausted all possibilities of finding the NPI of the ordering/referring/attending/operating/supervising/purchased service/other or prescriber, Medicare FFS is permitting the billing provider (in the X12N 837 transactions) or the service provider (in the NCPDP 5.1 transaction) to use their own NPI as the identifier for those secondary providers. Medicare will reject claims if Medicare policy requires a secondary identifier and there is no NPI present.

· For service facility location loop, if the billing provider is still unable to obtain the NPI of the entity, no identifier should be reported in that loop.

New FAQ Available Regarding Use of an NPI in the Prescriber ID field on NCPDP Transactions
View this FAQ at http://questions.cms.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/cmshhs.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=9100&p_created=1208980030&p_sid=kyH43F3j&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MSZwX3Byb2RzPTAmcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0xJnBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9OTEwMA**&p_li=&p_topview=1 on the CMS website.

Transcript for April 17th NPI Roundtable Now Available
View the transcript at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/Downloads/Transcript_for_April_17th_NPI_Roundtable.pdf on the CMS website.

CMS will Host NPI National Roundtable Q&A Session on May 19, 2008
CMS will host a national NPI Roundtable Q&A session to address questions from the Medicare provider community prior to May 23rd. This Roundtable will be on May 19th from 2-3:30PM EDT. Questions will not be collected during the registration process for this call. There will be no presentations during this call; we will open the lines to take questions following a brief introduction. For registration details, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/Downloads/listserv_wording_5-19-08_call.pdf on the CMS website.

Need More Information?
Still not sure what an NPI is and how you can get it, share it and use it? As always, more information and education on the NPI can be found through the CMS NPI page www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand on the CMS website. Providers can apply for an NPI online at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov or can call the NPI enumerator to request a paper application at 1-800-465-3203. Having trouble viewing any of the URLs in this message? If so, try to cut and paste any URL in this message into your web browser to view the intended information.

Note: All current and past CMS NPI communications are available by clicking "CMS Communications" in the left column of the www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand CMS webpage.

CMS/Medicare: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) ~ National Provider Call Announcement

2008-05-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Provider Communications Group will host the third in a series of national provider conference calls on the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). This toll-free call will take place from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., EDT, on Wednesday, May 28, 2008.

This call will provide an overview of the alternative reporting periods and alternative criteria for satisfactorily reporting quality measures for the 2008 PQRI as authorized by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) (P.L. 110-173) which was enacted on December 29, 2007.

MMSEA requires that for 2008 and 2009 the Secretary establish alternative reporting periods and alternative criteria for satisfactorily reporting groups of measures. It also requires that for 2008 and 2009 the Secretary establish alternative reporting periods and alternative criteria for satisfactorily reporting quality measures data through registries.

In 2008, eligible professionals may earn an incentive payment of 1.5 percent of their total allowed charges for Physician Fee Service covered professional services furnished during the respective alternative reporting periods based on data submitted via these mechanisms. While TRHCA established a cap on incentive payments for 2007, based on an average per measure payment amount, there is no cap on incentive payments under MMSEA for 2008 and 2009.

These provisions provide increased opportunities for eligible professionals to report PQRI quality measures and the possibility to earn incentive payments for satisfactory reporting.

A PowerPoint slide presentation will be posted to the PQRI webpage at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/30_EducationalResources.asp, on the CMS website for you to download prior to the call so that you can follow along with the presenters, Dr. Michael Rapp, Dr. Daniel Green and Rachel Nelson.

Following the presentation, callers will have an opportunity to ask questions of CMS subject matter experts.

Conference call details:

Date: May 28, 2008
Conference Title: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative National Provider Call
Time: 3:30 p.m. -5:00 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. If you cannot attend the call, replay information is available below.

Registration will close at 3:30 p.m. EDT on May 27, 2008, 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://www2.eventsvc.com/palmettogba/052808

Fill in all required data.

Verify your time zone is displayed correctly 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 you unable to attend, a replay option will be available shortly following the end of the call. This replay will be accessible from 5:30 p.m. EDT 5/28/2008 until 11:59 p.m. EDT 6/5/2008. The call-in data for the replay is (800) 642-1687 and the passcode is 46870023.

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

Palmetto/J1MAC Website Updates

2008-05-15T06:54:00.001-07:00

The follow updates have been posted to the Palmetto/J1MAC website.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Webinars
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Electronic%20Data%20Interchange%20(EDI)%20Webinars?opendocument

The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Webinar scheduled for Thursday, May
15th, is almost at capacity. The next EDI Webinar will be held on May 19,
2008 at 4:00 PM EST. Please register to attend.

Applies to:
Part A Transition: General
Part B Transition: General
Part A Transition: EDI
Part B Transition: EDI

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Submit Your CMS 588 Form Early
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/Submit%20Your%20CMS%20588%20Form%20Early?opendocument

Upon receipt of your CMS 588 form, our process validates your information
to that supplied by your outgoing Medicare contractor. Should any fields be
completed incorrectly or the submitted information differ from that of your
outgoing contractor, your CMS 588 form will be returned for corrections.
Due to the volume of CMS 588 forms we are receiving, submitting your form
early will ensure that your information is validated quickly. Should you
require any corrections that we have identified during our validation
process, this will also allow you time to make those corrections and return
to us by the deadline. This will ensure that you have no disruption to your
payments after conversion to Palmetto GBA.

Applies to:
Part B Transition: General
Part A Transition: General

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CMS/Medicare Website Updates

2008-05-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

The following updates have been posted to the CMS/Medicare website.

MM5288 – Incident to Policy Update
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5288.pdf

MM5950 – Medicare Shared Systems Modifications Necessary to Capture and Crossover Medicaid Drug Rebate Data Submitted on Form UB 04 Paper Claims and Direct Data Entry (DDE) Claims
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5950.pdf

MM6009 – July Quarterly Update to 2008 Annual Update of HCPCS Codes Used for Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing (CB) Enforcement
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6009.pdf

An Invitation to ANCO Members Attending ASCO

2008-05-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

Dr. Margaret Tempero and Dr. Eric Small
Invite ANCO and MOASC Members Attending the ASCO Annual Meeting
to a Cocktail Reception Sponsored by the
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Sunday, June 1
5 – 7 PM
The Hilton Chicago
Waldorf Room, 3rd Floor

Shuttle Route 11, Gate 26 - North Bldg., Level 1 Lobby

Please RSVP online:

http://cancer.ucsf.edu/asco2008

We hope to see you there.

Stanford's 2nd Annual GI Cancers Conference

2008-05-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Stanford's 2nd Annual GI Cancers Conference takes place August 22-24, 2008 in Hawaii. Visit http://www.stanfordhospital.com/PDF/cme/GICancers08CME_r8aFnl.pdf for more information and to register.

Palmetto/J1MAC Website Updates

2008-05-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

NHIC/Medicare: ESACoverage_0108.pdf

2008-05-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

NHIC/Medicare has asked ANCO to recirculate ESA claims instructions for reporting hemoglobin levels. These instructions are available at http://www.medicarenhic.com/providers/articles/esacoverage_0108.pdf.

ASCO e-News Published

2008-05-14T06:17:00.001-07:00

The American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) e-News was published today and is available at http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe5a1575766d037f7217&m=ff2d16787160&ls=fdf812717c6d057f76107071&l=fe57157473610d7b7612&s=fdf2157972640d79751d7073&ju=fe1a1578716d047a721c79.

It features:

The ASCO Cancer Foundation Awards $7.6 Million to Further Progress Against Cancer

Dr. Jay Harris to Receive 2008 Gianni Bonadonna Award

Annual Meeting Virtual Meeting and Podcast Access Available for Purchase by Non-Attendees

ASCO Annual Meeting Program Online Now Available

Register and Reserve Housing for 2008 Breast Cancer Symposium

Apply Online for 2008 Anticancer Agent Development Workshop

Submit an Abstract for the ASCO-NCI-EORTC Annual Meeting on Molecular Markers in Cancer

ASCO Seeks Editor for Journal of Oncology Practice

Attend State/Regional Affiliate Meetings

Attend 2008 UICC World Cancer Congress

Cancer Policy Alert: Senate Passes the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act; ASCO Sends Letter Supporting the Reagan-Udall Foundation; ASCO Co-sponsors Anticancer Agent Development Workshop

Submit Artwork for the 2009 "Expressions of Hope" Calendar

For Your Patients: New Cancer.Net Features Discuss Treatment and Research Updates for Melanoma; How to Work With a Specialty Pharmacy

For Your Patients: Cancer.Net Podcast Explores Magnetic Resonance Imaging

JCO Early Release Articles Examine Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast; Lapatinib as First-line Therapy for ErbB2-amplified Breast Cancer; Testicular Cancer Management and Surgical Expertise; Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection with Chemotherapy for Testicular Germ Cell Tumors; Molecular Selection of Patients for First-line Treatment of NSCLC; First-Line Gefitinib for NSCLC

Future JCO Table of Contents

Palmetto/J1MAC Website Updates

2008-05-13T07:32:00.002-07:00

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

J1 Early Boarding Now Open for Noridian Customers
http://www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/j1.nsf/DocsCat/J1%20Early%20Boarding%20Now%20Open%20for%20Noridian%20Customers?opendocument

Early Boarding is now open for those Part B customers from Hawaii, Nevada,
American Samoa, Guam and the Marianna Islands who are currently served by
Noridian. Palmetto GBA strongly encourages these submitters to begin
migrating to GPNet as soon as possible.

Applies to:
Part B Transition: EDI

Onmark CORE Webcast: Enroll to Learn the Impact of NPPs on Physician Productivity

2008-05-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

Onmark's 2008 Benchmarking Survey revealed a three year trend that physicians who work with non-physician practitioners (NPPs) have more new patient visits per week than those who do not. Results from this survey, including three years of financial and operational benchmarking data from hundreds of practices nationwide, will be reviewed during Onmark's next CORE webcast on May 27 & 28.

In addition to the survey results, you will learn how to use benchmarking to enhance your practice efficiency and performance. Our panel of expert presenters will be:

• John Akscin, VP Government Relations, OTN
• Jan Palmer, Principal and Co-Founder, The Palomino Group
• Kent Butcher, CEO, Oklahoma Oncology

Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about benchmarking, a valuable tool for practices to compare themselves to national standards and evaluate performance over time. Enroll today via https://onmarkevents.webex.com/onmarkevents.

CMS/Medicare: Upcoming Training for the Medicare Part B Drugs Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP)

2008-05-13T07:31:00.001-07:00

Noridian Administrative Services, the designated carrier for the CAP, offers interactive, online workshops about the CAP for Part B Drugs and Biologicals. These workshops train CAP vendors and elected physicians on a number of CAP topics and requirements such as billing for CAP claims, and NAS personnel are available to answer questions. Physicians and/or their staff are strongly encouraged to attend.

Interested parties may view additional information about and register for these workshops at https://www.noridianmedicare.com/cap_drug/train/workshops/index.html

Upcoming workshops will be held on the following dates:

§ 05/28/08 at 10:00 am CT

§ 06/24/08 at 2:00 pm CT

§ 07/24/08 at 10:00 am CT

THIS WEEK AT ACCC: MAY 12-16, 2008

2008-05-13T07:29:00.001-07:00

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_ACCC_may12_08.html.

It features articles on:

ACCC Submits Comments to CMS About FDG-PET Coverage

PhRMA Report Says 750 New Medicines and Vaccines in Development

Call for ACCC Annual Awards Nominations

Heard on the ACCC Listserv: Sim-to-Treat Time and More

New Continuing Education Programs, Multiple Myeloma Webcast

State Medical Oncology Societies Host Upcoming Meetings

New AHFS Compendium Indication for Vidaza®

CMA Alert: Health Care Providers Sue State

2008-05-13T07:25:00.001-07:00

The California Medical Association (CMA) Alert was published today and is available at http://www.calphys.org/html/news.asp.

It features articles on:

Medi-Cal: CMA Files Suit Against State over Medi-Cal Rate Cuts

FRONTLINE - HMOs: Your Oral Testimony or Written Comments Needed for DMHC ‘Balance Billing’ Proposal

MEDICARE - Northern California Physicians: Are Medicare Payments to Your Group At Risk?

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT – CONTRACTING: Physicians Urged to Read Carefully Before Signing New Blue Cross Contract Amendment

MEDICARE: New Medicare Contractor Hosting Conference Calls on Transition Issues