ACCC, CMA, COA-CAN, & CMS News

The following information has been received by ANCO.


****ACCC NEWS****
The Association of Community Cancer Centers's (ACCC) This Week At ACCC was published and is available at http://www.accc-cancer.org/mediaroom/newsletters/2009/media_ACCCNEWSLETTER_3-9-2009.html. ANCO is an Institutional Member of ACCC. This edition features:

Policy Experts Explore Healthcare Reform at ACCC's Annual Meetingg

Sneak Peek: ACCC Meeting to Showcase More Than 60 Exhibitors

CMS Advises MedPAC About Drastic Cuts to Physician Payments

Younger Breast Cancer Patients Have Greater Chance of Recurrence

NCI Teleconference to Explore Proteomic Technologies

NIH Announces Funding Opportunities Related to Health Research

IOM Seeks Information About Comparative Effectiveness

NY State Cuts Off Medicaid Reimbursement to Low-Volume Facilities

Q&A on ACCC's Listserv: Wait Times for Mammography

ACCC's CE Blackboard: A Full Range of Courses

Joins Us on Facebook and LinkedIn

State Medical Oncology Societies Host Membership Meetings


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

CMA Opposes Expansion of Chiropractic Scope of Practice

Supreme Court Rules Against Drug Maker in Liability Case

CMA Sponsors Bill to Protect Kids' Access to Vaccinations

Obama Gets the Health Reform Ball Rolling; Promises SGR Fix

HealthNet Clarifies Prepayment Review Policy

New Law Limits Markup for Radiologic Services

Webinar: HIT and the Economic Stimulus Package

Deadline for 2009 Medical School Loan Repayment Program Is March 24

Concerns with Health Insurers? Tell CMA.

Don't Miss Early Bird Deadline for CMA's 12th

Annual Health Care Leadership Academy

First Statewide POLST Conference Is March 30

Essentials for Medical Staff Leaders – a How-To Program

Benefit of the Week: Reduced Loan Administration Fees


****COA-CAN NEWS****
Everyone in Oncology is so very busy right now that even if something new and wonderful comes along there is some likelihood you might miss it. So, that’s why I want to tell you about the COA Community Oncology Administrators’ Network (“CAN”) website. Because we are all hassled and short on time, the COA Administrative Task Force has tried to put everything that you need to improve your practice in one spot so that you do not need to be browsing and Google-ing your life away.

Below I will describe some of the great features on the CAN web site with their web links in parentheses. Put these in your bookmarks so you can get to our information fast when you need it:

1. Log-in and read the latest news (http://www.communityoncology.org): Go to the main COA site; read the latest news about cancer; and, then, click on the big yellow tube to go to the CAN site.

2. Check out the latest Oncology discussion boards on the front page (http://www.communityoncology.info/): Here we have blogs on “hot topics”; coding issues; clinical practice; PQRI; MAC issues; RAC requests (when they get back in the swing of things); pharmacy issues; and many more. This is our version of an electronic community---we want to make you feel like you are not alone out there.

3. Searching for a fee schedule or regulation? We’ve got ‘em (http://communityoncology.info/regulatory/): The CMS website is not the friendliest place on earth. Therefore, we have all of the regulations on the site for you! You no longer need to be a Medicare expert to find them!

4. Visit our most popular feature---downloadable practice forms (http://communityoncology.info/forms-tools/): Why reinvent the wheel? We have been collecting these for years and now they are here for you on the web!

5. Educate your staff or yourself about reimbursement with downloadable PowerPoint® presentations and back issues of E-Reimbursement Updates (http://communityoncology.info/category/library/): We have assembled the latest coding, E/M, and practice management information so that you can get it in a heartbeat.

There are so many other features I could tell you about—like our recruiting site, polls, fee schedule calculator, and more. But, let’s face it---no one reads long-winded e-mails anymore. If you have any questions or suggestions, e-mail me (bobbibuell1@covad.net). Or, just log on at http://www.communityoncology.organd check it out for yourself! By clicking on the orange action bar (upper right corner) you can access a 15 minute web demo on the site.

Bobbi Buell
COA Web Mistress


****CMS NEWS****
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Provider Communications Group will host the first in a series of national provider conference calls on the 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). This toll-free call will take place from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., EDT, on Thursday, March 19, 2009.

The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) made the PQRI program permanent, but only authorized incentive payments through 2010. Eligible professionals who meet the criteria for satisfactory submission of quality measures data for services furnished during the reporting period, January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009, will earn an incentive payment of 2.0 percent of their total allowed charges for Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) covered professional services furnished during that same period. The 2009 PQRI consists of 153 quality measures and 7 measures groups.

Following a short presentation on what’s new for the 2009 PQRI, the lines will be opened to allow participants to ask questions of CMS PQRI 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. Feel free to download the resources prior to the call so that you may ask questions of the presenters, Dr. Michael Rapp and Dr. Daniel Green.

Conference call details:
Date: March 19, 2009
Conference Title: 2009 PQRI- National Provider Call
Time: 1:30 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. If you cannot attend the call, replay information is available below.

Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. EDT on March 18, 2009, 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/031909

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 who will be unable to attend, a replay option will be available shortly following the end of the call. This replay will be accessible from 4:30 p.m. EDT 3/19/2009 until 11:59 p.m. EDT 3/26/2009. The call in data for the replay is (800) 642-1687 and the passcode is 84546375.