2015 Announcements

Tune in to Twins!
Did you know the birth rate for twins has increased a whopping 76 percent since 1980? This is one of the reasons our group, the Twins & Triplets Mothers of Morris County, is growing so quickly and is actively supporting the families of twins and triplets.
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CMS Extends Deadline for Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Informal Review Process
CMS is extending the 2014 Informal Review period. Individual eligible professionals (EPs), Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) practice sites, PQRS group practices, and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that believe they have been incorrectly assessed the 2016 PQRS negative payment adjustment now have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 11, 2015, to submit an informal review requesting CMS investigate incentive eligibility and/or payment adjustment determination. This is an extension from the previous deadline of November 23, 2015.

All informal review requestors will be contacted via email of a final decision by CMS within 90 days of the original request for an informal review. All decisions will be final and there will be no further review.

All informal review requests must be submitted electronically via the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page (CSP) which will be available September 9, 2015 through December 11, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Please see 2014 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS): Incentive Eligibility & 2016 Negative Payment Adjustment - Informal Review Made Simple (available on the PQRS Analysis and Payment webpage) for more information.

For additional questions regarding the informal review process, contact the QualityNet Help Desk at 1-866-288-8912 (TTY 1-877-715-6222) or [email protected] Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. To avoid security violations, do not include personal identifying information, such as Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), in e-mail inquiries to the QualityNet Help Desk.

New Prescription Monitoring Program Law to take effect November 1, 2015
In July, Governor Chris Christie signed Senate Bill 1998 into law (P.L.2015, c.74), which revises the scope and expands the capabilities of the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP) as of November 1, 2015. All prescribers holding CDS Registrations will need to register to access the NJPMP prior to the upcoming renewal of their CDS Registrations. If you renewed your NJ CDS registration last year, a NJPMP account was automatically created for you, but you must take some steps to activate your NJPMP account, if you have not already done so. First, you must complete a short online tutorial and then you must establish a unique e-mail address that you (the provider) check on a regular basis, which must be separate from a general office e-mail or service e-mail. Activating this account will be essential in complying with another significant provision of the new law. Unless an exemption applies, prescribers (or their delegates) will be required to review prescription monitoring information when they prescribe a Schedule II medication to a new or current patient for acute or chronic pain, the first time they prescribe and quarterly thereafter. Regulations, now being developed, will provide additional guidance with respect to this requirement. In addition, the new law expands the types of licensed professionals who are authorized to access the NJPMP for patient data (i.e., Medical Examiners, medical and dental residents and mental health practitioners). Criminal penalties for inappropriate access and misuse of NJPMP data also have been increased.

Informal Review Request Period for the 2016 Value Modifier Open Now Through November 9, 2015

The period for requesting an informal review of the 2016 Value Modifier is open now and ends November 9, 2015.

The 2014 Annual Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) are now available for every group practice and solo practitioner nationwide. Groups and solo practitioners are identified in the QRURs by their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). The QRURs are also available for groups and solo practitioners that participated in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model, or the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative in 2014, and to those TINs consisting only of non-physician eligible professional (EPs).

The 2014 Annual QRURs show how groups and solo practitioners performed in 2014 on the quality and cost measures used to calculate the 2016 Value Modifier. For groups with 10 or more EPs that are subject to the 2016 Value Modifier, the QRUR shows how the Value Modifier will apply to physician payments under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for physicians who bill under the group’s TIN in 2016. For all other groups and solo practitioners, the QRUR is for informational purposes only and will not affect their payments under the Medicare PFS in 2016.

Authorized representatives of group and solo practitioners can access the 2014 Annual QRURs on the CMS Enterprise Portal using an Enterprise Identify Data Management (EIDM) account with the correct role. For more information on how to access the 2014 Annual QRURs, visit How to Obtain a QRUR.

For groups with 10 or more EPs that are subject to the 2016 Value Modifier, CMS established an Informal Review Period to request a correction of a perceived error in their 2016 Value Modifier calculation. These groups may request an informal review of their 2016 Value Modifier determination, now through November 9, 2015.

Additional information about the 2014 QRURs and how to request an informal review is available on the 2014 QRUR website and through the QRUR Help Desk at [email protected] or 888-734-6433 (select option 3).

ICD-10 Provider Contacts for Medicare and Medicaid Questions

GOVERNOR CHRISTIE STRENGTHENS NEW JERSEY'S PRESCRIPTION MONITORING PROGRAM TO FURTHER CURB PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE

TRENTON, NJ – Empowering healthcare professionals with effective tools to join the fight against prescription drug abuse, Governor Chris Christie signed legislation that expands the New Jersey Attorney General's Division of Consumer Affairs Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP), an online database that tracks the prescription sale of drugs classified as controlled dangerous substances (CDS). The bill, S1998, expands existing law with regard to access, registration, and utilization of the NJPMP. The new changes will help prevent "doctor shopping" that often occurs with prescription and opioid abuse.

"We have taken great strides in the fight against opiate abuse through a comprehensive strategy that encourages healthcare professionals, treatment providers, law enforcement, and members of the public to each embrace their role in addressing this healthcare crisis," Governor Christie said. "By signing S1998, we're not only making the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program even stronger, we're demonstrating that by working together, we can all be part of the solution – a solution that fights the stigma of addiction, saves lives and helps rebuild families."

Currently, the NJPMP contains data on more than 48.4 million prescriptions for CDS and human growth hormone. It has responded to more than 4 million data requests from licensed prescribers and pharmacists, including more than 180,000 requests made during the last 30 days alone.

S1998 expands New Jersey healthcare professionals' access to the NJPMP by, among other things, requiring that prescribers and pharmacists register for NJPMP access, and requiring that physicians consult the NJPMP under limited circumstances.

For example, the legislation mandates that physicians consult the online NJPMP database the first time they prescribe a drug classified as a Schedule II CDS (such as oxycodone) to a patient for acute and chronic pain. They also must continue to consult the NJPMP at least quarterly thereafter for patients that continue to receive such medications. In addition, pharmacists would be required to check the database prior to dispensing a Schedule II CDS if there is a reasonable belief that the patient may be seeking the prescription for any reason other than the treatment of a medical condition.

In addition, pharmacists are required to submit identifying information for any individual who picks up a prescription for a patient. It further requires pharmacies to submit information to the NJPMP every seven days, rather than every 30 days as provided in current law. The Division of Consumer Affairs has notified pharmacies that, as of September 1, 2015, it will require them to report information to the NJPMP on a daily basis, no more than one business day after the date the CDS was dispensed.

"The Medical Society of New Jersey is committed to reducing prescription medication abuse and diversion." said Mishael Azam, Esq., Senior Manager for Legislative Affairs at the Medical Society of New Jersey. "As such, we have long advocated for the Prescription Monitoring Program to be a more user-friendly tool for prescribers. This bill improves data quality, accessibility, interoperability and reliability. We commend Governor Christie for investing in the PMP."

In an effort to promote greater NJPMP usage, the Division of Consumer Affairs launched an awareness campaign and streamlined the registration process to grant automatic enrollment to prescribers upon the annual renewal of their State registration to prescribe or dispense CDS. These efforts have increased the registration of physicians by more than 400 percent, and the registration of all eligible healthcare professionals by more than 250 percent, in a single year. Today, 88 percent of eligible physicians and 69 percent of all eligible prescribers and pharmacists are enrolled.

To further enhance the NJPMP's usefulness to healthcare professionals, the Division launched a first-in-the-nation mobile app that allows prescribers and pharmacists to access the NJPMP via smartphones and tablets in April 2015.

S1998, was sponsored by Senators Loretta Weinberg, Joseph F. Vitale, and James W. Holzapfel, and Assemblymembers Joseph A. Lagana, Marlene Caride, John F. McKeon, Vincent Mazzeo, and Raj Mukherji.

Governor Christie and his Administration are committed to confronting the issue of drug abuse and addiction in the Garden State through measures that include:
  • a statewide Expansion of Drug Court that places focus on treatment rather than warehousing drug addicted offenders in prison;
  • the bipartisan Overdose Protection Act and recent expansion legislation to ensure more people are making lifesaving calls in overdose situations and that first responders are also protected;
  • expansion of a statewide program to train and equip first responders in the administration of Narcan to save lives and reduce the number of heroin-related deaths;
  • implementation of one-stop access to help ex-offenders battling drug addiction using the principle of Integrated Reintegration, which will provide streamlined services available to ensure ex-offenders receive the kind of support they need to reclaim their lives and eventually move off government services and into the workplace.
Additional information about the NJPMP can be found at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/pmp.


Blues Plans to Offer Lifetime Credit and Fraud Protection

It was recently announced that starting on January 1, 2016, all Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans will offer free and continuous credit monitoring and fraud protection services to all of their 106 million members. This move comes as a reaction to a series of massive cyberattacks that exposed millions of Blue Cross and Blue Shields’ customers. Currently, the major health plans and healthcare providers typically offer credit monitoring for one (1) year after they suffer data breaches. With the increasing prevalence of cyberattacks in the healthcare field, this new level of protection is seen by many experts as being the new norm. The healthcare industry has been plagued with 1,265 major data breaches involving the exposure of nearly 135 million individuals’ health records since the federal government began publicly posting breach reports in September 2009. Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s innovative offer comes in the wake of the largest healthcare data breach in U.S. history: the loss of some 80 million health plan records to a hacking incident reported in February by Indianapolis-based Anthem. The effects of that breach spilled beyond Anthem’s 14 Blues plans to other Blues-affiliated plans due to reciprocal payment relationships forged though the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s national Blue Card program. As a result, the Anthem breach has spawned hundreds of class-action lawsuits throughout the nation, with many of the cases being transferred to and consolidated in the Northern District of California last month. If you have any questions, please contact our Managing Partner, Michael J. Schoppmann, Esq at 1-800-445-0954 or via email at [email protected].
 
YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED NOW!!
SGR PATCH
As of midnight last night, the current sustainable growth rate (SGR) patch expired, meaning the 21 percent cut in Medicare payments is in effect. Every day that the U.S. Senate does not act causes disruptions to physician practices and puts more patients at risk of not getting the care they deserve.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation that would permanently repeal the SGR formula, but the Senate failed to act before leaving on a two-week recess.

While Senate leadership has indicated they will take up the bill upon return on April 13, the clock is ticking. The administration can only hold claims until April 15, leaving a very narrow window of time for the Senate to act before Medicare claims are paid at the drastically reduced rate.

We need you to keep the pressure on during the recess! Please contact your senators today to remind them that they have unfinished business here in Washington, D.C., and urge them to support H.R. 2 immediately when they return!
  1. Call your senators district offices using the AMA's toll-free Grassroots Hotline: (888) 434-6200.
  2. Send an urgent email to your senators reinforcing the need for SGR repeal now.
  3. Contact key senators still undecided on this most critical issue directly through their own social media channels and share with your own Facebook friends and Twitter followers as well.
  4. For help scheduling a district meeting or to find a list of district town halls this recess, [email protected] and and they will assist you with office hours and locations.
This is urgent! The current SGR patch has expired; physicians are being hit with a 21 percent cut to Medicare - your voice is needed now, more than ever!
For more information read the attached bill summary (PDF) and be sure to check out http://fixmedicarenow.org for all the latest.

EXTENDED DATE FOR USE OF THE NEW PRESCRIPTION BLANKS
The NJ Division of Consumer Affairs has extended the date for the use of the new prescription blanks. The last date to use the "old" prescription blanks is November 2, 2014. The"new" prescription blanks MUST be used as of November 3, 2014. The old and new prescription blanks can be used through November 2, 2014.

If you have not ordered the new prescription blanks do so as soon as possible. A complete list of approved vendors can be obtained by calling the Chapter office.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Society office.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
 

End-of-Life Care Continuing Medical Education Update
The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners requires 100 continuing medical education credits, of which at least 40 of such credits shall be in Category I. Commencing with this biennial renewal period which started on July 1, 2013, two of the 40 credits in Category I courses shall, pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 145 (C.45:9-7.7), be in programs or topics related to end-of- life care. The Board is aware that many hospitals and a wide variety of other CME providers are offering a variety of courses that will satisfy this 2 hour requirement.End-of-Life Care Continuing Medical Education Update The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners requires 100 continuing medical education credits, of which at least 40 of such credits shall be in Category I. Commencing with this biennial renewal period which started on July 1, 2013, two of the 40 credits in Category I courses shall, pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 145 (C.45:9-7.7), be in programs or topics related to end-of- life care. The Board is aware that many hospitals and a wide variety of other CME providers are offering a variety of courses that will satisfy this 2 hour requirement.

If a licensee believes that this mandate has little applicability to his/her practice area, waivers or extensions can be requested. The licensee, within 60 days of the expiration of the biennial renewal period, (i.e., by April 30, 2015) needs to send to the Board office, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or other proof of delivery, a letter explaining why such waiver/exemption is applicable. If granted, the extension or waiver is effective for the biennial licensure period in which the extension and/or waiver is granted. If the reason(s) which necessitated the extension and/or waiver continues into the next biennial period, the licensee shall apply to the Board for the renewal of such extension and/or waiver for the new biennial period. If a licensee believes that this mandate has little applicability to his/her practice area, waivers or extensions can be requested. The licensee, within 60 days of the expiration of the biennial renewal period, (i.e., by April 30, 2015) needs to send to the Board office, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or other proof of delivery, a letter explaining why such waiver/exemption is applicable. If granted, the extension or waiver is effective for the biennial licensure period in which the extension and/or waiver is granted. If the reason(s) which necessitated the extension and/or waiver continues into the next biennial period, the licensee shall apply to the Board for the renewal of such extension and/or waiver for the new biennial period.

See PDF.

FIRST ANNUAL PHYSICIANS' ADVOCACY CONFERENCE AND MSNJ HOUSE OF DELEGATES MEETING
Friday, May 2 | 7:30 am - 7:00 pm.

Click here to learn more

Click here for directions
 

ICD-10-CM CODING INSTRUCTION WORKSHOP
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SGR UPDATE!
President Obama signed the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 on April 1, 2014. The new law prevents the scheduled payment reduction for physicians who treat Medicare patients. This new law maintains the 0.5% update for services from January 1, 2014 through March 31, 2014 for the period of April 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014. It also provides a zero percent update to the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule through March 31, 2015.

Section 212 of the Law allows for an extension of the ICD10 implentation to not before October 1, 2015.
 

NEW JERSEY PRESCRIPTION BLANK UPDATE!!

The NJ Division of Consumer Affairs has revised the security of NJ Prescription Blanks. All physicians must begin using the new blanks on August 18, 2014. Approved vendors will be able to continue to sell the old blanks until May 18, 2014.

A separate NJPB must be utilized for each prescription written for a controlled dangerous substance.

Each new prescription blank must include: a unique 15 digit identifier and barcode for each blank; the name of the prescriber or healthcare facility; address; license of the authorized prescriber; NPI number, thermal activated ink in the Rx logo; (microprint viewable at 5 times magnification or greater that is illegible upon photocopying); the word "VOID" that is only visible upon photocopying or scanning of the blank.

A list of approved vendors can be obtained by calling the Society office.
 

CAROL G. SIMON CANCER CENTER PRESENTS: ADVANCES IN GASTROINTESTINAL ONCOLOGY SCREENING AND TREATMENT
Friday, March 28, 2014 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - Malcolm Forbes Amphitheater

On Friday, March 28, the multidisciplinary gastrointestinal team of experts from Morristown Medical Center’s Carol G. Simon Cancer Center will be discussing the latest advances in screening and treatment in an interactive presentation for physicians, residents, nurses and allied health professionals in internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, radiology, obstetrics/gynecology, medical and radiation oncology and pathology. Community partners from local cancer advocacy groups also are invited to attend.

Click here to learn more
 

MDADVANTAGE PRESENTS: BUSINESS OF MEDICINE LECTURE SERIES: STARTING A NEW PRACTICE OR BUYING INTO AN EXISTING PRACTICE: LEGAL AND BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS
Upcoming Seminars: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 & Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Click here to learn more
 

CME - MEDICAL SOCIETY OF NEW JERSEY AND MERIDIAN HEALTH PRESENT: WOMEN IN MEDICINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
Thursday, March 13, 2014 8:00 a.m.—3:30 p.m. The National Conference Center 339 Monmouth St., East Windsor, NJ

Women in medicine are not generally advancing to the highest levels of the profession and are continuing to encounter subtle and overt forms of discrimination during their training and careers. The purpose of this conference is to explore the types of disparities that remain between men and women in medicine and strategize how women and their medical workplaces can address these disparities.

Click here to learn more
 
MEDICARE MEANINGFUL USE ATTESTATION DELAYED UNTIL MARCH 31, 2014
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the original planned date by which all physicians who are attesting for Medicare Meaningful Use in 2013 has been extended from 11:59 pm ET on February 28 to 11:59 pm ET March 31. CMS delayed the date because the attestation system has been experiencing a number of problems which have precluded some physicians from submitting their attestation data. Concerns were raised that physicians would miss the attestation deadline and thus the opportunity for an incentive unless more time was given. Physicians who are seeking to attest should visit the CMS registration and attestation system. The EHR Information Center can be reached at 1-888-734-6433 and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Central Time), except federal holidays. CMS has provided the below tips on attesting:
 
  • Ensure that your payment assignment and other relevant information is up to date in the Medicare payment system PECOS
  • Make sure to include a valid email address in your EHR program registration
  • Consider logging on to use the attestation system during non-peak hours such as evenings and weekends
  • Log on to the registration and attestation system now and ensure that your information is up to date and begin entering your 2013 data
  • If you experience attestation problems, call the EHR Incentive Program Help Desk and report the problem
  • If your organization has more than 1,000 providers assigned to a proxy user, use the PECOS system to designate additional proxies to facilitate attestation.

NOTE: The deadline extension applies only to the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. If you are participating in the Medicaid program you must contact your state for deadline information. If you are participating in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) you must still meet that programs’ deadline of February 28, 2014. If you have elected to participate in the EHR Incentive Program/PQRS eReporting pilot to electronically report your clinical quality measures and receive dual credit, the deadline applies ONLY to the MU “functional” objectives and the associated measures; it does NOT apply to the electronic reporting of CQM data through the Physician Quality Reporting System EHR Incentive Program Pilot. Medicare physicians should take care when entering their MU data into the attestation system. If they select the “eReporting Pilot option” then a physician will be required to submit their clinical quality measures (CQMs) electronically through the PQRS system separately. The Quality Help Desk can be reached 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. CT Monday – Friday at [email protected] / Phone: (866) 288-8912.