The Grass roots efforts are working.

 

We encourage everyone to continue to call their United States Senators and ask them to co-sponsor S 2340 - The Community Cancer Care Preservation Act - introduced by Senator Arlen Specter.  Many, many Senate offices have called Senator Specter's office and are considering co-sponsoring the bill.  Your calls are making an impact.  Please continue those calls.

 

Also, please continue calling your members of the House and ask them to co-sponsor HR 4098 - the House version of the bill introduced by Congressman Jim Ramstad.  This bill already has 61 co-sponsors (see list below) - again thanks to the incredible efforts of the grass roots.

 

While Congress is in recess this week, there are also additional chances to reach out within your district and state.  Next week, when the House and Senate return to Washington we will be working on Capitol Hill to connect your grass roots efforts with the professional lobbying team (Former Congressmen Harold Ford, Sr. and Bob Livingston and their expert teams) - to build upon the great momentum in this effort.

 

If you need to access to the phone numbers of your members, please obtain them from the Legislative Action Center on the bottom red bar of the Community Oncology Alliance Web Site (www.communityoncology.org)

 

 

 HR 4098 COSPONSORS(61), ALPHABETICAL Sorted: by date

Rep Aderholt, Robert B. [AL-4] - 12/15/2005	Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] - 11/16/2005
Rep Barrow, John [GA-12] - 10/27/2005	Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] - 12/7/2005
Rep Bonner, Jo [AL-1] - 2/15/2006	Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 2/8/2006
Rep Boren, Dan [OK-2] - 10/27/2005	Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] - 11/16/2005
Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] - 11/8/2005	Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 2/8/2006
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 11/8/2005	Rep Clyburn, James E. [SC-6] - 11/14/2005
Rep Cole, Tom [OK-4] - 11/8/2005	Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 2/15/2006
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] - 12/17/2005	Rep Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [FL-21] - 11/9/2005
Rep Dicks, Norman D. [WA-6] - 12/7/2005	Rep English, Phil [PA-3] - 11/17/2005
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 12/7/2005	Rep Ford, Harold E., Jr. [TN-9] - 10/27/2005
Rep Gingrey, Phil [GA-11] - 11/17/2005	Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] - 11/16/2005
Rep Goode, Virgil H., Jr. [VA-5] - 2/1/2006	Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] - 12/14/2005
Rep Jefferson, William J. [LA-2] - 11/14/2005	Rep Jenkins, William L. [TN-1] - 11/16/2005
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 11/9/2005	Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 10/31/2005
Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] - 11/18/2005	Rep Lucas, Frank D. [OK-3] - 11/18/2005
Rep Marshall, Jim [GA-3] - 11/8/2005	Rep Matheson, Jim [UT-2] - 11/18/2005
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] - 2/1/2006	Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 2/15/2006
Rep McHugh, John M. [NY-23] - 12/14/2005	Rep Meek, Kendrick B. [FL-17] - 11/14/2005
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] - 3/16/2006	Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 12/7/2005
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 11/14/2005	Rep Peterson, Collin C. [MN-7] - 11/9/2005
Rep Pickering, Charles W. (Chip) [MS-3] - 12/18/2005	Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] - 11/16/2005
Rep Price, Tom [GA-6] - 11/1/2005	Rep Rogers, Mike D. [AL-3] - 2/1/2006
Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] - 11/8/2005	Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] - 2/1/2006
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] - 11/14/2005	Rep Scott, Robert C. [VA-3] - 11/14/2005
Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] - 11/9/2005	Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] - 12/7/2005
Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] - 2/1/2006	Rep Strickland, Ted [OH-6] - 11/8/2005
Rep Taylor, Charles H. [NC-11] - 10/27/2005	Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] - 11/17/2005
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2] - 12/15/2005	Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12] - 12/15/2005
Rep Walsh, James T. [NY-25] - 3/16/2006	Rep Wamp, Zach [TN-3] - 11/8/2005
Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 12/15/2005	Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 11/17/2005
Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] - 11/8/2005

Ask the Contractor Teleconference March 17, 2006
Topic: Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) Questions and Answers 

Webinar March 7, 2006
Topic:  Billing errors – Bundling Questions & Answers

Three new educational articles have been added:

• Focus on……Duplicate Denials
  Denial of services as duplicate claim submissions continues to be the number one claim submission error for most contractors, and certainly for NHIC.  NHIC Medicare Part B California reported 2,307,799 duplicate claim denials to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the months of October, November and December of 2005.
• Article for Wastage of Drugs in “Single-dose Vials” (A37301\A39291)
  Questions have arisen regarding Medicare Coverage for wastage of drugs from “single-use vials,” which contain more medication than the amount required by one or more patients. If a provider must discard the remainder of a single-use vial after administering a portion to a Medicare patient, or patients, Medicare will cover the discarded drug along with the amount administered.
• Article for When Clinics Must Enroll as Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities (IDTFs) (A39115/A39292)
  Physician offices may provide both medical care and diagnostic tests. However, diagnostic tests are a special and separate kind of Medicare benefit under Section 1861(s)(3) of the Social Security Act (SSA), which is amplified at 42 CFR 410.32 and 410.33. Much of the time, these rules specific to diagnostic tests, do not impact physician office practices. However, some key points do require compliance.

April Update To The 2006 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database (MPFSDB)

The following are the April updates/additions to the 2006 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database (MPFSDB). These changes are effective for claims processed on or after January 1, 2006 unless otherwise noted. http://www.medicarenhic.com/providers/fees/aprindicatorupdt_0306.htm

Invitation to Participate in the Physician Voluntary Reporting Program (PVRP)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the Physician Voluntary Reporting Program (PVRP) to better analyze the quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The program has been designed to be voluntary for the physician community. If you wish to participate, click here to download the documents: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/pvrp/

MM4399 - April Update to the 2006 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Database
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM4399.pdf

MM4177 - Eliminate the Use of Surrogate Unique Physician Identification Numbers
(UPINs) on Medicare Claims
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM4177.pdf

MM4041 - Denial of Claims Not Timely Filed
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM4041.pdf

MM4152 - MMA - Changes to Chapter 29 – Appeals of Claims Decisions: Administrative
Law Judge; Departmental Appeals Board; U.S. District Court Review
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM4152.pdf

MM4303 - Mammography Facility Certification File - Updated Procedures and Content
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM4303.pdf

MM4376 - Suppression of Standard Paper Remittance Advice (SPR) to Providers and
Suppliers Also Receiving Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) for 45 Days or More
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM4376.pdf

SE0620 - Announcing a New Name for Medicare’s Provider Education Articles – MLN
Matters
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0620.pdf

SE0602 - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Seeks Provider Input on
Satisfaction with Medicare Fee-for-Service Contractor Services
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0602.pdf

Understanding the Remittance Advice: A Guide for Medicare Providers, Physicians, Suppliers, and Billers has been updated and is now available online through the Medicare Learning Network’s publication page located at, www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/RA_Guide_Full_03-22-06.pdf, on the CMS website. 

This comprehensive publication provides practical information on the types, uses, components of and standardized codes sets used on the RA as well as how to read the Standard Paper Remittance Advice and the Electronic Remittance Advice using PC-Print software (for institutional providers who receive RAs from Fiscal Intermediaries or Regional Home Health Intermediaries) and Medicare Remit Easy Print software (for professional providers who receive RAs from Carriers or DMERCs).  It also includes a number of helpful resources including field indexes (for institutional RAs and professional RAs), an acronym list, and a glossary.

In addition to the online version of “The RA Guide”, it will also be available in print and on CD ROM later this Spring. CMS will announce the availability of these products as they become available.

September 15 - 17 - GI/Lung Symposium - Westin Copley Place, Boston, MA
October 13 - 15 - National/Business Meeting - Gaylord Texan, Dallas, TX

Contact ION for further details.

Clarifying the Role of Advanced Practitioners in Oncology Practices

You are cordially invited to Clarifying the Role of Advanced Practitioners in Oncology Practices, an audio conference CE program for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in oncology practices. Read More >>

AstraZeneca Cancer Support Network Educational Seminars

AstraZeneca is pleased to offer you this series of educational programs to increase your understanding
of reimbursement-related changes resulting from the Medicare Modernization Act.

Download the brochure >>



NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology Symposium

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) presents an NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology Symposium on Breast Cancer.

Friday, May 19, 2006 - Sheraton Palo Alto
625 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA

Visit http://www.nccn.org for more details.