Best of ASCO, San Francisco, CA - June 17-18, 2005
Please read the program announcement for the Best of ASCO San Francisco meeting scheduled for June 17-18. An overview, final program, registration, housing information and forms are included in the program announcement. Early registrations for this meeting are due by Friday, May 20th.

ACCC - Teleconference: Staying Alive in 2005
The program will focus on changes implemented under the MMA for 2005 and being considered for 2006, including:Evolving policies for coding drug administration services; Impact of the changes; Competitive Acquisition Programs; Tactics for responding to the changes.

Staying Alive in 2005 Teleconference schedule:

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 @ 10:00 a.m. EDT
Wednesday, May 11, 2005@ 3:00 p.m. EDT  

Click Here to register: http://www.accc-cancer.org/education/

SCACO - SCACO's 112th Oncology Seminar
Lymphoma/Leukemia 2005 - Innovations in Treatment / CME Dinner Symposium - June 2005
http://www.scaco.org/index.php?view=homes

Congressmen Zach Wamp, a Republican from Tennessee, and Albert Wynn, a Democrat from Maryland, have co-authored a letter to President Bush relating to the Medicare reimbursement situation. Both Members of Congress have been staunch supporters of cancer care and this bipartisan letter shows that cancer care is an issue that impacts all of us, including both sides of the congressional aisle.Congressmen Wamp and Wynn are circulating this letter to the House of Representatives in order to ask their colleagues to join them in co-signing the letter. The letter asks the President for his leadership in addressing the Medicare reimbursement issue, especially in terms of now extending the $300 million demonstration project at least through 2006. Click here to access the letter, along with a dear colleague letter from the Congressmen asking Members to sign on.

We urge you to reach out to your Members of the House of Representatives to ask them to sign on to the letter. Simply contact them and ask them to sign on to the letter. They can do this by contacting Alex Richard in Congressman Wamp’s office at 202-225-3271 or Lori Pepper in Congressman Wynn’s office at 202-225-8699. This is our opportunity as community cancer care to ask our House Members to support our issue by calling the President’s attention to it.

In order to support you in this effort, COA has provided a brief summary and visual presentation which clearly describes the situation facing community cancer care. The entire cancer community needs to support this initiative!

COA will be publishing an updated list of Members who sign on to the letter.

AB654 - Physician Assisted Suicide
You are also encouraged to become actively involved in the California state issue, AB654. This is the physician-assisted suicide bill currently in the Appropriations Committee, with no hearing date set, at this time. MOASC office will be sending out specifics for campaigning on this issue. Those MOASC members who are in the following assemblymembers' districts are encouraged to meet with them in their district offices or invite them to your office, ASAP.  Southern California Appropriations Committee Assemblymembers are: Bass, Calderon, Oropeza, & Ridley-Thomas. The MOASC office will provide you with the phone numbers to those offices to schedule the appointments. Please let the MOASC office know of the date and time scheduled with your assemblymember, if timing permits, I would like to join you during these visits.

CCAN Statewide Support Program
The Breast and Cervical Cancer Care Coordination and Navigation (CCAN) program is a non-profit program for low-income un/underinsured patients offering no cost, statewide support. CCAN's toll-free help line at (888) 921-7465 is answered by English and Spanish speaking care coordinators who will provide translation assistance in many other languages. CCAN conducts a needs assessment for each patient and works to remove any barriers that inhibit treatment compliance. The care coordinators follow the patient throughout their cancer experience, working to meet any critical unmet needs.

CCAN enrollment is a telephone call away at (888) 921-7465. For additional information, contact Holly Porter at (559) 244-3613 or via e-mail at hporter@healthcollaborative.org.

The following new and revised articles have been posted to Medlearn Matters:

MM3775 - Abarelix for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters/mmarticles/2005/MM3775.pdf

MM3783 - MMA - July 2005 Quarterly Average Sales Price (ASP) Medicare Part B Drug Pricing File, Effective July 1, 2005
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters/mmarticles/2005/MM3783.pdf

SE0524 - Electronically Requesting and Receiving Information Regarding Claims Using the ASC X12N276/277 Claims Status Inquiry/Response Transactions
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters/mmarticles/2005/SE0524.pdf

SE0526 - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) Program - The Importance of Complying with Requests for Claim Documentation
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters/mmarticles/2005/SE0526.pdf

SE0516 - Modified Edits For Matching Claims Data to Beneficiary Records
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters/mmarticles/2005/SE0516.pdf

SE0529 - Importance of Supplying Correct Provider Identification Information Required in Items 17, 17a, 24K, and 33 of the Form CMS-1500, and the Electronic Equivalent
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters/mmarticles/2005/SE0529.pdf

MM3818 - Revised Coding Guidelines for Drug Administration Codes
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters/mmarticles/2005/MM3818.pdf

New Interest Rate
Effective April 25, 2005 the new Medicare interest rate for overpayments and underpayments is 12.00%. 

NHIC Updated Contact Information
For questions about your Medicare Part B claim, you may contact your Medicare carrier via telephone, writing, or in person. Check out the NHIC Contacts page for updated contact information.

NHIC FAQ's Pages Updated
New quarterly customer service FAQs have been posted.

LCD Policy Indexes (Medicare Coverage Database):
You can access these on our policy index on the CMS website:
National Heritage Insurance – Northern California – 31140
National Heritage Insurance – Southern California – 31146

MOASC Comments to CMS Regarding CAP
Click here to read MOASC's comments, electronically submitted and via mail on 4/8/05 to CMS, regarding  the proposed 2006 Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP). 

ACCC Online Survey Reveals Physicians Not Likely to Participate in CAP
Click here to read the survey results.