July 14, 2010
Meaningful Use Rule Final for Health IT Incentives |
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Federal officials have announced they will release the long-awaited final rule on meaningful use of healthcare IT, Tuesday morning.
Vendors and providers alike have been eager to see what the rule contains; vendors so they can make sure their electronic health records are meaningful-use worthy, and providers so they can begin collecting data by this October to qualify for the most incentives possible under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Beginning in 2011, office-based physicians whose patient mix includes at least 30 percent Medicaid beneficiaries are eligible for up to $63,750 over six years, while Medicare physicians can earn a maximum closer to $44,000. Hospitals stand to gain $2 million a year in incentives.
Healthcare Finance News |
AMA Doctors' Lobby Losing Clout on Hill |
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Months after delivering its crucial endorsement of the health care overhaul, the American Medical Association has found itself with fewer friends on Capitol Hill and more critics questioning its lobbying savvy.
Its troubles couldn't come at a worse time: It is more dependent than ever on having allies in Congress, thanks to the growing number of Medicare patients.
The AMA's most prominent lobbying failure has been its inability to repeal the obsolete formula governing payments for Medicare patients - a method that has for years required regular temporary "fixes" to avoid big pay cuts for doctors.
Politico |
2 Qui Tam Cases Filed Against Pain Physician |
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A Massachusetts pain management physician, who owned a pain practice and an ASC, at which anesthesia was administered by employed anesthesiologists, has had two whistleblower suits filed against him personally, his pain practice, and his ASC.
Anil Kumar, M.D. was sued by both his former ASC billing specialist and his pain practice administrator. The complaints in both cases reveal the following allegations:
1. Kumar billed anesthesia codes 00600-00630 when administering anesthesia for chronic pain injections, despite the correct code being 01992, thereby resulting in a substantial upcode; 2. Kumar instructed the surgery center to bill for anesthesia, while for the same cases, the pain practice submitted bills for conscious/moderate sedation, thereby double billing the sedation component of the procedure;
US Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts |
Last Chance to Register for Urine Drug Testing Webinar Set for Thursday |
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Are you confused about how you should bill for the urine drug screen testing in your Interventional Pain Management Practice? Get the Facts Straight: Steps to Urine Drug Screen Testing Compliance in your Physician Office
Are you performing point-of-care (POC) urine drug screen (UDS) testing in your interventional pain management practice? Does your office have the correct CLIA certification? Is the test you are using the correct test for your CLIA certification? After April 1st, are you coding for your POC UDS compliantly? When should you report one of the new HCPCS "G" codes for your POC UDS testing? Which of the new HCPCS "G" codes should you report for your Medicare beneficiaries UDS testing? Are you reporting the correct units of service for the specific UDS test that you are using? Why is medical necessity important in POC UDS testing? Which ICD-9 code should you report? Is your UDS documentation up to snuff for a payer review?
Get the answers to these questions and much more in this 90 minute webinar set for 10 am CST Thursday, July 15.
Speaker, Marvel J. Hammer RN, BS, CPC, CCS-P PCS, ACS-PM, CHCO, is Owner, MJH Consulting and a Coding, Billing and Compliance Consultant. An accomplished professional with considerable years of experience both in the business and medical fields. As owner of MJH Consulting and a coding, billing and compliance consultant, she provides documentation, coding and account receivable auditing and compliance evaluations.
Click HERE to register
Register today. |
Dr. Falco Named to AMA CPT Advisory Committee |
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Dr. Frank JE Falco was appointed to the AMA CPT Advisory Committee to represent the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians as their primary Advisor.
He was selected to this position by the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees at their June 2010 meeting. The term ends in 2013. Dr. Falco holds the office of Executive Vice President for ASIPP. He is also Medical Director of Mid Atlantic Spine in Newark, DE; and he is also Clinical Assistant Professor at Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia, PA.
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Please Participate in IPM Practice Benchmark Survey |
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We are pleased to announce our second Interventional Pain Management Practice Benchmark Survey.
There is no other source for this information in the Interventional Pain Management community and we must depend on one another for this key practice information. Our purpose is to provide the ASIPP membership with timely information that you can use to compare your practice performance with your peers. The higher the level of participation, the more value the survey will have to our membership.
We urge you to complete the attached Interventional Pain Management 2010 Practice Benchmark Survey and send to Gary Janko at the earliest possible date, but certainly by the submission deadline of September 10, 2010.
Please Send Completed Survey To: ASIPP Practice Benchmark Survey c/o Gary M. Janko Executive Vice President Pain Solutions Management Group 21 Eastman Avenue Bedford, NH 03110
IPM Practice Management Survey |
Early Registration Ends Monday for Chicago: 3 Courses, One Location |
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Register today to attend ASIPP's Comprehensive Pain Medicine and Interventional Pain Management 2010 Board Review Course to be held in the Windy City August 9-14. Meetings will be held at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel.
Register by July 19 to receive special room rates at the Renaissance in Downtown Chicago.
Comprehensive Pain Medicine and Interventional Pain Management 2010 Board Review Course August 9-13, 2010 - Chicago, IL Register | Brochure
Comprehensive Review in: Controlled Substance Management August 9-10, 2010 - Chicago, IL Coding, Compliance, and Practice Management August 12-13, 2010 - Chicago, IL Register | Brochure
Register today |
Comprehensive Imaging Course Set for September |
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Make plans to attend the Comprehensive Imaging Review in Interventional Pain Management & Competency Certification in Fluoroscopic Interpretation and Radiation Safety on September 17-18, 2010, in Memphis, TN.
This comprehensive seminar is designed to provide interventional pain physicians with the ability to understand radiological evaluations and fluoroscopic interpretation. In addition, we offer to all interested physicians the opportunity to sit for a radiation safety competency examination.
This course is an essential component for interventional pain physicians and will provide educational opportunities to assist you in providing high quality, competent, safe, accessible and cost-efficient services to your patients. This course, as with all ASIPP courses, focuses on doing the right things, the right way and for the right reasons.
To receive a specially discounted room rate, make your reservations to attend by Aug. 24, 2010.
Register today. |
Spinal Cord Stimulation Course Slated for September |
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For the first time, the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) and the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) are collaborating to bring you the most focused and comprehensive review course in spinal cord stimulation. We invite you to attend this didactic and hands-on cadaver workshop on September 17-19, 2010 in Memphis, TN.
This state-of-the-art educational program features didactics covering key aspects of spinal cord stimulation as well as a comprehensive hands-on cadaver workshop. This course is designed to meet the credentialing needs of interventional pain physicians but is also valuable to those who want to improve their skills or are new to the procedure and would like to know more.
This in-depth review course and comprehensive spinal cord stimulation cadaver workshop will cover all the important aspects of these techniques and provide a comprehensive overview of the subject, with extensive case discussions, and interaction with the faculty. It is planned as a CME activity to prepare physicians seeking credentialing and as an in-depth review of spinal cord stimulation. During this three-day event, you can improve existing skills and learn new skills.
Register by Aug. 24 to receive specially discounted room rates.
Register now to attend. |
False Claims Charges Dropped in Lawsuit Against Anesthesiologist and Pain Management Specialist |
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False claims charges against two New York City physicians - an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist - have been dropped, according to a press release from the physicians' attorney.
The physicians - anesthesiologist Varuzhan Dovlatya and pain management specialist Serge Menkin - were also facing charges of aiding a non-doctor in the practice of medicine.
A third physician charged in the case - pain management specialist Dima Rozen - is a Canadian doctor and never appeared for an arraignment. He remains at large, according to the release.
Becker ASC Review |
Electronic Spinal Devices to Treat Back Pain Now Used on a Wider Array of Patients |
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For patients suffering from nerve damage or chronic pain, wires implanted in the spinal cord connected to an electronic device can effectively eliminate pain in two-thirds to three-quarters of eligible patients, according to information Brett Stacey, MD, gave in a Los Angeles Times report.
Electronic wire spinal implants have existed since the 1970s, however the therapies have been improved over the years and can now be used for a wide array of patients.
Becker's Orthopedic & Spine |
Physician-Patient E-mail Improves Quality, Study Finds |
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Some doctors have been reluctant to communicate with patients via e-mail, in part because of reimbursement and medical liability concerns. But a new study in Health Affairs provides a compelling case for opening up the inbox to patients: It may improve the quality of care.
Researchers at Kaiser Permanente followed 35,423 patients with diabetes, hypertension, or both, over a two-month period. Those that used e-mail to communicate with their doctors saw a statistically significant improvement in measures from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, a group of performance measures used by the managed care industry.
HealthLeaders Media |
Recorded ASIPP Webinars Available |
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If you missed a previous ASIPP Webinar, you can still view it online or order the CD at http://asipp.peachnewmedia.com/store/provider/provider09.php?. If you had previously registered for the webinar and missed it there will be no additional charge and you can view it at your convenience. The pdf document of the powerpoint presentation is also available. If you need help to access the recorded version you can click HERE to contact our customer support team or call us at 1-866-702-3278.
If you did not register previously, you may order the recorded webinar and view it online at your convenience or order the CD. The pdf document of the presentation will be available, as will the CME and/or CEU credit certification.
Each new webinar will be archived for future reference or purchase. Current webinar topics available are:
- Staying Ahead Of Government Enforcement Efforts. Speaker: Vicki Mykowiak, JD
- Evidence-Based Interventional Techniques: An Algorithmic Approach To Keeping It Simple, Safe, and Successful. Speaker: Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD, ASIPP CEO and Chairman of the Board
- Coding: Be Prepared for 2010. Speaker: Joanne Mehmert CPC, CCC-PM, ACS-PM
Order Webinar |
House Members Call On CMS To Change Hospital Payment Reductions |
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In a letter sent Monday to new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick, 242 House members are calling for the agency to review and change its current proposal to decrease Medicare payments to hospitals by 2.9% in fiscal 2011. The reduction initially was sought to offset earlier overpayments that resulted from changes in the use of new codes.
However, this coding offset assumes that hospital payments have "increased solely due to changes in coding or classification of patients," as opposed to "hospitals' treatment of more complex and more severely ill patients," said the letter, which received bipartisan support. This assertion "fails to take into consideration that hospital patients are indeed sicker."
HealthLeaders Media |
Study: Many Doctors Don't Blow Whistle on Colleagues |
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CHICAGO (AP) - Your doctor could be drunk, addicted to drugs or outright incompetent, but other physicians may not blow the whistle.
A new survey finds that many American physicians fail to report troubled colleagues to authorities, believing that someone else will take care of it, that nothing will happen if they act or that they could be targeted for retribution. A surprising 17% of the doctors surveyed had direct, personal knowledge of an impaired or incompetent physician in their workplaces, said the study's lead author, Catherine DesRoches of Harvard Medical School.
USA Today |
Upcoming State Society Meetings |
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Mark Your Calendar for Georgia State Chapter Meeting
The Annual GSIPP meeting will be August 6-8 at the Lake Oconee Ritz-Carlton at Reynold's Plantation.
Click HERE for more information. Or contact Laurel Smith at lsmith@centersforpain.com. |
Physicians Wanted |
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Visit the ASIPP Web site to find available positions for IPM physicians.
Physicians Wanted |
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American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians ®
81 Lakeview Drive, Paducah, KY 42001
Phone 270.554.9412, Fax 270.554.5394
E-mail asipp@asipp.org
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