ASIPP Webinars

Don't Miss Out - If You Missed Any ASIPP Webinar You Can Still Register For Your Recorded Version

Recorded ASIPP Webinars Are Now Available
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:

• Documentation, Billing and Coding for Interventional Techniques: A Sensible, Safe Approach: Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD, ASIPP CEO and Chairman of the Board

• 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
• Staying Ahead Of Government Enforcement Efforts. Speaker: Vicki Mykowiak, JD
• Coding: Be Prepared for 2010. Speaker: Joanne Mehmert CPC, CCC-PM, ACS-PM
• Interventional Pain Management Legislative Session: Current Issues And The Impact To You

Now you can register for all past ASIPP Webinars or order CDs by Clicking here.

Noridian Lumbar Facet Blocks Draft Policy Favorable

Great News! Noridian Administrative Services proposed a draft policy for lumbar facet blocks which is very positive and favorable to ASIPP's position. ASIPP decided it was in the best interest of interventional pain management that it submit it's own proposed LCD while the multi-society alliance, consisting of 12 or 14 societies, submitted a separate letter.

Noridian Administrative Services Proposed Draft Policy: 

http://www.asipp.org/Noridian/2010NordianDraftpolicy.pdf.

The new policy correlates extremely well with what ASIPP has presented with the exception of radiofrequency neurotomy; the duration is 9 months between 2 neurotomies.

This policy allows appropriate diagnostic management with 4 facet joint injections either intraarticular injections or medial branch blocks per year in the therapeutic phase.

ASIPP Proposed Policy:
http://www.asipp.org/Noridian/ASIPPProposedFacetJointLCD.pdf

Multi-society proposed Policy:

http://www.asipp.org/Noridian/MultisocietyproposedLCD%20082809.pdf

ASA proposed Policy:
http://www.asipp.org/Noridian/ASAProposedLCDforFacets083109.pdf

Thus, you may want to compare the policy submitted by ASIPP with the one enacted; these two appear more similar than the side-by-side comparison with the multisociety policy.

The Noridian policy will start accepting comments on the present proposal on 5/11/2010 and the comment period will end 08/23/2010.

Once again, this illustrates that evidence and comparative effectiveness research is extremely important. Using Lincoln's philosophy, "We will stand with anybody who stands right. We will stand with them while they are right, and part with them when they are wrong".

Payment Rates 2010
The good news is that interventional pain management professionals have finally won the 10-year fight on increasing practice expense (PE) value. The bad news is that surgery centers are still not being paid fair reimbursements for procedures, such as discography, which are not covered under CMS guidelines. For more information on Practice, Physician, ASC and HOPD Payment Rates 2010, click to view Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti’s letter to ASIPP membership.

Who is your IPM CAC Representative?
In March 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid mandated that Interventional Pain Management become the 34th medical specialty represented on state Carrier Advisory Committees (CAC), which make local decisions about Medicare coverage. It spite of the great efforts it took to secure this position, many states are still unrepresented.

It is critical that IPM have representation in every state. Do you know who your representative is? More Information on CACs.

Change Your Specialty Designation
Use the CMS Form to Change your Specialty Designation to 09 - Interventional Pain Management

We are faced with the need to increase our 09 Interventional Pain Management specialty designation. Currently CMS claims there are too few IPM physicians, which negatively affects our reimbursement. Interventional Pain Physicians can now change their specialty code designation to 09 utilizing the CMS form CMS855I - see page 8, section D.

Need To Know Your Elected Officials?
Stay on top of the issues affecting interventional pain management, know your elected and appointed officials and contact the media in your area. You can make a difference by getting involved! Find out who represents you on Capitol Hill, go to Capwiz: http://www.asipp.org/Alert.htm

The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians is Committed to Promoting Awareness and Understanding of Interventional Pain Management Through a Multitude of Media Events and Public Relations Efforts

The Following is a Sample of Communications:

• View Dr. David Kloth on Fox Business Happy Hour discussing the rationing of care by TriCare, a government-backed managed care provider.

• Dr. Scott Glaser, interventional pain physician and ASIPP Board member joins the show, HealthRadio, to discuss what should be done to reduce the amount of unnecessary deaths due to pain medication addictions. Click here to listen.

• Dr. David Kloth on Fox's Strategy Room discussing Michael Jackson.

• Dr. Kloth’s video on IPM is now available on the The Doctors Channel.

• Health Radio’s Spine Universe. Click here to listen.
• Health Team Channel 8 on drug monitoring programs. Click here for an online video of the interview and a printed article of the same interview.

• Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti’s interview with Dailyfinance.com
• Videos on the Doctors Channel regarding NASPER
• Dr. Manchikanti’s interview with American Medical News

• Dr. Kloth interviews with Dr. DeSilva on Health Radio about the number of electronic devices in use continuing to climb and the increase of a new ailment called Cubital Tunnel Syndrome or “Cell Phone” Elbow.

• Dr. Kloth was on SIRIUS Doctor radio Monday, June 8th, 8:30am to 9am EST.
• Dr. Manchikanti’s radio interview with Dr. Mary Zennett of Health Matters about NASPER.

• Tabloid Insert in the Chicago Tribune on Back Pain and IPM.