July 7th FLASCO Flash

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Clinical Practice Updates

HHS Announces Physician Groups Selected for an Initiative Promoting Better Cancer Care
HHS Oncology Care Model attracts almost twice the expected number of physician group practices
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced that it has selected nearly 200 physician group practices and 17 health insurance companies to participate in a care delivery model that supports and encourages higher quality and more coordinated cancer care. The Medicare arm of the Oncology Care Model includes more than 3,200 oncologists and will cover approximately 155,000 Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. The Oncology Care Model begins on July 1, 2016 and runs through June 30, 2021. Click here to read more

Florida participating practices are listed below:

• Mid Florida Hematology and Oncology, Orange City, FL
• Emerald Coast Cancer Center, Fort Walton Beach, FL
• Cancer Specialists, LLC, Jacksonville, FL
• Florida Cancer Specialists, PL, Fort Myers, FL
• MSMC Oncology, LLC, Miami Beach, FL
• BayCare Medical Group, St. Petersburg, FL
• Stuart Oncology Associates, PA, Stuart, FL
• Health First Medical Group, Titusville, FL
• South Broward Hospital District d/b/a Memorial Physician Group Division of Cancer Institute, Hollywood, FL

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Provider Enrollment Revalidation Cycle 2
All Medicare Part A and B providers are required to recertify the accuracy of their enrollment information every five years through a process known as revalidation. The initial five year revalidation cycle was completed in 2015 and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began Cycle 2 in March 2016. CMS implemented improvements to streamline the revalidation process during Cycle 2. One enhancement is that CMS is establishing due dates with six months of advance notice for when the revalidation application must be received to remain compliant with Medicare’s provider enrollment requirements. CMS posts the due dates for all currently enrolled providers in the Medicare Revalidation Lookup Tool at Data.CMS.gov/revalidation. A due date of “TBD” means that CMS has not set the date yet. Please do not send a revalidation application if there is NOT a listed due date. First Coast will return any unsolicited revalidation applications received earlier than six months before the due date, or when a due date is not yet listed.

The Revalidation Lookup Tool is updated every 60 days, so we encourage providers to check the tool periodically and respond timely once your due date is established. First Coast is also issuing notices by mail to providers two-three months before the due date.

Legislative Updates

ASCO Resolutions Supported by AMA House of Delegates
At the American Medical Association’s (AMA) annual House of Delegates meeting, delegates approved four resolutions submitted by ASCO, demonstrating the entire medical community’s commitment to key cancer care priorities. These resolutions have been incorporated into the AMA’s policy system and will help guide the organization’s decision-making and action on these issues in the future. ASCO’s delegates at the AMA House of Delegates include: Edward P. Balaban, DO, FACP, FASCO, and Thomas A. Marsland, MD, FASCO (FLASCO member). The society’s alternate delegates also participated in this meeting: Ray Page, DO, PhD, FACOI, and Kristina L. Maletz Novick, MD. Steve Y. Lee, MD, participated as a Resident and Fellow Section delegate. The ASCO resolutions that passed included Opposition to the Medicare Part B Demonstration, Oppositions to USP 800, Clinical Pathways, and MACRA and the High Cost of Drugs. For more on the recent AMA meeting, please visit ASCO in Action.

Oncology Group Lays Out Basis For Potential Lawsuit If Part B Drug Pay Demo Proceeds
The Community Oncology Alliance has warned CMS to expect a possible lawsuit should the agency move forward with the proposed Part B drug cost-control demonstration, previewing its potential legal case in a letter to the agency. read press release »

FLASCO Program Update

Register Today!
Memorial Cancer Institute Best of ASCO® will be held on July 8-10, 2016, at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami. FLASCO is co-sponsoring this event. A FLASCO and MCI session, dedicated to healthcare changes in the oncology practice, has been added for the 2016 event.
View Event
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11th Annual New Orleans Summer Cancer Meeting
“Making Cancer Research Count for Patients”
FLASCO Member, Edgardo S. Santos, M.D., FACP, Conference Director, is inviting all FLASCO members to attend the 10th Annual New Orleans Summer Cancer Meeting being held on July 22-24, 2016, at The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans. MEC is offering FLASCO members a 50% discount on the registration fee. To register at the 50% discount, please complete the registration page and fax to 305-675-2718 or scan and send to tvalls@meccinc.com.
View Event

FLASCO Membership Updates

In an effort to increase engagement among physicians, clinicians and administration (including attendance at events), the FLASCO Board, is extending complimentary membership for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and office staff from practices, academic centers and hospitals in the oncology community through December 31, 2018.

Membership Benefits Include:

• CME/CEU Opportunities
• Discounted Registration Fees with
• Partnering Groups, both National and Regional
• Payers and Legislators Listen when there is a Consolidated Voice
• Timely Oncology Focused Information through Emails/Website/Blast
• Assistance with Clinical Practice/Reimbursement Issues
• Automatic Membership in ACCC
• Networking Opportunities
• Opportunity to Advertise Events/Job Opportunities and Share News

To keep this complimentary membership active FLASCO members are encouraged to participate in at least one FLASCO event/initiative per year or make a minimum contribution of $50 to the FLASCO Foundation, Inc.

National Association News

LLS and American Society of Hematology Announce Collaboration Against Deadly Form of Leukemia
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) are teaming up to raise awareness and provide education about the need for new treatments for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), one of the most deadly blood cancers that has not seen a change in the standard of care for more than 40 years. LLS is leading the charge to change the paradigm of treatment for patients with AML. ASH will assist LLS in its efforts to make both patients and healthcare practitioners aware of the importance and availably of AML clinical trials, a critical step in the development of new treatments. ASH will also collaborate with LLS to inform physicians and other healthcare providers about the services LLS offers AML patients and families, particularly through LLS’s Information Resource Center, a toll-free call center staffed with master’s level healthcare professionals armed with the latest information about blood cancers.

New Sickle Cell Trait Fact Sheets Available
ASH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of American recently added new fact sheets to their Sickle Cell Trait Toolkit. The toolkit is a collection of resources to increase understanding of sickle cell trait. There are new fact sheets designed for both patients and providers on the following subjects:

Advanced Practitioner News

Florida Physician Assistant Update:
Governor Scott signed HB 375 into law on Monday, March 28, 2016. It relates to Physician Assistants (PA) and includes the following changes to the law:

• At renewal, PA must acknowledge that he/she has completed a minimum of ten (10) hours continuing medical education in the specialty practice in which the PA has prescriptive privileges. A signed affidavit is no longer required.
• PA may perform services delegated by the supervising physician in the PA’s practice in accordance with his/her education and training unless expressly prohibited under Chapter 458, Florida Statutes or the rules adopted by the Board of Medicine or Chapter 459, Florida Statutes or the rules adopted by the Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
• Prescriptions may be written in paper or electronic form but must comply with sections 456.0392(1) and 456.42(1), Florida Statutes.
• Changes to requirements for licensure:
• No longer need two letters of recommendation;
• No longer required to submit a sworn, notarized statement regarding criminal history; and
• Deletes obsolete provisions related to administering a licensure examination for certain foreign-trained PA
• applicants.

These changes affect PA’s that practice with allopathic physicians and osteopathic physicians.
View Bill Here

Fellow News

ASTRO Travel Award Available- Last Chance to Apply
Award Opportunity! Throughout the year FLASCO offers the opportunity for FLASCO member Fellows and Residents to submit applications for Travel Awards. If you have plans to attend the ASTRO annual meeting, please take a moment to review the flyer for submission requirements and directions. You may apply for more than one a year and previous recipients are welcome to reapply. Good luck!

Thank you for your desire to learn! It is our sincere hope that FLASCO is providing a great service to Florida’s Fellows and Residents. If you have suggestions to share about how we may better serve you, please do not hesitate to contact the FLASCO office. Use this link to access the application requirements: FLASCO Travel Award Call

DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JULY 7, 2016

Drug, Device & Industry News

NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER NETWORK® NCCN CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES IN ONCOLOGY (NCCN GUIDELINES®

• Rituximab (RITUXAN® for first-line maintenance therapy (one 375 mg/m2 dose every 2 months for 2 years) in follicular lymphoma patients initially presenting with high tumor burden

Note: Category 1 designation is given based upon high-level evidence and uniform NCCN consensus that the intervention is appropriate.

For full definitions of the NCCN Categories of Evidence and Consensus, please refer to the NCCN Guidelines, available online at www.nccn.org.
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[column type=”1/2″ style=”margin-bottom: 32px;”]Drug Code Directory
[/column][column type=”1/2″ style=”margin-bottom: 32px;”]Drug Shortages[/column]

Admin Updates

FLASCO Members:
Put Down the Phone and Retire the Sticky Notes with Availity’s Real-time Web Portal

Webinar Description
Are you spending too much time on the phone with health plans? Do you have too many sticky notes or bookmarked websites to sort through? Are you finding it tougher to balance patient care with administrative tasks? Join this webinar to learn how to leverage Availity’s Web Portal for faster access to essential real-time eligibility, authorization, and claims management for multiple health plans.

You’ll learn how to use Availity’s free Web Portal tools to:

• Quickly verify eligibility and benefits (e&b) for local and national commercial and government health plans. Use quick links to additional payer tools right from the e&b response.
• Submit and inquire on authorizations and referrals using multi-payer tools and quickly access links to AIM, NIA, and more.
• File claims and check the status of claims.
• Access critical and relevant payer resources while logged into Availity—including medical coverage guidelines,
• …and more.

During this 45-minute webinar, watch and listen as an expert trainer shares insider knowledge about navigating the Web Portal, viewing real-time response returned by health plans, and keeping integrated links to many of the tools you need at your fingertips.

Educational Opportunities

2016 ASH Meeting on Hematologic Malignancies
The next ASH Meeting on Hematologic Malignancies, the only meeting with the unique “How I Treat” format, will take place September 16-17, 2016 in Chicago. Hear top experts discuss the latest developments in clinical care for hematologic malignancies, get answers to your most challenging cases, earn CME and MOC credit, and network with speakers and fellow attendees. Abstracts submitted to this meeting will be eligible for submission to the 2016 ASH Annual Meeting. Visit the website for more information and for a list of program speakers, and check out this video playlist to hear even more program details from the co-chairs, speakers, and previous attendees.

26th Annual Mayo Clinic Hematology/Oncology Reviews
July 27-30, 2016 – Ritz-Carlton – Amelia Island, FL
Gerardo Colon-Otero, M.D. invites you to attend the 26th Annual Mayo Clinic Hematology/Oncology Reviews. This course is a comprehensive review of hematology/oncology that focuses on the clinical application of new research developments over the preceding year. Didactic presentations will be case based. Attendees will leave with up-to-date, practical information which will have immediate clinical application. The most important clinical management questions in hematology/oncology will also be addressed in highly interactive sessions. Register Now!

MACRA Updates

COA Files Comments on MACRA
On Monday, COA filed comments on the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, also known as MACRA. Among other things, COA’s comments request that CMS delay implementation of the baseline year in MACRA from 2017 until 2018, and consider the Oncology Care Model (OCM) and the Oncology Medical Home (OMH) be recognized as Alternative Payment Models (APMs). Read the full comment letter here.
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Reforming Oncology Reimbursement in Congressional Spotlight Following MACRA Rule
In a statement submitted for the House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Health May 11 hearing titled, “Implementation of Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA),” ASCO provided thoughts on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed MACRA rule that will guide major changes in Medicare physician reimbursement, based on resource utilization, quality and value measures, and meaningful use policy.

Patient Advocacy

Corporate Updates

FLASCO Events

National Events

Local & Regional Events

Thank you for supporting FLASCO!