2010-02-26
Contact the Senate Now to Stop the 21 Percent
Medicare Physician Payment Cut
On March 1, 2010, Medicare payments to
doctors are scheduled to be cut by 21 percent unless the Senate acts. It is
critical that senators hear from their physician
constituents. Please contact your senator
today. Read more.
FDA Announces New Safety Program for Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents
The Food and Drug Administration
is requiring all erythropoiesis-stimulating agents to be prescribed and used
under a risk management program, known as a risk evaluation and mitigation
strategy, to ensure the safe use of these drugs. Read
more.
President Obama and Congress Convene Health Reform Summit
The White House and Democratic and Republican
congressional leadership convened a televised summit February 25, 2010, intended to break the
gridlock on health-care reform. Read more.
ASH
Shares Support of BCR-ABL1 Testing in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
ASH has responded to two
federal requests regarding BCR-ABL1 mutation testing in chronic myeloid
leukemia. Read more.
The Social Security Administration
Expands Its List of Compassionate Allowances
The
Social Security Administration list of Compassionate
Allowances provides a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical
conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security
Income disability benefits. It allows the agency to electronically target and
make speedy decisions for the most obviously disabled individuals.
This expedited process could benefit some hematology patients.
2010 PQRI and E-Prescribing
Incentive Program National
Provider Call With Q&A Session
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Provider
Communications Group will host a national provider conference call on the 2010
Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and Electronic Prescribing
Incentive Program. This toll-free call will take place from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
EST, on Wednesday, March 10, 2010. Call participants can register and access a transcript one week after the call on
the CMS Web site.
Medicare Revises Its Definition of Compendia for
Off-Label Indications in Anticancer Chemotherapeutic Regimens
CMS will now require a publicly transparent process for
evaluating therapies and for identifying potential conflicts of interest for
its approved Compendia
as Authoritative Source for Use in the Determination of a Medically Accepted
Indication of Drugs/Biologicals Used Off-Label in Anticancer Chemotherapeutic
Regimens.
Medicare Releases Quarterly Correct
Coding Initiative Update
CMS has released its Quarterly Update to the
Correct Coding Initiative. These updates will go into effect April 1, 2010.
Don’t Miss the Official Highlights of ASH®
Latin America
Once again, ASH has partnered with the
Associaçáo Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia to bring the second
consecutive Highlights
of ASH Latin America to Brazil. Join your fellow practitioners at this
unique, clinically-focused event on May 14-15, 2010, in Rio de Janeiro, and
hear world-renowned experts discuss advances in treatment of hematologic diseases,
focusing on questions that are particularly relevant to the Latin American
audience. The program
schedule is available on the ASH Web site. Be sure to register by March 19
to receive the early-bird registration discount.
