January 2008 Practice Update

Medicare 2008 Physician Reimbursement Information
The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 made several changes affecting payments to physicians. Overall, there will be a 0.5 percent increase to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor beginning January 1 through June 30, 2008, instead of the (negative) -10.1 percent that was scheduled to take place. The originally scheduled (negative) -10.1 percent update to the physician fee schedule is now scheduled to become effective July 1, 2008. Your Medicare contractors will begin to process claims with January 2008 dates of service with the new fees beginning January 7, 2008.

The new fees are expected to be posted on your local contractor’s Web site no later than January 11, 2008. The "Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up" link on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Web site, which allows you to customize your search, will be updated with the new 2008 fees during the week of January 21, 2008. However, the carrier specific public use files are available now on the CMS Web site for the new 2008 MPFS rates.

ASH’s summary of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 is available on the Policy and Practice News page.

LEGISLATIVE OUTLOOK: ASH will work with other specialty societies and organized medicine to prevent the scheduled cuts from being implemented. This will require that legislation be enacted before July 1. Additional information and online advocacy tools will be forwarded to ASH members shortly.

Physician Bonuses for Participation in Medicare PQRI Program Continue
The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) that went into effect on July 1, 2007, remains in effect for 2008. Eligible professionals who participate in 2008 will continue to receive a bonus payment of 1.5 percent of total allowed charges from the Medicare Part B Trust Fund. The PQRI resources page on the ASH Web site has been updated to reflect the latest information about the 2008 program. In particular, there is new information about two health information technology measures in addition to the four hematology-specific measures already highlighted on the site.

ASH Analysis of the 2008 Physician Fee Schedule and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Rule Available Online
For more information, please see the summaries of the 2008 Final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rule and the 2008 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Rule on the ASH Website.

ESA Update: Physician Resources
To view the ASH/ASCO 2007 Clinical Practice Guideline Update on the use of Epoetin and Darbepoetin, visit Blood Online . ASH’s Model Policy on Myelodysplastic Syndromes for Local Medicare Carriers is available from the Policy and Practice Resources section of the ASH Web site.

Outlook for Medicare Coverage of ESAs: It is expected that FDA’s Oncology Drug Advisory Committee will review additional issues concerning the safety of ESAs at its March meeting. ASH will continue to keep members apprised of any new data or concerns that are raised and any further proposed changes to Medicare coverage.

To further help practitioners navigate the clinical issues surrounding ESAs, ASH developed a pocket-sized quick reference summarizing its 2007 guideline. This quick reference can be ordered online for free or downloaded.

ASH Recommends Sickle Cell Disease Research Agenda and Network
ASH workshop develops research agenda for sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathies. For more information, please see the sickle cell disease policy statement on the ASH Web site.

NIH Sponsors Consensus Development Conference on Hydroxyurea Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) of the National Institutes of Health are sponsoring a Consensus Development Conference on Hydroxyurea Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease on February 25–27, 2008. To learn more about the conference and see a full agenda visit the NIH conference Web site.

Register for Highlights of ASH
Don’t miss Highlights of ASH in either Seattle, WA, on February 1-2 or in Austin, TX, on February 8-9. During these meetings you will hear renowned experts present their analyses of the most influential studies from the 2007 ASH Annual Meeting. Advance registration ends on January 25. Don't delay – register today.