November 2006 Practice Update

Special Practice-Related Events at the 48th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition
ASH is proud to sponsor several special practice-related events at the annual meeting in Orlando December 9-12. These include:

• Special Symposium: Bleeding Disorders in Women's Health
  Saturday, December 9, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. OCCC West Building Halls F3/F4
• Practice Forum and Reception: Pay-for-Performance: Are You Ready?
  Saturday, Dec. 9, 6:00 p.m. OCCC West Building Rooms 315 & 314
• ASH Grassroots Network Breakfast
  Sunday, Dec. 10, 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Rosen Centre, Ballroom G

Complete details about these events are available on the ASH Web site.

Clinically Relevant Abstracts
This year ASH has provided a new tool for practitioners to identify meeting information that has near term implications for practitioners. ASH abstract reviewers identified all clinically relevant abstracts and noted this on the online abstracts book. Consequently there is a new tool available to focus on clinically relevant abstracts that the Society believes will be of value to members.

2007 Cuts to Medicare Payment Cuts Expected
It is looking increasingly more likely that the Congress will not pass legislation to provide a positive physician payment update or prevent the 5 percent scheduled Medicare cut. A new proposal that was floated around Capitol Hill last week would provide for a three-to-six-month payment freeze at 2006 payment levels and the possibility of a positive update only for practices that report quality measures. If this proposal survives, physicians would see a temporary zero payment update, which would expire between March and June 2007. It would then be up to the new Democratic led Congress to resolve the payment update issue. Congress is scheduled to return to Washington in early December. ASH continues to advocate for a pay fix before the end of the year and urges all physicians to contact Congress now to prevent the cuts. Visit the ASH Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Representative and Senators. ASH also will provide the latest legislative information about the cuts and the link to quality reporting during the Practice Forum and Reception at the ASH 48th Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Meeting of the Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee (MCAC)
CMS will conduct a MCAC on reconsideration of the Medicare clinical trials policy December 13 in Baltimore, MD. The MCAC will discuss proposed changes to the Medicare clinical trial policy and review the set of standards for qualified studies; recommend processes through which a trial is determined to meet those standards; and advise on the items and services provided to Medicare beneficiaries in qualified studies. ASH will attend this meeting and report back details through the Practice Update.

Local Coverage News and Concerns
If you are experiencing problems with your local carrier or have state society news relevant to local coverage issues that you would like ASH to include in the Practice Update and share with practitioners, please contact ASH Practice Advocacy Manager Pamela Ferraro at pferraro@hematology.org.