October 2, 2008: Medicare Part B 2009 CAP Postponement Article
A Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Matters Special Edition article on the 2009 CAP postponement is now available on the CMS website. Read More...

October 1, 2008: Medicare Publishes Billing Edits to Reduce Payment Errors
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced that, beginning October 1, 2008, it will publish most of the edits utilized in its Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE) program to improve the accuracy of claims payments. Read More...

October 1, 2008: Medicare Won’t Pay for Medical Errors
If an auto mechanic accidentally breaks your windshield while trying to repair the engine, he would never get away with billing you for fixing his mistake. On Wednesday, Medicare will start applying that logic to American medicine on a broad scale when it stops paying hospitals for the added cost of treating patients who are injured in their care. Read More...

September 30, 2008: Crisis of Care on the Front Line of Health
Does your doctor spend time talking to you? Do you see your doctor within 20 minutes of your appointment time? Are you getting the guidance you need to cope with a continuing health problem or multiple overlapping problems? Do you even have a personal physician who monitors your health and treats you promptly with skill and compassion? Read More...

September 26, 2008: Medicare flip-flops, soaring drug prices and doughnut holes
That's for sure. A person needs a spine of steel to figure out the Medicare Part D drug benefit, understand what the doughnut hole is, when she might fall into it, and when she can crawl back out of it. Read More...

Download Bobbi Buell’s ESA Billing and Coding Review Presentation
COA conducted a live web cast presentation on ESA billing and coding in conjunction with Amgen and Ortho Biotech.   Click here to download the slides presented by Bobbi Buell from the COA Administrators' Network.  Simply login to the Network or register if you have not done so already to download the slides.

Register for Community Oncology Conference, February 5-7, 2009!
The 4th annual Community Oncology Conference is moving to Scottsdale, Arizona next year. Click here to learn more about this unique gathering of community oncology practices from around the country. Read More...

Call Congress TODAY to Exclude Prompt Pay Discounts from ASP

Call your Members of Congress in both the Senate and the House to exclude the prompt pay discount (PPD) from the calculation of Average Sales Price (ASP). The PPD artificially reduces both Medicare and private pay drug reimbursement based on ASP. Congress has already removed the PPD from the calculation of Average Manufacturer Price (AMP). The inclusion of the PPD in ASP results in most drugs being reimbursed for less than cost, according to a recent analysis.

Congress has 2 weeks of legislative activity before recessing for the elections. It is critical that all involved with community oncology practices call their Members of Congress to get the prompt pay solution included in legislation that Congress will pass before the election recess. We provide details, instructions, and supportive materials. Read More...

October 3, 2008: U.S. health care improved in '07
Insurers covering Utah make some gains, losses, committee says Read More...

October 2, 2008: RID Applauds Medicare's New Payment Rule, Urges New York and All States to Follow
The Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID) commends Medicare, the government health plan for the elderly and people with disabilities, on its bold new policy. Starting today, Medicare will not pay the extra costs of treating certain preventable hospital-acquired infections and medical errors. Read More...

October 2, 2008: Beating Breast Cancer
Not too long ago, I had my first real brush with the possibility of breast cancer. Read More...

September 30, 2008: Under Sweeping Settlement, Cephalon Will Disclose Doctor Payments
Cephalon is paying $444 million to settle long-running state and federal probes of its sales and marketing practices. The company also agreed to plead guilty to promoting painkiller Actiq, narcolepsy pill Provigil and the epilepsy treatment Gabitril for uses that weren’t approved by FDA. Read More...

September 30, 2008: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro: Judge Approves Two National Classes in AWP Drug Litigation
Two major pharmaceutical companies are facing the fire this week after U.S. District Judge Patti Saris approved two national classes in the Average Wholesale Price litigation, allowing plaintiffs to pursue litigation against AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Read More...

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