2012-11-06

This site provides the hematology practitioner with the latest information about ASH products and services and tools to help you protect and improve your reimbursement, improve quality of care for your patients, and understand policy changes affecting your practice. 

November Features

New Medicare Regulations Benefit Hematologists; ASH Advocacy Improved Physician Payment

On November 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published three final regulations of importance to Hematologists:

1. Medicare's Physician Fee Schedule for CY 2013
2. Medicare's Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System for CY 2013
3. Medicaid Payment for Services Furnished by Certain Primary Care Physicians and Charges for Vaccine Administration

ASH's advocacy efforts were instrumental in making cognitive specialists such as hematologists eligible for the enhanced payments within the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule. Payment rates for hematology/oncology services will increase by two percent based on the changes made in this rule. In addition, CMS proposed payment for two new codes for transitional care management (TCM) services provided to patients being discharged from acute, rehabilitation, or long-term acute hospital stays into the community. Primary care providers and specialists can bill these for new services within 30 days following discharge. The Medicaid rule implements a provision of the Affordable Care Act stipulating that Medicaid reimbursement for certain primary care services equal Medicare rates in 2013 and 2014. While originally thought to only apply to physicians who are board-certified in family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics, the final Medicaid rule included subspecialists in these fields and will result in increased payments for adult and pediatric hematologists. Read more.

These changes do not factor in the looming 27 percent cut in Medicare physician payment if Congress does not avert scheduled cuts by January 1, 2013. Additional advocacy is needed to assure that physician payment is not cut in January. Please visit ASH's Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Representative and Senators today. 

ASH's 2012 Clinical Practice Guide on Red Blood Cell Transfusion is Available

ASH's newest pocket-sized quick reference guide on red blood cell transfusion is available to State Society members. The guide was adapted from "Red Blood Cell Transfusion: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the AABB" Ann Intern Med. 2012; 157: 49-58.

To obtain hard copies of the ASH 2012 Clinical Practice Guide on Red Blood Cell Transfusion, please contact ASH Policy & Practice Coordinator Patrick C. Irelan at pirelan@hematology.org.

Below is a complete list of previously published pocket guides:

• 2011 Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) 
• 2011 Clinical Practice Guide on Anticoagulant Dosing and Management of Anticoagulant-Associated Bleeding Complications in Adults 
• 2009 Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) 
• 2008 Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of von Willebrand Disease 

ASH also has developed mobile downloads of the pocket guides on Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) and Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) so that you can easily access information from your smart phones and tablets. Coming soon: a mobile download of ASH's von Willebrand Disease quick reference guide.

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