Academy News
ICD-10 Goes Into Effect Tomorrow, October 1
ICD-10 is here – make sure you’re prepared by reviewing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ICD-10 website and Roadto10.org for the latest news and resources, including the ICD-10 Quick Start Guide. You can also sign up for CMS ICD-10 Email Updates.
Don’t forget that your Academy offers ICD-10 Crosswalk sheets, which contain the top 100 codes in 4 different PM&R clinical areas (Central Nervous System Rehabilitation, General and Medical Rehabilitation, Musculoskeletal and Pain/Neuromuscular Medicine, and Pediatric Rehabilitation/Developmental Disabilities).Members receive more than a 40% discount off the regular purchase price.
CMS Provides Alternatives for Providers Who Have Difficulties Submitting ICD-10 Claims
All services provided on or after October 1 are required to have an ICD-10 diagnosis code. ICD-9 codes will no longer be accepted on those services. If you have problems submitting claims using ICD-10 codes, CMS has provided possible alternatives in their MedLearn Matters Article SE1522, “Claims Submission Alternatives for Providers Who Have Difficulties Submitting ICD-10 Claims.” Read the full article here.
Please note that these alternatives still require you to use ICD-10 coding. Claims submitted after the effective date for ICD-10 implementation that use ICD-9 codes will be rejected.
AAPM&R’s Annual Assembly Starts Tomorrow
The 2015 Annual Assembly in Boston is underway! Whether you’ll be joining us or can’t make it this year, we invite you to stay up-to-date on everything happening at the Assembly by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter- use #AAPMR2015.
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Tickets are Still Available!
Be sure to consider attending the workshops offered during the Assembly. Keep in mind that these require a separate ticket, which you can purchase at the registration desk on level 2. You can also check the ticket exchange board near registration to see if any are available for a workshop you would like to attend.
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Job Fair Tonight
Don’t miss the largest PM&R-specific career fair in the country! More than 100 institutions and practices will be represented. Join us at 6 pm in the Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B, Plaza Level.
2016 Call for Innovative Proposals is Now Open
Your Academy invites you to submit a proposal for an educational session at the 2016 Annual Assembly that incorporates innovative learning to enhance the traditional lecture-based format. The Program Planning Committee encourages proposals that incorporate techniques such as polling the audience, roundtable discussion, role-playing, and hands-on skill application. The deadline for submission is Friday, November 20, at 11:59 pm (CT).
Learn more about the submission process here. Note: the only way to submit your proposal is online.
PQRS Complimentary Webinar on October 7 at 10 am CT
There is still time to avoid the 2015 PQRS penalty!The Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) is hosting a complimentary webinar on the PQRSwizard, an online CMS-qualified registry for PQRS participation. Register now!
PQRSwizardhelps guide you through a few easy steps to quickly collect, validate, and report your PQRS data to CMS. PQRSwizard’sdata collection tools are easy-to-use, whether your practice uses a paper-based system or an electronic medical records system. More information about the program, including a guided tour of the wizard, will be provided during the webinar.
Plus, don’t forget about your Academy’s PQRSwizard®. Members receive an exclusive discount – take advantage today!
AAPM&R Endorses Call to Action to Eliminate Physicians’ Firearms “Gag Laws”
AAPM&R has endorsed the paper, Firearm-Related Injury and Death in the United States: A Call to Action from 8 Health Professional Organizations and the American Bar Association, for its stance on remediating intrusions on physician-patient relationships.
Current state and federal mandates and laws interfere with physician free speech and affect the physician-patient relationship by forbidding the discussion of a patient’s gun ownership. Your Academy agrees with the paper’s proposed recommendations to remove the communication restrictions so that physicians can speak freely with patients in a nonjudgmental manner about firearms and advise them on the course of behaviors that promote health and safety. View the full paper here.
2016 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Update Webinar
AAPM&R and AMRPA Present: 2016 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Update - What is the Impact?
Wednesday, October 21
7 pm-8 pm CT
On July 31, 2015, CMS issued a final rule outlining fiscal year 2016 Medicare payment policies and rates for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System and the IRF Quality Reporting Program. Your Academy, in collaboration with the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association, will summarize the FY 2016 final policies during this October webinar. Register now!
Fostering a Community of Musculoskeletal Educators - Project 1000
Since its inception, the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) has promoted excellence in medical education on the musculoskeletal system and diseases of the bones and joints.To meet this goal, the USBJI has embarked on a new effort called Project 1000. Project 1000 will identify 1,000 local champions of musculoskeletal education throughout the country, seeking at least 1 faculty member from every school, all contributing to a Community of Musculoskeletal Educators.
If you teach a subject related to musculoskeletal medicine (clinical, basic science or other) and consider this an important part or your professional life, please sign up here.
CMS Provides Web-Based Training Course on Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing (CB)
This training is designed to provide education for providers, suppliers, and other health care professionals about SNF CB requirements. It includes payment information for the majority of services provided to beneficiaries in a Medicare-covered SNF stay, including most services provided by entities other than the SNF. To access the training, go to MLN Products, scroll to the bottom of the page under “Related Links,” and click on “Web-Based Training Courses.”
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