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-RSL Matters-
ICD-10 Now in Effect
ICD-10 is finally a reality. The AAAAI was well prepared for this event and created a variety of tools to assist your offices in the successful transition to the new billing code system. Look below for a link to the AAAAI's ICD-10 coding page where you can access these and other resources. As we move forward, the AAAAI wants to hear your comments and concerns about ICD-10. There will also be two ICD-10 webinars in the next few weeks.
Two ICD-10 Webinars Coming Soon
Taking place Wednesday, November 4 at 9:00 pm ET, "Readiness Review of ICD-10: The Basics" will revisit recommended steps to successfully transition to ICD-10. The second webinar, "Addressing Issues in Implementing ICD-10," will take place Tuesday, November 10 at 9:00 pm ET and will respond to your current ICD-10 questions and concerns. Submit your questions to coding@aaaai.org by Thursday, October 29. Both webinars will be presented by AAAAI coding consultant Teresa Thompson, CPC, CMSCS, CCCC. Registration for these webinars is free and a member benefit; no CME or CE credit will be provided. Staff from member practices can also attend for free.
Download Updated AAAAI ICD-10 Superbill Template
Download and customize the AAAAI ICD-10 Superbill template to reflect your practice's most common diagnoses and frequently used ICD-10 codes. This important practice tool has been developed for AAAAI members by coding expert Teresa Thompson, CPC, CMSCS, CCCC, and has been enthusiastically received by small practices and solo practices alike. If you have already downloaded it, it is recommended that you download it again. It has recently been updated based on member feedback.
School Access to Epinephrine Laws Continue to Pass
Now that schools are back in session, we continue to make progress in raising awareness of the need for epinephrine access in the school setting. Laws have been passed mandating the availability of epinephrine injectors in California and are being considered in other states. The AAAAI has been involved in these initiatives, providing letters of support and other materials to the community for optimal implementation. Let us know how we can help in your community to provide access to epinephrine for your patients with food and insect hypersensitivity.
-Advocacy Matters-
Contact Your Representative Regarding NIH Funding
Congress recently approved a Continuing Resolution to keep the government operating through mid-December. In the coming months, the White House and Congressional leaders will be negotiating terms for a final FY 2016 budget. With regard to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there is a significant gap between what the Senate and House Appropriations Committees have proposed. NIH would receive a $32 billion budget (a $2 billion increase) under the Senate bill and a $1.1 billion increase in the House bill. Now is the time to contact your Representative in the House to ask him or her to support the maximum level of funding for NIH in FY 2016.
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Practice Changers
We have partnered with the editors of JACI: In Practice to bring you monthly "Practice Changers" from recently published journal articles.
Highlighting cutting-edge information keeps you current and assists you in educating patients and physicians who rely on the expertise of our specialty!
Oral Phenylephrine HCl for Nasal Congestion in Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized, Open-Label, Placebo-Controlled Study. By Eli O. Meltzer et al.
Oral phenylephrine hydrochloride (PE HCl) is widely used to treat nasal congestion, yet its efficacy has been questioned by the scientific community. Healthy adults with seasonal allergic rhinitis (N=539) were randomized to treatment with PE HCl 10-mg tablets at fixed doses from 10–40 mg, or placebo, taken every 4 hours for 7 days. None of the doses showed statistically significant differences in nasal congestion scores compared with placebo. The FDA should consider revision of the Final Monograph (21 CFR part 341): Cold, Cough, Allergy, Bronchodilator, and Antiasthmatic Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use.
Similar Efficacy with Omalizumab in Chronic Idiopathic/Spontaneous Urticaria Despite Different Background Therapy. By Thomas B. Casale et al.
Pooled efficacy and safety data from nearly 1,000 patients included in the Phase III program assessing omalizumab in the treatment of refractory chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) demonstrated a similar improvement in CIU symptoms with omalizumab 300 mg regardless of background therapy. Complete remission of symptoms was reported by up to 40% of patients with at least 50% of patients reporting well-controlled disease at week 12. Safety of omalizumab was similar to that reported in allergic asthma. In clinical practice, consideration should be given to the use of omalizumab in refractory patients with CIU without concerns for previous background therapies.
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AAAAI Holds School-based Management for Asthma Summit
The School-based Management for Asthma Summit, sponsored by the AAAAI with additional support from the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), took place October 8-10 near Washington, DC. The Summit is part of a larger initiative of AAAAI President Robert F. Lemanske, Jr., MD, FAAAAI, to improve the care of asthmatic children within the school setting. Participants included over 40 stakeholders from various lay and professional organizations who have relevant interest or expertise, or have developed programs that relate to the school-based management of asthma. The goal is to create a central resource that enables children, families, clinicians, and school-based personnel to develop a circle of support and communication to promote better care for asthmatic children in the school setting.
-Practice & Policy Matters-
Didn't Attend the 2015 Practice Management Workshop? Read These Pearls on Building a Successful Patient-Centered Practice
We continue our series of highlights from the 2015 Practice Management Workshop in Denver. During the session "Building a Successful Patient-Centered Practice," Mohamed Yassin, MD, FAAAAI, and David Patterson, MD, FAAAAI, explained that doing so requires physician leadership and understanding of the following four pillars:
- Develop a practice mission statement that represents the core values and the ideals of the founders' vision for their practice. It should be a constant reminders to the physicians and employees of why the practice exists.
- Be on time and do not keep patients waiting.
- Listen and communicate with patients and their families.
- Respect patients and medical staff and treat patients the way you want to be treated.
Dr. Yassin explained how to achieve each of the pillars and Dr. Patterson shared with attendees his experience as a successful solo allergist. Mark your calendar for the 2016 Practice Management Workshop, July 22-24 at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. We look forward to seeing you there.
Publicly Reported Quality Measures on Physician Compare Now Available
On October 5, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) opened a 30-day preview period for the select 2014 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) quality measures that will be publicly reported on Physician Compare later this year. Group practices and individual eligible professionals interested in reviewing their measures prior to publication can access the secured measures preview site through the Provider Quality Information Portal (PQIP). An enterprise identity management account (EDIM) will be required.
2015 AAAAI QCDR Open for Registration
The AAAAI Allergy Asthma and Immunology Quality Clinical Data Registry (AAAAI QCDR) is now available for the 2015 PQRS year. This year's release hosts several updates including a new measures selection feature, 24 PQRS and non-PQRS measures to choose from, and enhanced graphic visualization of performance scores and patient outliers. The AAAAI QCDR is the only PQRS reporting option with measures covering asthma, allergen immunotherapy, penicillin drug allergy and sinusitis. Submit 9 measures, including 2 outcome measures, over 3 National Quality Strategy domains to satisfactorily report. Avoid the negative 2% PQRS payment adjustment on your 2017 Medicare Part B reimbursements and other penalties by registering today and reporting measures pertinent to your practice.
Alert: FDA Sends Warning Letter to Extract Manufacturer
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a letter to Allergy Laboratories, Inc., warning of possible manufacturing issues. AAAAI members should be aware of this and if you use Allergy Laboratories as a supplier for your allergen extracts, it may be prudent to contact them directly regarding this issue.
Looking for past issues of Practice Matters? An archive is available at: aaaai.org/practicematters
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