TPS E- News | Deadline to Dispute Your Sunshine Data is 12/31/2019

Open Payments: Review and Dispute Data by December 31

On June 28, CMS published program year 2018 Open Payments data along with updated and newly submitted data from previous program years (2013-2017). This data is available for review and dispute through December 31. 

Physicians and teaching hospitals: Review of the data is voluntary but strongly encouraged. Use the Open Payments Search Tool to review publicly available data. If you believe any records attributed to you are inaccurate, you may initiate a dispute and work with the reporting entity to reach a resolution. Note: CMS does not mediate disputes.

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AG Paxton: All U.S. Attorneys General Call on Congress to Pass Bipartisan FIGHT Fentanyl Act

Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton

OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 11, 2019

www.texasattorneygeneral.gov

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TMB Statement on Senate Bill 1264 Rulemaking

Texas Medical Board Press Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 27, 2019

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Starting Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder Improves Compliance With Other Medications - Pain Medicine News

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital reported that patients treated with buprenorphine for opioid use disorder show surprisingly significant improvements in adhering to medications for other chronic unrelated conditions.

Published in the journal Medical Care (2019;57[9]:667-672), the population-based, retrospective study reviewed medical records for more than 12,000 patients with a diagnosis of opioid use disorder (OUD) who were given buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist widely used to treat OUD. Expanded use of buprenorphine is linked with the national epidemic of opioid misuse. In 2016, approximately 700,000 Americans filled buprenorphine prescriptions—more than double the number 10 years earlier. However, a recent study found disparities in access to the medication. The rate of Medicaid-covered prescriptions for buprenorphine was much lower in states that did not expand their Medicaid programs in accordance with the Affordable Care Act.

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JH Part B Financial Information Now Available in Novitasphere

Image result for novitas solutions

Novitasphere, our free, secure internet portal, now provides users with access to Financial Information to obtain the following:

  • Check number
  • Check amount
  • Check date
  • Check status

In addition, users are able search using the Financial Control Number lookup tool to identify the claim involved.

Important reminder! Effective January 1, 2020, all claims submitted to Medicare must be billed with the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) in place of the Health Insurance Claim number (HICN).  Use the MBI Lookup tool in Novitasphere to obtain your patients’ MBIs!  Angela from Professional Rehab Associates finds the MBI Lookup tool to be one of the most beneficial features in Novitasphere.  “I love that when patients give us their old Medicare cards, I can still look it up to get their new ID number.” 

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DEA warns of counterfeit prescription opioids

DETROIT — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is warning the public about a counterfeit medication that is killing people.

The DEA says drug cartels of manufacturing mass quantities of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid that is lethal in some doses.

A DEA statement says the cartels are capitalizing on the opioid epidemic and the counterfeit pills are responsible for thousands of opioid-related deaths in America each year.

FindTreatment.gov is a pragmatic step in fight against opioids

The Trump administration has launched a smart new salvo in the public health offensive against the opioid epidemic.

Addiction to these prescription painkillers and related street drugs continues to wreak havoc in communities across the nation. Last week, the White House announced the launch of a new website that will make it easier to find specialized medical care close to home.

This confidential, easy-to-use resource has a name succinctly summing up its mission — FindTreatment.gov. It also allows individuals to customize their search results beyond location, a feature that existing “find a substance abuse provider” websites often don’t offer.

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Input Needed for 2020 Medical Quality Review Annual Audit Plan

Input Needed for 2020 Medical Quality Review Annual Audit Plan

The Division of Workers’ Compensation is asking for input on the 2020 Medical Quality Review Annual Audit Plan (Annual Plan). The Annual Plan sets the priorities for the Medical Quality Review Panel audits during the upcoming year.

More information is on the TDI website.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Diversion Control Division, US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

October 26, 2019 – 10AM to 2PM

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

Locate a Collection Site Near You

Search by zip code or city/state to find a collection site near you.

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Research Group Releases Pharmacy Formulary Report

analysis of injured employee outcomes after the texas pharmacy closed formulary

Research Group Releases Pharmacy Formulary Report

The Research and Evaluation Group has released a report on Texas pharmacy closed formulary outcomes. This study looks at injured employee outcomes such as return-to-work rates and health outcomes since the formulary was implemented.

Need just the key findings? Check the TDI website for our new snapshot tool on the pharmacy formulary report.

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Texas Pain Society E-Newsletter

OpenPaymentsData.CMS.gov

Physicians and Teaching Hospitals

 

**Review and Dispute activities start on April 1st and can continue until end of the calendar year**

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Hassenbusch Continued Learning Case Study Presentations

CALL FOR CASE STUDIES: The Texas Pain Society invites members and others to submit case studies to be considered for presentation at the 11th Annual Scientific Meeting.

The call for case study is open to Texas fellows and residents in a pain fellowship. Entries must be received before the cutoff date. All submissions will be reviewed by the committee and the top 5 submissions will be asked to present live at the TPS 11th Annual Scientific Meeting in October.

 2019 Winners!

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HHS Announces Guide for Appropriate Tapering or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Use

Image result for hhs.gov logo

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a new Guide for Clinicians on the Appropriate Dosage Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Analgesics - PDF. Individual patients, as well as the health of the public, benefit when opioids are prescribed only when the benefit of using opioids outweighs the risks.  But once a patient is on opioids for a prolonged duration, any abrupt change in the patient’s regimen may put the patient at risk of harm and should include a thorough, deliberative case review and discussion with the patient. The HHS Guide provides advice to clinicians who are contemplating or initiating a change in opioid dosage.

“Care must be a patient-centered experience. We need to treat people with compassion, and emphasize personalized care tailored to the specific circumstances and unique needs of each patient,” said Adm. Brett P. Giroir, M.D., assistant secretary for health. “This Guide provides more resources for clinicians to best help patients achieve the dual goals of effective pain management and reduction in the risk for addiction.”

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Texas Pain Society's 2nd Annual Job Fair

About the Job Fair

Date:
Saturday, October 26, 2019

Time:
4:45pm - 5:15pm

Location:
Foyer of the Regency Ballrooms, Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk Hotel
123 Losoya St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Ways to Participate: 
1. Sign up in advance using the links above to advertise your position or your availability online
2. Request a table at the fair to meet and greet potential new recruits OR to hand out your CV
3. Do both! Advertise online AND reserve a table for in person networking

 

 

Hassenbusch Continued Learning Scholarships

The Samuel J. Hassenbusch, MD, PhD Continued Learning Scholarships are annual scholarships sponsored by the Texas Pain Society & Texas Pain Foundation and created to honor the memory of TPS Board Member, Dr. Sam Hassenbusch.

Dr. Hassenbusch was an advocate for teaching and spent a majority of his life teaching others what he had learned.

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CRNAs Can’t Administer Anesthesia Unless Physician Delegates It, AG Rules

Perkins_case

Texas Medical Association
By Joey Berlin
September 12, 2019

The state attorney general has agreed with the Texas Medical Association in an official opinion that keeps certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) from administering anesthesia without physician delegation. 

In the opinion, Attorney General Ken Paxton addressed three questions from Sherif Zaafran, MD, president of the Texas Medical Board (TMB): 


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2019 TPS Award Winners Announced

 Schade Hill ‐ Public Policy Pain Champion Award - Representative JD Sheffield, MD

Dr. J.D. Sheffield was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012 to serve the citizens of Texas House District 59, which includes Comanche, Coryell, Erath, Hamilton, McCulloch, Mills, San Saba, and Somervell Counties. He was re-elected to his 4th term in the 2018 March Primary. 

Dr. Sheffield has been practicing family medicine in and around Gatesville for over 25 years. As the only rural physician in the Texas Legislature, Dr. Sheffield has been honored to serve on the House Public Health Committee for all three terms, and currently serves as Vice-Chairman.

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2019 Case Study & Scholarship Forms Available

Hassenbusch Continued Learning Case Study Presentations

CALL FOR CASE STUDIES:
 The Texas Pain Society invites members and others to submit case studies to be considered for presentation at the 11th Annual Scientific Meeting.

 Click here to submit your case study online

Click here to download a paper copy for submission

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TPS & TSA Pain Education Partnership Success

September 6, 2019 marked another successful year of partnership between Texas Pain Society & Texas Society of Anesthesiologist!

Each year TPS presents a 3 hour parallel session regarding pain medicine during the TSA Annual Conference.

This year we had Drs. Max Eckmann, C.M. Schade and Dhanalakshmi Koyyalagunta, MD representing TPS and an interactive crowd that was very engaged in the current standards and best practices for treating chronic pain patients. 

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Attorney General Ken Paxton Issues Statement on Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing of Purdue Pharma

 

Attorney General Ken Paxton Issues Statement on Chapter 11

Bankruptcy Filing of Purdue Pharma

 

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