August 15
IN THIS ISSUE / August 15, 2018
- The good, the bad, and the unknown in CMS E/M proposals
- DataDerm™: Better your practice, better the specialty
- AAD Election call for nominations
- FDA approves new drug for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
- Dermatologist compensation growth stalls in 2017, survey shows
- 2017 MIPS performance feedback and payment adjustment
- Brent Moody, MD, wins Republican primary in Tennessee
The good, the bad, and the unknown in CMS E/M proposals
CMS' proposed Medicare Fee Schedule would significantly overhaul payment and documentation for E/M codes. While proposed cuts to modifier 25 are bad news for the specialty, the AADA is pushing back hard on these payment changes.
Related Links:
- Components of evaluation and management – Dermatology World (May 2018)
- Components of evaluation and management 2 – Dermatology World (June 2018)
- Key components of E/M: Physical examination – Dermatology World (July 2018)
- Key components of E/M: Medical decision making – Dermatology World (August 2018)
- AADA web: Coding and reimbursement
- Live webinar: Correct Coding Today, Will Keep Payer Auditors Away
- AAD product: Digital Derm Coding Consult Pro Subscription
DataDerm™: Better your practice, better the specialty
Dermatology World talks with Academy President-Elect George Hruza, MD, MBA — one of the earliest adopters of DataDerm™, the Academy’s clinical data registry. Dr. Hruza shares how DataDerm has helped improve his day-to-day practice, and why participation in DataDerm is so important for the future of the specialty.
DW: How have you used the data from DataDerm to make practice improvements?
Dr. Hruza: We have been able to see how much time it takes to notify patients of lab results — a quality improvement measure that’s important to my practice. Using DataDerm, you can see how long it takes to receive pathology results back, and how long it takes to inform patients of the results. View the full story.
FDA approves new drug to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved mogamulizumab-kpkc (Poteligeo) for use in adult patients with either of two types of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). The drug offers new treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory mycosis fungoides (MF) and is the first drug to be approved to treat Sézary syndrome (SS). MF is the most common subtype of CTCL, accounting for 50% to 70% of the cases, while SS is less common and accounts for approximately 3% of CTCL cases.
Mogamulizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against CC chemokine receptor 4, which is frequently expressed on leukemic cells of certain hematologic malignancies, including CTCL. The FDA based its approval on the results from a trial that compared mogamulizumab with vorinostat (Zolinza), which is an FDA-approved standard-of-care treatment for patients with CTCL. A total of 372 patients with MF and SS were randomly assigned to receive either mogamulizumab or vorinostat. The results showed that mogamulizumab demonstrated significantly superior progression-free survival with a median of 7.6 months versus 3.1 months with vorinostat.
The FDA granted mogamulizumab priority review, and breakthrough therapy and orphan drug designations. In addition to CTCL, treatment advances are happening with other dermatologic diseases as well. Learn more about the latest treatment advances for atopic dermatitis in the current issue of Dermatology World.
Related Links:
- Can multiple biopsies improve diagnosis of mycosis fungoides? – Dermatology World (October 2011)
- For your patients: All about cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
- AAD product: Simulated Patient Encounter – Breaking Bad News
Dermatologist compensation growth stalls in 2017, survey shows
An American Medical Group Association (AMGA) survey showed the median compensation for dermatologists increased to $460,238 in 2017 ― a 0.68% increase from $457,118 in 2016. The 2017 survey included 659 dermatologists from 118 different groups.
The AMGA survey was sent to more than 2,500 medical groups, representing 105,261 providers. Overall, the national median showed an increase in compensation of only 0.89%. AMGA also reported data from 79 Mohs surgeons from 44 different groups with a median compensation of $735,389, as well as 39 dermatopathologists from 19 dermatopathology groups with a median compensation of $527,500.
While these data don’t break down compensation by individual physicians, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has started releasing individual physician Medicare compensation information to the public on an annual basis. Read more about the intended and unintended consequences of Medicare’s transparency efforts in Dermatology World.
Related Links:
- Who's paying the bills? – Dermatology World (September 2015)
- Shining a light on the Sunshine Act – Dermatology World (July 2018)
- Big data, big changes: How the age of information is changing patient care, physician payment, and much more – Dermatology World (February 2016)
2017 MIPS performance feedback and payment adjustment
If you submitted 2017 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) data through the Quality Payment Program website, you can now view your performance feedback and final MIPS score. Originally, the payment adjustment was displayed as a single amount, which included any exceptional performance adjustment. However, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated its system so that the payment adjustment(s) are displayed separately.
Access your 2017 MIPS performance feedback and final score by going to the Quality Payment Program website and logging in using your Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) credentials.
Now that 2018 MIPS reporting is fully underway, make sure you know how to avoid the 5% penalty and what you need to do to qualify for bonuses in Dermatology World.
Related Links:
- What are your plans for MIPS reporting in 2018? – Dermatology World (January 2018)
- AAD’s DataDerm™
- Academy MACRA Resource Center
- Academy product: Principles of Documentation for Dermatology, Second Edition
- Academy product: 2019 Coding & Billing for Dermatology Manual
Brent Moody, MD, wins Republican primary in Tennessee
On Thursday, Aug. 2, Tennessee held its state primary for House and Senate nominations. Among the many candidates was Academy member Brent Moody, MD, running for House Representative in District 56. Tennessee's current Speaker of the House Beth Harwell ran for governor, leaving an opening for the state's legislature.
Unofficial results show Dr. Moody, a political newcomer, winning the race with 5,303 votes. His opponent, attorney Joseph Williams, received 4,175 votes. In November, Dr. Moody will run against Democrat Bob Freeman, a Nashville real estate professional.
Whether you have been actively engaged in advocacy efforts or not, it's never too late to get involved. One of the best ways to get started is to join your local or state dermatology society.
Related Links:
