June 7, 2006

Discounted Registration Still Available For Annual Meeting

The ASIPP 8th Annual Meeting and SIPMS 1st Annual Meeting will be held on June 24-28 in Washington, DC. Discounted registration is still available for those who register to attend the Legislative Session and take part in the Capitol Hill visits. This year’s event promises to be not only informative but also memorable, with the second day of our legislative session taking place on Capitol Hill.

On Tuesday, June 27, the ASIPP annual meeting will convene in the Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill where we will be honored with the presence of several congressional speakers. We encourage you to sign up for and participate in the Capitol Hill visits which will take place on June 27 - 28.

Among some of the distinguished speakers scheduled to attend the session are: Rep. Ed Whitfield, Sen. Jeff Sessions, Rep. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Anne Northup, Rep. Bart Stupak, Rep. Bobby Jindal, Rep. Frank Pallone, Rep. John Shimkus, and Rep. Ben Chandler.

To date 31 states have member participation in the Capitol Hill visits. The remaining states without representation are: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nevada,

New. Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Don’t let your state go without representation!  Register today - this is your opportunity to make your voice heard.

Please register early – late registrants (after June 12) may not be able to meet with their state representative. We will make every effort to schedule your request but to increase the likelihood of your visit; we strongly encourage you to register soon.

Don’t miss this opportunity to “make your voice heard.” The Annual Meeting Brochure along with registration and hotel information can be found on the ASIPP Web site. Make plans to attend ASIPP Annual Meeting-register online today! If you have questions, call us directly at 270.554.9412.

http://www.asipp.org/meetings.htm

Drug and Alcohol Abuse on the Rise in Seniors

Drug and alcohol abuse is becoming a big problem for the senior population. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services  Administration (SAMHSA) data, substance abuse in people older than 55 is on the rise. Within the past year, the agency has launched several patient-targeted campaigns to address this trend. Experts and policy-makers are urging physicians to be alert to the fact that substance abuse can be even more dangerous for this age group than for those who are younger.

According to the article, "Older Adults in Substance Abuse Treatment: Update," in the May 5, 2005, issue of the DASIS Report (SAMHSA), the increase of the over 55 age group admitted into substance abuse programs has risen over 32% from 1995 to 2002. This increase trend is at far greater pace than that of the general population. This development is attributed to several factors. The most obvious is that the number of older people is growing as the first wave of baby boomers hits 60 this year.

See more on the subject at http://www.samhsa.gov/

Subscribers can read more at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/06/12/hll20612.htm

2006 Competency Certification and Associate Certificate Exam Results

The results to the 2006 Competency and Associate Certification Exam results are in and have been mailed out. The passing rates for the exams are as follows:

Coding, Compliance and Practice Management - 79%

Coding, Compliance and Practice Management Expert (non-physician) - 71%

Controlled Substance Management - 75%

Associate Certificate in Controlled Substance Management (non-physician) - 75%

CMS Announces Extension to Physician Election Period for CAP

On June 1, 2006, CMS announced an extension to the physician election period for the Medicare Part B Drug Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP). The CAP is a voluntary program that offers physicians an option to acquire many drugs they use in their practice from approved CAP vendors.  Rather than purchasing these drugs from distributors and being reimbursed by Medicare, the physician would order the drug from an approved vendor and administer it to the beneficiary, but the vendor would be responsible for billing Medicare for the drug and collecting the coinsurance from the beneficiary.

The CAP physician election period’s extension will begin on June 3, 2006 and continue through June 30, 2006. Physicians must return their completed election forms to their local carrier by mail. Physicians whose completed physician election forms are postmarked on or after June 3, but no later than June 30, 2006, will begin participation in the CAP starting on August 1, 2006.

Initial CAP implementation is still scheduled for July 1, 2006. Physicians whose completed CAP election forms are postmarked on or before June 2, 2006 will begin participation in the CAP starting on July 1, 2006. 

See the Medicare Part B Drug CAP Web site for Information from the Physicians’ page (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CompetitiveAcquisforBios/02_infophys.asp) for additional information about CAP physician election.

CMS also reported they anticipate holding another Ask the Contractor call for physicians before the conclusion of the extended physician election period.

Registration Still Open for ABIPP Part I and Pain Medicine Board Review

ABIPP is still accepting applications to sit for the ABIPP Part 1 Exam.

Come to the “Gateway to the West” for ASIPP’s premiere Comprehensive Pain Medicine Board Review Course for physicians seeking board certification or re-certification for ABMS Pain Medicine examination or for American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP) Part I examination.

The exam will be held on Aug. 5 – 9 in St. Louis. This five-day in-depth review Board Review Course is a CME activity which also serves as an ideal review for the specialty of pain medicine. To register on-line or for more information on the review course or to register, visit our Web site…Meetings

Put your Board Review Course to work and apply for the ABIPP Part 1 exam which will be administered on Aug. 10, 2006.  Registration is

separate for the exam and the minimum requirements for eligibility are as follows:

A primary ABMS board certification.

An active license to practice medicine in the United States.

Visit the ASIPP Web site for more information and online registration for the review … click here. Send your exam application in today!

Dates for ABIPP Part II (FIPP)

If you still need part II to complete the requirements for ABIPP certification, plan now to complete ABIPP Part II (FIPP). The next available date, as well as, 2007 dates are as follows:

September 21, 2006 – Budapest, Hungary

March 11, 2007– Memphis, Tennessee

September 20, 2007 – Budapest, Hungary

For exam application and information booklet go to: http://www.worldinstituteofpain.org/fipp.htm

For more information on ABIPP Part I (FIPP) contact Paula Brashear at paula.brashear@ttuhsc.edu or 806.743.3112.

July Cadaver Workshop and Review Course

Make plans to attend the next Interventional Techniques Review Course and Comprehensive Interventional Cadaver Workshop on July 7-9, 2006 in Memphis, TN.

The Review Course is planned as a CME activity to prepare physicians seeking board certification by ABIPP or as an in-depth review of Interventional Techniques. Additionally the Review Course will be based on the specifications of the Cadaver Workshop and will assist in preparation for ABIPP Part I or Part II (FIPP) examinations.

Learn more about the course, workshop, and hotel information and REGISTER ONLINE at: asipp.org

Pain Physician Journal Now Accepting Article Submissions

The Pain Physician Journal, recently included and indexed on MEDLINE, is accepting manuscript submittals for publication consideration. Pain Physician is a peer-reviewed, multi-disciplinary journal written by and directed to an audience of interventional pain physicians, clinicians and basic scientists with an interest in interventional pain management and pain medicine.

Pain Physician is the official publication of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP). Pain Physician requires that all manuscripts be prepared in accordance with the uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals, with the exception of reference citations and format. For information on manuscript submittals go to http://www.painphysicianjournal.com/infoforauth1.php Submit articles to: editor@painphysicianjournal.com

State Society News

Second Annual GSIPP Summer Meeting - July 21-23

The second annual summer meeting for the Georgia Society of Interventional Pain Physicians "Pain Summit At Lake Oconee” will be held on July 21-23 at Lake Oconee in Greensboro, GA.

It is strongly suggested that all physicians attending the meeting should stay at the Ritz Carlton (800-241-3333) in the reserved GSIPP block of rooms. If this becomes full, or if you’re seeking an alternate to the Ritz, there are two nearby hotels: Jameson Inn, Greensboro, 706-453-9135; and The Lodge, Greensboro, 706-485-7785. Both are about six miles from the meeting facility.

See the GSIPP brochure for registration and meeting information. Please mail your registration form and check early – we anticipate this meeting WILL fill up!

California Society - CSIPP

The California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians held its third Annual Meeting on May 17, 2006, in Costa Mesa, CA, featuring Carl Brakensiek, MBA, JD, Executive Vice President of the California Society of Industrial Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Brakensiek gave a stimulating and informative presentation on the impact of the 2003 and 2004 reforms in Workers’ Compensation and upcoming legislative efforts to refine those reforms and clarifying case law.

Election for officers were held, with results as follows:

Standiford Helm II, M.D. as President, Francis Riegler, M.D. as CEO, Mike Tassos CPA as Secretary Treasurer and Ed Anderson, M.D., Phyliss Cullen, M.D., K.A. Erdmann, Jan Maddox, M.D., Rebecca Patchin, M.D., Ray d'Amours, M.D and Miguel Dominguez, M.D. as Directors.

Dr. Helm presented a review of the year’s activities:

• Working with the CA Medicare Medical Director, Dr. Quinn, to ensure that the transition to use of the KD modifier for pump refills was understood both by Medicare and by interventional physicians;
• Ongoing involvement with the Division of Workers’ Compensation to ensure that an interventionalist is on the committee to develop new treatment guidelines; and
• Introduction of AB 2896, which would bring California’s Prescription Monitoring Program into Compliance with NASPER, and CSIPP’s role in supporting that legislation.

The meeting was enjoyed by all and an example of the Society’s continuing importance to and usefulness for interventionalists in California!