March 22, 2006

Pain Physician Journal to be Indexed in Medline

In a letter from the Executive Editor of MEDLINE, Pain Physician Journal was notified of its inclusion in the MEDLARS system.

Pain Physician Journal was recently evaluated by the National Library of Medicine’s Literature Selection Technical Review Committee and based upon that review, was selected for indexing and inclusion in MEDLINE. “We were ecstatic to learn that Pain Physician Journal was selected.” said Editor-in-Chief, Mark V. Boswell. “It is a great honor for a journal to be included in MEDLINE.”

“Once again ASIPP has demonstrated that perseverance and diligence toward an appropriate cause will create success,” said Laxmaiah Manchikanti, founder of the Pain Physician Journal. “This journal was essentially started by one physician – today it is the premier journal for interventional pain physicians.”

The databases in the MEDLARS system are available online, in the U.S., and throughout the World.

Read the notification letter

4.4% Medicare Cut Reversed by Congress

President Bush signed a measure into law on February 8 that overturns the 4.4 percent cut in Medicare payments which took effect on January 1. The final signed measure came about due to a bill sponsored by Rep. Whitfield (R-KY) and Rep. Charles Norwood (R-GA) and much effort on their part

The measure was given a retroactive effective date of January 1 so claims submitted between January 1 and February 8 will be reprocessed and adjusted to the 2005 rate.  The readjustment will be automatic so physicians will not be required to resubmit claims made during this period.

While this measure provides temporary relief, it does not correct the flawed formula established in 1997 which uses the U.S. sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula to set Medicare rates.  Unless Congress acts this year to permanently repair the formula and separate it from the SGR, further reimbursement cuts will occur.  At this time, early indications from CMS suggest a 6 percent cut in Medicare payments effective January 1, 2007. This is our legislative issue – “Let your voice be heard.”

Note that although the 2005 rate formula will now apply, the reimbursement amounts in many cases have changed since 2005 with the annual adjustment of the relative value units (RVUs). 

To get the most current Medicare reimbursement schedules, click here…2006 fee schedule

Look For Your Pain Physician Journal

The January 2006 Pain Physician Journal (Volume 9, Issue 1) has been mailed out to all ASIPP members. If you have received a Pain Physician journal with any pages missing, please notify us and we will send you a replacement copy.

If your journal has missing pages, click on the e-mail link provided at the bottom of this page. Please include your name, address, and the pages missing from your journal. You can also read the journal online by visiting the Pain Physician Web site:  http://www.painphysicianjournal

Associate Competency Certification for Non-Physicians

In a regularly scheduled meeting, ASIPP Board of Directors voted last night to allow non-physicians to sit for exams that could render associate competency certification in controlled substance management and fluoroscopy through the American Association of Allied Interventional Pain Management Professionals.

ARNP’s, PA’s, RN’s, and LPN’s will now be allowed to, not only participate in the controlled substance management review course, but also to sit for the exam. Upon successful completion, these non-physicians will earn an Associate Certificate in Controlled Substance Management. Also voted on and overwhelming passed, RT’s, MA’s, and NA’s, along with ARNP’s, PA’s, RN’s and LPN’s, will now be offered the opportunity to test for an Associate Certificate in Fluoroscopy.

ASIPP Chief Executive Officer Laxmaiah Manchikanti explained that the board had approved the certification in order to teach non-physician healthcare professionals needed knowledge to provide care in the interventional pain management setting which will ultimately improve patient care. “What we will be teaching the non-physicians is the knowledge not the techniques,” Manchikanti stressed.

Intensive Review Course Open to Internists and Family Practitioners

The Intensive Certification Review Courses in Controlled Substance Management and Coding, Compliance and Practice Management, which will be held in Chicago on May 4-8, will now be open to Internists and Family Practitioners. Review Course brochures will be mailed to Internists and Family Practitioners within a 100 mile radius of Chicago.

This four-day intensive review course is intended to present interventional pain management specialists and other healthcare providers an in-depth review of multiple areas of interventional pain managements.  Early registration discount is available until March 31.

To view the May brochure or register online, go to meetings on the ASIPP Web site.

US Senate Moves To Roll Back Patient Insurance Protections

 The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions recently approved S. 1955, an insurance industry-backed measure which seeks to eliminate patient insurance protections.  The measure seeks to extend federal ERISA exemptions to cover smaller insurance plans currently regulated by state law. 

S. 1955, also known as the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, seeks to invalidate state-enacted patient protections, any-willing provider and insurance equity laws intended to protect patients and healthcare providers.  If passed into law, S 1955 would preempt all state-mandated insurance legislation, not just those specific to eye and vision care.

National Provider Identifier (NPI) Phase-In Begins

Mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a 10-digit healthcare provider identifier that will replace other identifiers which grew out of the Medicare system over the years.  The NPI will remain with a healthcare provider for life and will not identify the provider’s medical specialty or location. 

Medicare Fee –For-Service (FFS) providers can use NPI (as of January 3, 2006) for Medicare claims provided they also use an existing Medicare identifier.  Beginning on October 2, 2006, Medicare FFS providers may use an existing Medicare identifier and/or an NPI on claims.  Healthcare providers participating in Medicare may only use NPI on Medicare claims after May 23, 2007

Click here to apply for a NPI on-line.

For a CMS fact sheet on NPI, click here.

Wisconsin Lawmakers OK $750,000 Tort Cap

 Wisconsin physicians hope that there second battle to bring non-economic damage caps back to their state will be stick. The Legislature this month overwhelmingly passed a measure setting a $750,000 limit on such awards. The vote came only three months after Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed a $450,000 cap approved by legislators.

The medical community and lawmakers rallied behind the new bill, which would not adjust the award limit for inflation. The cap would be reviewed every two years by the board that approves fee adjustments to the state's Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund.

Click here to view open access article

Subscribers can read more on this subject at amnews.com

Faculty Physicians Are Burned-out and Frustrated

 Because of work limits on residents, faculty physicians are feeling the stress of an extra workload at the expense of their academic and research responsibilities.

An Academic Medicine study looked at the impact of resident duty hours on surgical faculty at five academic and four nonacademic gernerl surger residencies and found the majority of faculty members were working more, feeling more stressed, and spending less time teaching and conducting research since residnets’ work hours were limited to 80 a week.

Read journal abstract… Academic Medicine

Subscribers can read more on this subject at amnews.com

ABIPP UPDATE - Part I To Be Administered in August

ABIPP Part 1 exam will be administered in St. Louis on Aug. 10, 2006 and registration is still open.  The minimum requirements for eligibility are:

1. A primary ABMS board certification.
2. An active license to practice medicine in the United States.

For a copy of the ABIPP Part 1 examination application form… click here

To date, 18 physicians have qualified for ABIPP diplomate status by reciprocity.

Recipients of this certification qualified by fulfilling the following requirements:

1. Active license to practice medicine in USA
2. Approved residency and/or fellowship
3. Current primary ABMS Board Certification
4. Current ABMS – Pain Medicine Subspecialty Certification
5. Competency Certifications
   • Competency Certification in Controlled Substance Management &
   • Competency Certification in Coding, Compliance, And Practice Management
6. Current FIPP Certification

To access the application form for certification by reciprocity…Click here

For more information regarding eligibility or the ABIPP exam follow this link…ABIPP

Comprehensive Pain Medicine Board Review Course

ASIPP is offering a 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 Part I examination.

The exam will be held on Aug. 5 – 9 in St. Louis. This five-day intensive Board Review Course is a CME activity which can also serve an in-depth review of 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

Contact Information Updates

Help us maintain current information on our members by updating your contact information. If you have had any credential changes or postal or e-mail address changes, send us an e-mail with your CV attached and your most current information by clicking on e-mail us

State Society Updates

If your state society has any news you would like to share, please e-mail your news items to mmartin@asipp.org