The American Medical Association has released the 2007 edition of the following publications:

• CPT® 2007 Professional
• AMA Physician ICD-9-CM 2007, Volumes 1 & 2 spiral

The AMA HCPCS 2007 Level II and CPT® Changes 2007 have not yet been released but may be preordered to reserve your copy.

Stay in compliance - order your copies today from the ASIPP Bookstore!

The early registration discount deadline for the December Cadaver Workshop and Comprehensive Review Course has been extended to Nov. 25 with a few spots still open.

The 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.

The Workshop and Review will be held on December 1-3, 2006 in Memphis, TN. The host hotel is the DoubleTree on Union Ave.

CMS has confirmed that CPT Codes 76003 and 76005 have been deleted and replaced with CPT Codes 77002 and 77003 respectively. Please see the revised 2007 Physician Fee Schedule.

Although it could be March, or even April, before Congress is able to revoke the 5 percent physician payment cut that’s scheduled to hit the conversion factor in January, physicians should continue to apply pressure on Congress with our calls, e-mails, and letters.

The earlier in the year Congress reverses the cut, the more likely the reversal will be retroactive to Jan. 1, so it is imperative we keep the momentum going. Sample letters are located on the ASIPP home page: www.asipp.org (to send on personalized letterhead), or you may send your congressional letters through Capwiz by the links below.

Physicians should follow the link provided to the Capwiz Web site: http://capwiz.com/asipp/i ssues/alert/?alertid=9037126&type=CO Staff members and patients should follow this link for their letters: http://capwiz.com/asipp/i ssues/alert/?alertid=9037126&type=CO

It is critical that we not give up this fight - immediate action is needed. Without support of each and every physician in the country we won’t be able to survive. Please get your colleagues, staff, patients and friends to support these issues. Let congress hear from you today.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt this week reiterated the administration's opposition to legislation that would authorize the federal government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Leavitt said, "The idea of the government negotiating drug prices really isn't about the government negotiating drug prices. It's a surrogate for a much larger issue, which is really government-run health care" (Washington Post, 11/14). Leavitt continued, "To negotiate drug prices or anything else, you have to have leverage."

But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who is expected to become House speaker, has said that Democrats will quickly act to pass legislation authorizing Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies.

Health insurers this week proposed providing health care coverage to the nearly 50 million uninsured Americans by expanding public programs such as Medicaid and offering financial incentives to buy private health insurance. (Washington Times)

If successful, the proposal would provide health insurance to the 8 million uninsured children in three years and extend some type of coverage to nearly every adult within 10 years.

Antioxidant-based pain killers may one day become a viable alternative to addictive medications such as morphine. Researchers found that synthetic antioxidants practically eradicated pain-like behavior in nearly three-quarters of mice with inflamed hind paws. "When it comes to pain killers, there aren't many choices between over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin and prescription opiates like morphine," said Robert Stephens, a professor of physiology and cell biology at Ohio State University. He's the lead author of a study examining the effects of antioxidants as pain killers. "We need drugs that fall somewhere between these two extremes," Stephens said. "Someone suffering from chronic pain can become dependent on, or even addicted to, heavy-duty pain killers like morphine." The study appears in a recent issue of the journal Behavioral Brain Research. Chronic pain is such a formidable problem that, in 2000, Congress passed a bill designating January 1, 2001 as the beginning of the "Decade of Pain Control and Research."

Two new Category I CPT codes have been established for percutaneous intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty. These unique CPT codes, which will become effective Jan. 1, 2007, will facilitate appropriate physician reimbursement.

The new IDET codes are 22526/22527 with a payment rate of 1544.67.