·  Noridian Facet Joint Issues and Misinformation

·  ASIPP To Offer ABIPP Part II Exam

·  Review Course and Cadaver Workshop Dec. 4-6

·  PR Update

·  House Passes Major Medicare Payment Reform; Is It Good for Us?

·  Climate Emails Stoke Debate

·  How Do Five Quality and Value Issues Fare Under the Senate Reform Bill?

·  Obese Patients Say Some Doctors Disrespectful

·  Sebelius Releases Report on Impact of Proposed Health Reform on Each State

·  Upcoming State Society Meetings

·  Physicians Wanted

Noridian Facet Joint Issues and Misinformation

Three members of ASIPP's board of directors (Ramsin Benyamin, MD, President of ASIPP, Frank Falco, MD, Vice-President of Financial Affairs, and Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD) who were particularly involved in the Noridian policy issue sent out a public response in an effort to dispel some of the misinformation that has been released regarding the facet joint procedures for which Noridian was denying coverage.

ISIS is claiming that twelve medical societies have collectively responded to an announced proposal from Noridian Administrative Services to cease coverage of lumbar facet joint interventions for Medicare beneficiaries in eleven states. ASIPP has not signed on as ONE of the TWELVE societies, but firmly believes that it truly represents the case for both the interventional pain physician community, and also in preserving access to care. ASIPP tried to work with the ISIS-led groups, but was unable to reach a consensus.

ASIPP, relying on the SCIENCE and EVIDENCE behind facet interventions, signed on to a much stronger, evidenced-based approach. This letter has shown to be the most effective and has replaced the somewhat narrative-based appeal of ISIS and the other 12 societies. We believe that such an approach will be best for patient care and access.

Click here for FULL letter to members.

Click HERE for ASIPP Letter to Noridian Administrative Services - RE Discussion of Telephone Conference and Questions

Click HERE for ASIPP Draft Proposed Facet Joint LCD Policy Referenced in above letter.

Click here to see multi society letter.

ASIPP To Offer ABIPP Part II Exam

For the first time, ASIPP will be offering the ABIPP Part II practical examination in September 2010. Make plans now to participate in the prep course and examination.

The ABIPP Part II practical examination prep will be offered during the April 23-25, 2010 meeting in Memphis, TN.

ABIPP will accept the World Institute of Pain's (WIP) Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP) certification as fulfillment of the ABIPP Part II for certification through 2010 ONLY IF the FIPP certification was received PRIOR to September 2009.

A revised application indicating this change is now available on the ABIPP Web site.

Register Today!

Review Course and Cadaver Workshop Dec. 4-6

Register now to attend the Intrathecal Implantables & Discal Therapies Review Course and Cadaver Workshop December 4-6 in Memphis, TN.

This intensive comprehensive review course and cadaver workshop in spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal implantables and discal therapies will cover all aspects of these techniques providing a comprehensive overview of the subjects, with extensive case discussions and interactions with the faculty. During the 2½ day event, participants will be presented with lectures on spinal cord stimuation, intrathecal implantables and discal therapies. In order to provide a more focused learning experience, you will be provided the opportunity to choose either spinal implantables or discal therapies for the hands-on lab.

Whether you have been practicing these procedures for many years or you are new to the field with basic skills, we are confident you will find this comprehensive review course and hands-on cadaver workshop to be beneficial, as it is essential to learn new and relevant information to survive in the new millennium.

The seminar will be conducted at the Peabody Memphis and the world famous Medical Education and Research Institute ( MERI) in Memphis, TN.

Register Today

PR Update

Dr. Kloth makes appearance on FOX

Dr. David M. Kloth, MD was featured on Happy Hour, Fox Business News on Nov. 17.

Click HERE to listen to his interview.

House Passes Major Medicare Payment Reform; Is It Good for Us?

Washington -- Passage of a major Medicare physician pay overhaul in the House on Nov. 19 means attention on the issue turns back to the Senate, which in October rejected a similar measure due to its projected cost.

The House bill, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009, passed by a vote of 243-183. The measure would repeal a 21.2% fee reduction scheduled for Jan. 1, 2010, and replace the sustainable growth rate formula with a new system designed to end the cycle of increasingly larger annual fee cuts that Congress must keep erasing with short-term patches.

American Medical Association

Climate Emails Stoke Debate

Scientists' Leaked Correspondence Illustrates Bitter Feud over Global Warming

The scientific community is buzzing over thousands of emails and documents -- posted on the Internet last week after being hacked from a prominent climate-change research center -- that some say raise ethical questions about a group of scientists who contend humans are responsible for global warming.

The correspondence between dozens of climate-change researchers, including many in the U.S., illustrates bitter feelings among those who believe human activities cause global warming toward rivals who argue that the link between humans and climate change remains uncertain.

Wall Street Journal

How Do Five Quality and Value Issues Fare Under the Senate Reform Bill?

While approaches to public insurance options and health exchanges have dominated the discussions of the House and Senate healthcare reform bills, issues addressing quality and value have been threaded through the bills, sometimes matching each other, sometimes showing some differences in the individual bills.

Health Leaders Media

Obese Patients Say Some Doctors Disrespectful

Physicians near Harrisburg, Pa., often refer non-compliant obese patients to Jarol Boan, MD, MPH, an internist specializing in obesity management.

In such cases, physicians become frustrated when their patients don't lose weight, or don't lose it as quickly as they would like. So these patients end up at Dr. Boan's practice, where many feel comfortable enough to admit that physicians' comments about their weight have hurt their feelings.

American Medical Association

Sebelius Releases Report on Impact of Proposed Health Reform on Each State

WASHINGTON - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has released a report that shows the impact proposed health reform would have on residents in each state.

The report , released Monday, shows that If Congress doesn't pass healthcare reform legislation, the number of uninsured people will grow by more than 30 percent in 29 states and by at least 10 percent in every state by 2019.

Healthcare Finance News

Upcoming State Society Meetings

WVASIPP Plans Annual Meeting June 11-13, 2010

Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend West Virginia Society of Interventional Pain Physician annual meeting at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, June 11-13, 2010.

Featured topics include SCS for Angina, Facial Pain, Peripheral Nerve Pain, Epigastric and Abdominal Pain, Pelvic Pain, Pulsed Radiofrequency, Minimally invasive techniques for spinal disease and much more

Featured faculty includes: Timothy Deer, MD, course director; Ken Alo, MD, Giancarlo Barolat, MD, Ricard Bowman, MD, Christopher Kim, MD, Matthew Ranson, MD, Lou Raso, MD, Harold Cordner, MD, Nagy Mekhail, MD, Sudhir Diwan, MD, Raj Patel, MD, John Schmidt, MD, Stan Golovac, MD, Lora Brown, MD, Richard Weiner, MD, Salim Hayek, MD, Leo Kapural, MD and cochairs Richard Rauck, MD, Robert Levy, MD, PhD, and David Caraway, MD, PhD.

Session fees discounted for WVSIPP and ASIPP members. For more information call Michelle Byers, Director of Education: michellebyers@roadrunner.com

To Register

Save the Date: CASIPP Annual Meeting in May

Mark your calendar for the California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians Annual Meeting May 14-16, 2010 in Santa Barbara.

Join Your CASIPP Colleagues On The American Riviera:

• Earn CME hours with distinguished faculty
• Stay at the storied Biltmore Four Seasons
• Book Now! Special Room Rate for early
• For more information or to register contact sbcme2010@aol.com or by phone at 661-435-3473

FSIPP Annual Meeting Dates Set for May

The Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (FSIPP) has scheduled it's annual meeting for May 22 and 23, 2010 at Gaylord Palms on Orlando. http://www.flsipp.org/FSIPPFlyer2010.pdf

Keynote speakers and topics include:

·  Mary Lee Jensen, MD Vertebroplasty, the History, Evolution of Evidence, and Present Day Position

·  Gabor Racz, MD - Epidural Lysis and Facet Radiofrequency Ablation with Innovations in Pain Management

·  Rick Derby, MD - Discography and Intradiscal Therapies including Development of Stem Cells

·  Deborah H. Tracy, MD, MBA - Legislative Update, Healthcare Reform

·  Harold Cordner, MD - Regulations Regarding Pain and Controlled Substances

·  Spinal Cord Stimulation and More

Physicians Wanted

Visit the ASIPP Web site to find available positions for IPM physicians.

Physicians Wanted