Committee News
Removal of Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band from Inpatient-only status: This issue continues to evolve. ASMBS is not currently aware of specific guidelines by CMS to determine which patients should be outpatient status. These guidelines should become more consistent as companies like Interqual and Milliman incorporate this decision into their products. Right now good judgment and close coordination with your utilization management personnel is warranted. As has been previously stated this decision does not exclude Adjustable Gastric Band from the Inpatient list. Also Adjustable Gastric Band is still excluded from placement in the ASC environment. ASMBS Insurance Committee is very interested...
New Chapter Educational Symposiums have been conducted by Committee Chairman, Dr. Lloyd Stegemann, and Foundation/OAC President Joe Nadglowski in Kansas, Alabama, and Louisiana over the past month. The feedback from surgeons participating in the symposium has been very positive. The symposium focuses on the significant changes that are coming in terms of Healthcare Reform and the Evolution of the Centers of Excellence Program and how state chapters will be vital in both of these areas. The second half of the symposium walks attendees through the process of becoming a state chapter including writing bylaws and electing leadership for the chapter. ...
In 2006, CMS (Centers for Medicare Services) established a National Coverage Determination for Bariatric Surgery that included coverage of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band placement (CPT code 43770) as an inpatient procedure in Hospitals designated as Center of Excellence by the ASMBS or ACS level 1. Since then, this procedure has not been covered in outpatient basis until this year. As of January 1, 2012, CMS has removed CPT code 43770 (Laparoscopy, surgical, gastric restrictive procedure; placement of adjustable gastric restrictive device) from the inpatient-only list. This means that now this procedure can be done in either an outpatient or...
ASMBS Executive Council Current Term 2011 – 2012 President: Robin L. Blackstone, MD, FASMBS President-Elect: Jaime Ponce, MD, FASMBS Secretary/Treasurer: Ninh T. Nguyen, MD, FASMBS Past President: Bruce M. Wolfe, MD, FASMBS Senior Past President: John W. Baker, MD, FASMBS Councilman-At-Large: Samer G. Mattar, MD, FASMBS Councilman-At-Large: Marc Bessler, MD, FASMBS Councilman-At-Large: Raul J. Rosenthal, MD, FASMBS Councilman-At-Large: Emma J. Patterson, MD, FASMBS Councilman-At-Large: John M. Morton, MD, FASMBS Councilman-At-Large: David Provost, MD, FASMBS IH President: Laura M. Boyer, RN, CBN IH President-Elect: Karen M. Schulz, RN, MSN, CBN Upcoming Term 2012-2013 President: Jaime Ponce, MD, FASMBS President-Elect: TBD Secretary/Treasurer: Ninh T. Nguyen, MD, FASMBS Senior Past President: Bruce M. Wolfe, MD, FASMBS Past President: Robin L....
Clinical Issues Committee (CIC) has developed a subcommittee, under the leadership of the committee co-chair, to oversee the process of review and revision of existing statements and guidelines. This process will be ordered as follows: Existing statements/guidelines will be reviewed once every two years. A schedule of review will be established by the CIC Co-Chair. Statements may be reviewed at any time, outside of their assigned time frame, based on need, release of a new landmark study, changes in policy, etc. Charge to revise statement could come from the EC, or this subcommittee could develop a proposal to submit to...
Dr. Lloyd Stegemann, Chairman of the State Chapter Committee, held a series of conference calls during the month of December with surgeons interested in forming an ASMBS State Chapter in their state. Participation from ASMBS members was excellent and several states are now in the planning stages for starting a state chapter. If you were unable to make the call but would like to participate in helping form a state chapter in your state, please send an e-mail to the committee liaison nooriel@asmbs.org or myself lhstegemann@yahoo.com. We will make sure your name is passed along to the appropriate people in your state that have begun the organization...
The ASMBS and the Patient Safety Committee would like to announce the adoption of a Policy Statement on the Qualifications of Expert Witnesses in Bariatric Surgery Medical-Legal Matters. With this policy statement, the ASMBS has taken the lead among surgical societies in guiding defense and plaintiff attorneys in the appropriate selection of expert witnesses. The ASMBS is truly a society made of its members and we would like to thank the members for providing feedback regarding the previously distributed draft statement. All comments were read and carefully considered. Some suggestions could not be implemented due to legal or practical constraints. Others were taken to heart and significant changes...
June 17 – 22, 2012 | San Diego, CA
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SOARD
The official journal of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
