2008 Medicare Severity DRG Update (Audio Conference)

AUDIOCONFERENCE ON TAPE, CD OR AUDIO ARCHIVE

Sponsored by: Medical Records Briefing and Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies

presented on September 26, 2007

DRGs drive your inpatient reimbursement. And for Medicare’s FY08 (which begins October 1, 2007) there are significant changes to the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). It's critical that coders and others (i.e., Case Management, and UR) have timely updates on regulatory changes for 2008 so they can be ready for the severity DRG system. Hospital finance and reimbursement specialists need to understand the impact that the changes will have on the entire system. Physicians also need to understand the changes so their inpatient documentation will be clear and timely—which is now more important than ever before. The final rule created 745 new severity-adjusted DRGs to replace the current 538. Clear and timely documentation is paramount, as is understanding the major revisions to the comorbid/complication (CC) list.

Don’t wait to prepare. Ease the transition to the Medicare Severity DRGs (MS-DRGs) now by understanding new DRG splits and CC revisions. Listen to the 2-hour audioconference 2008 Medicare Severity DRG Update: Understand the documentation and coding impact. Our speakers discuss with you and your staff how to hit the ground running when the new MS-DRGs—and changes—take effect.

Take a look at our agenda:

1. Discuss the transition of top-volume DRGs to the new MS-DRGs
2. Managing MS-DRGs for coding and documentation improvement for appropriate assignment
1. Highlights of the most potentially challenging MS-DRGs
2. Sample MS-DRGs expected to increase reimbursement
3. Sample MS-DRGs expected to lower reimbursement
3. Major changes the CC list, including key examples
4. Clinical case examples
5. What to plan for now to be prepared for the next set of changes

A question and answer session follows the regular presentation.

At the end of the audioconference, you will be able to:

1. Explain the transition to the new MS-DRGs
2. Illustrate ideas to manage coding for MS-DRGs and improving documentation
3. State some of the major changes to the CC list
4. Describe suggestions to prepare for the next level of changes

NOTE: To read a copy of the 2008 IPPS final rule, go to the CMS Web site: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/AcuteInpatientPPS/downloads/cms1488f.pdf.

NEW PURCHASE OPTION — AUDIO ARCHIVE

In addition to the regular participation options for HCPro audioconferences, audio tape or audio CD, we are pleased to offer a new option, an audio archive. Audio archive allows you to download the program and play it back at your convenience through your computer or MP3 player.

Purchase a tape, CD, or audio archive of the program and listen when you can. It's also a perfect training tool for new staff or as a refresher for veteran staff.

MEET THE SPEAKERS

Gloryanne Bryant, BS, RHIA, RHIT, CCS,is director of systemwide coding HIM compliance for Catholic Healthcare West in San Francisco. She has the charge of developing, implementing and maintaining system wide coding policies, and creating an internal coding compliance auditing and monitoring team and process at 42 hospitals across 3 states. She is a member of the editorial advisory board for Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies, and has over 28 years of experience in the health information management profession providing education to coders, physicians and other hospital staff. She is a sought-after national speaker and advocate for clinical documentation improvement, providing education on IPPS, OPPS, DRGs and APCs. In April 2006, she provided testimony in support of ICD-10 implementation for the House Ways and Means Committee.

Robert S. Gold, MD, is founder and CEO of DCBA, Inc., in Atlanta, GA, a consulting firm that provides physician-to-physician educational programs in clinical documentation improvement, including the training of liaisons to perform concurrent review and of HIM professionals to understand the clinical aspects of diseases and procedures to which they assign codes. He has over 41 years of experience as a physician, medical director, and consultant. Dr. Gold writes Clinically Speaking for Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies and Minute for the Medical Staff for Medical Records Briefing, and is the author of the training handbook, Documentation Strategies to Support Severity of Illness: Ensure an accurate professional profile, all from HCPro

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

This program has prior approval of the American Academy of Professional Coders for 2.0 Continuing Education Units. Granting of this approval in no way constitutes endorsement by the Academy of the program, content or the program sponsor.

WHO SHOULD LISTEN

Finance, reimbursement, and contracting professionals, DRG coordinators, clinical documentation specialists, HIM supervisors and coders, case managers, utilization resource staff.

BONUS MATERIAL INCLUDED IN YOUR MATERIALS PACKET

In addition to the expertise and advice presented during this audioconference, you'll also receive a slide presentation of the program materials and tools, including the following:

• Excerpts from the Federal Register, such as the list of MS-DRGs (Table 5) and the list of added/deleted CCs.

• Audio Conferences

• Other Health Information Management Products