AUDIOCONFERENCE ON CD OR AUDIO ARCHIVE
sponsored by Briefings on APCs
presented on December 12, 2007
The OPPS final rule takes effect on January 1, 2008.
Be ready for the operational and financial impact on your organization!
The changes to the 2008 OPPS final rule are significant—so significant that now HCPro extended this program to 120 minutes in length.
CMS has passed perhaps its most drastic change to the OPPS for 2008: Wholesale packaging. This means that your hospital will no longer receive many of the separate payments you are currently collecting in areas such as observation, imaging supervision and interpretation services, and diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals.
Now more than ever before, finance and revenue cycle managers, in addition to HIM and coding professionals, need to be aware of these changes because they could significantly impact your future revenue, cost reporting, and billing practices.
During this extended 120-minute program, we discuss the changes contained in the final rule and provide suggestions on how to implement the changes and educate your staff. Now that the final rule is out, our APC experts are busy combing through the rule and developing an agenda and materials package. During this audioconference, you’ll learn what issues you need to address in the short time between now and the implementation date on January 1, 2008. Click here to download a copy of the final rule.
For the past five years, thousands of your colleagues have relied on HCPro’s OPPS final rule program to prepare their staff.
Here’s what listeners are saying about last year’s program:
- “[The] program was excellent. I enjoy these speakers and they are definitely well versed in the topic areas. The OPPS summary was great and very helpful.”
- “This was a very well organized presentation. Both speakers were very well versed on the topic.”
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR AGENDA
Here are a few of the major changes our speakers will address:
- The financial implications based on CMS’ widespread packaging proposal
- Changes to pharmacy handling/overhead data collection, and reporting requirements
- Changes to APCs (new APCs, deleted APCs, and changes to existing APCs)
- The key HCPCS/CPT code changes (additions, deletions, replacements)
- Changes to the inpatient only and the pass-through device and drug list
- CMS’ update on national E/M facility coding guidelines
- Elimination of the separately payable observation APC and new observation opportunities
- Composite APCs
- Changes in the outlier payment formula
- Outpatient quality measures
- Other significant changes proposed by CMS for 2008
- Key areas on which to comment to CMS to best effect positive change for providers
A question and answer session follows the presentation.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the program, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate what changes will affect providers the most
- Analyze the changes from a coding, billing, operational, and financial perspective
- Identify what steps providers need to take to facilitate the changes
WHO SHOULD LISTEN?
Success under the 2008 rule will involve contributions from all departments, including HIM directors and managers, coding managers and outpatient coding staff, APC coordinators, finance managers and staff, revenue cycle managers and staff, compliance officers, chargemaster coordinators, patient accounts, and clinical staff. Learn how to prioritize the OPPS final rule with a multidisciplinary approach and create an action plan that balances both the operational and financial affects on your organization.
MEET THE SPEAKERS
Valerie A. Rinkle, MPA, is a revenue cycle director for Asante Health System in Medford, OR. She has 20 years of healthcare reimbursement experience including 11 years in nationwide consulting to hospitals and physicians regarding Medicare and Medicaid payment systems and compliance. She is a member of the editorial advisory board from APC Answer Letter and the APC Weekly Monitor, both from HCPro.
Jugna Shah, MPH, is president of Nimitt Consulting in Washington, DC. She is contributing writer to Briefings on APCs and a frequent audioconference speaker. She has extensive experience helping providers understand and address the clinical and financial implications of APCs, facilitating APC task force meetings, strategic planning sessions, financial impact analyses discussions, and managing APC implementation and assessment projects.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
This program has prior approval of the American Academy of Professional Coders for 1.5 Continuing Education Units. Granting of this approval in no way constitutes endorsement by the Academy of the program, content or the program sponsor.
PROGRAM MATERIALS: Program materials are provided with PDF links.
NEW PURCHASE OPTION — AUDIO ARCHIVE
In addition to the regular purchase options for HCPro audioconferences— 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 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.
Save money when you purchase multiple copies! Ask your customer service representative about money-saving
discounts and bulk orders. Call toll free 800-650-6787 or e-mail
customerservice@hcpro.com.
