Control Bad Debt (Audio Conference)

AUDIOCONFERENCE ON CD OR AUDIO ARCHIVE

Sponsored by PFS Director’s Handbook

presented on February 26, 2008

Loss of jobs leads to increase in hospital bad debt

The downsizing of the auto industry has a significant impact on the bottom line of hospitals all across middle America. As jobs head elsewhere, a growing portion of the population is left without insurance, and, as a result, payments for healthcare become an issue.

Across the nation, a rising class of uninsured and under-insured patients seeking treatment exposes many hospitals to higher risk of bad debt and claim denials. Administrators must develop innovative ways to handle these circumstances, as premiums increase and individuals begin to take on more responsibility for managing their own healthcare insurance.

How much money per year does your organization write off as bad debt? How are you reporting these losses to Medicare? Your best ally in managing bad debt is avoiding it in the first place. As specified in the 2008 OIG Work Plan, the government plans to scrutinize Medicare bad debt payments. The OIG will begin auditing hospitals for their bad debt reporting procedures and the legitimacy of their collections. So what can you do to be prepared?

Learn strategies to reduce bad debt, maintain compliance

Listen to HCPro's 90-minute audioconference “Control Bad Debt: Strategies to prevent lost reimbursement and maintain OIG compliance.” Experts Sandra J. Wolfskill, FHFMA (President, Wolfskill & Associates, Inc.) and Joe Rivet, CPC, CCS-P (Revenue Manager, Henry Ford Health System) discuss what the OIG is looking for as it begins its investigations, and what hospitals can do to be proactive. In addition, you’ll learn to distinguish between bad debt and charity care. The presentation will include a case study of measures Henry Ford Health System took to reduce its bad debt in the wake of difficult economic conditions due to local automotive industry layoffs.

At the end of this audioconference, you and your staff will be able to:

• Describe the 2008 OIG Medicare bad debt issues and how to prevent reimbursement losses
• Explain several strategies for preventing bad debt from the front end operational perspective
• Identify the importance of appropriate communication between the front end and back end

AGENDA

• Bad debt vs. charity care
• Key differences between the two
• The impact on collections
• Pricing transparency
• 2008 OIG Work Plan
• Bad debt from an accounting perspective
• Bad debt from a Medicare perspective
• Case study: How to prevent bad debt
• Front-end operational strategies
• Financial counseling
• Medicaid eligibility: Building bridges

A question and answer session will follow the presentation

MEET THE SPEAKERS

Sandra J. Wolfskill, FHFMA, President, Wolfskill & Associates, Inc. (Chardon, OH).  Wolfskill leads a firm dedicated to quality healthcare receivables consulting. Prior to founding the firm in 1996, she spent 15 years in healthcare financial management and consulting, including holding positions of Vice President, Senior Consultant, Director of Patient Financial Services, Director of Information Systems, and Chief Financial Officer. Wolfskill has presented programs to national healthcare financial management conferences, as well as conducting seminars and training sessions throughout the country. She is the author of Charity Care: Tools for Managing the Uninsured Population, published by HCPro, Inc.

Joe Rivet, CPC, CCS-P, Revenue Manager, Henry Ford Health System (Detroit, MI). Rivet specializes in evaluation and management auditing, as well as emergency department coding. He is also the author of the book Auditing Evaluation and Management Coding: A Step by Step Guide to Enhancing Your Practice's Revenue and Compliance, published by HCPro, Inc. Rivet is on the editorial advisory board for the HCPro newsletter Healthcare Auditing Strategies. He is also on the AHIMA CCSP Construction Committee, an AHIMA committee that writes the CCS-P exam. Rivet is an adjunct professor at Schoolcraft Community College teaching courses in Coding and Billing.

WHO SHOULD LISTEN?

• PFS and business office directors
• Revenue cycle managers
• Finance/billing professionals
• Compliance officers
• Patient access managers
• Large group practice administrators

PROGRAM MATERIALS:

Program materials are provided with PDF links.

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.

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