Welcome To AR System’s Audio Training Library
Winter Series 2009/2010
note the date changes below

A dynamic training opportunity for your facility!

Day Egusquiza , President of AR Systems, Inc – a national speaker on reimbursement systems with an operational focus for department heads, patient financial services and all areas of the revenue cycle - will be joined by Virginia Gleason, JD/MPA, CHC; Karen Kvarfordt , RHIA; and Michael Frith, MBA – all faculty at AR Systems’ Annual Boot Camps .

Register to reserve your spot for each of these Eight (8) upcoming audio classes:

Time: Each audio will be approximately 90 minutes.

Start times per time zone: 8:30 am pacific; 9:30 mountain; 10:30 central; 11:30 eastern
Handouts & sign in instructions will be sent via email prior to each class.

Fri, Dec 11th "CMS’s 2010 OPPS Final Rule"

FOCUS: Mike will present the final rule including: changes in payment rates, outlier threshold, quality indicators and impact of reporting or not reporting, impacts on drugs, devices and biological, with or without pass thru status; clarification of physician supervision policies, payment for cardiac and pulmonary rehab, changes to the inpt only procedures, changes affecting Type B ER departments, and impacts on partial hospitalization programs. More darn fun!

Thurs, Jan 7th "Living with RAC – Moving Forward While Looking Back."

FOCUS: Day will present audit findings from the numerous audits her team has been performing. Areas to be included: ER E&M leveling, 1 day, 3day SNF, Observation, high volume/high vulnerability DRGs plus other areas of focus to be watching and evaluating. Educational focus on ideas to reduce risk plus CMS updates will be shared. Learn how to engage leadership and staff in the ‘fix what is broken efforts.’

Tues, Jan 12th “Physician E&M 101”

FOCUS: Karen will teach us the basics of physician E&M leveling. This class is for both facilities conducting E&M leveling as well as the physician practices.
Are you selecting the correct level of the pt visit? Are you familiar with the guidelines that will help pick the most appropriate code? This class will provide an overview of the E&M documentation requirements for all five levels and will give you real tips for everyday problems physicians have with correct code selection.
Points covered in this class: Importance of E&M coding; clarifies differences between the often confusing 1995 & 1997 E&M documentation guidelines; new – established ; consultation office visits; E&M coding components.

Thurs, Jan 14th “CPT 2010 Coding Update”

FOCUS: Karen will share the 224 new codes and hundreds of other changes as announced by AMA thru the CPT 2010 updates. Will you be ready? In this class, we will take a look at all of the upcoming CPT changes which will go into effect Jan 1, 2010.
Points covered in this class: CPT 2010 overview for outpt hospital coding staff; Major CPT changes by body system; CPT 2010 resequencing principles; evaluation and management services; changes to CPT modifiers and how to apply these tricky coding conventions.

Tues, Jan 19th “RAC Appeals: To Appeal or Not To Appeal.”

FOCUS: Better practice ideas, decision making choices from the receipt of the results letter thru all 5 levels of appeal will be discussed. Is this denial/recoupment correct? Do we fight and do it within the first 30 days and have the impact of Transmittal 141 and pay interest? Or do we develop a different strategy ? What will the pt impact be and how will we communicate same? Day will teach the basics of the appeal levels will be discussed in the operational based class.

- Date change - Thur, April 1st “The Basics of Patient Status – Why is this so difficult?

FOCUS: Ginny will teach this tough, but excellent outline of Patient Status. A pt is sick and needs to be treated in the hospital setting. So, the physician admits them to the hospital. Sounds easy ,right? In the world of post-payment medical necessity reviews and audits this is far from easy; yet, it is one of the most highly scrutinized decisions providers are making at a time when many would say the focus should be on pt care. In this class we will discuss: definitions of inpt, outpt receiving care in a bed and OBS; appropriate patient status beyond Level of Care Criteria; both physician and hospital roles in pt status; learn from the records: we will look at great detail at case studies from actual medical records and learn by example.

- Date change - Tues, April 6th “Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) – from breach notification to meaningful use, the new era of privacy and security.”

FOCUS: The HITECH Act brings with it heightened provisions for security and privacy. Along with these provisions come higher penalties for non-compliance and significant new notification provisions related to ‘breaches.’ The HITECH Act significantly changes interaction between covered entities and business associates as well. Compliance with HITECH will require changes to current operating practices, policies and procedures as well as business associate agreements. In this class Ginny will discuss: HITECH impact on privacy and security practices; operational changes necessary to meet the HITECH requirements; enforcement measures and penalties for non-compliance; HITECH impact on EHR implementation; what is ‘meaningful use’ and why to you care?

- Date change - Thurs, April 8th “Medicaid Integrity Contractors – Have you been so focused on RAC that the MIC snuck in the back door unnoticed?”

FOCUS: The Medicaid Integrity Program is the first coordinated federal enforcement effort within the state-operated Medicaid program. Most providers are unfamiliar with the Medicaid Integrity Program yet audits are already underway. While most providers have been focused on RAC preparedness, the Medicaid Integrity Contractors started requesting records and even conducting onsite audits. Ginny will share: How the Medicaid Integrity Program works in conjunction with states; audit process and the key differences between MIC and RAC audits; procedure rights and appeals; current focus areas and areas of risk; and how to prepare.

- New Class - Mon, April 12th RAC:  Physician and Hospital Joint Risk

FOCUS: Day walks thru the issues of joint risk – from PT status, to orders, to completeness of directing care, to audit findings that putting both the hospital and physician at risk.