Inside the Sessions

October 21-22, 2010

General Sessions

Keynote Presentation
ICD-10 Smooth Transition

You won't want to miss a minute of Keynote Speaker and nationally-known coding expert, Nancy Maguire. Transition more smoothly into ICD-10 with sound advice from the nation's top coding expert! Nancy will share early adoption methods guaranteed to make the whole process a lot easier. What challenges does your practice have? Take the stress out of the picture. Learn how preparation equals success not only with ICD-10, but also in everything you do. She will show you how to improve task management skills and create balance and satisfaction in your career.

Health Care Reform 2010 and Beyond – Town Hall Meeting
This is a rare opportunity to participate in interactive discussions with our high level panel of experts on the state and future of healthcare reform. Bring your questions and get answers on where healthcare is headed and how you can better plan for the changes ahead. The future of physician reimbursement and insurance reform is now upon us. Our Town Hall meeting format gets you a close-up look at the issues and how they will impact your practice and your career.

Emerging Opportunities in Healthcare
Take a look at the future of healthcare. Our conference chair will share valuable insight into the next generation of medicine. Those who embrace new ideas can improve the practice's financial outlook. Those that don't may get left behind. We will explore emerging concepts in Telehealth, transparency in healthcare, new communication paths, evolution of the medical home concept and much more.

Practical Compliance Applications for the Solo Physician, Group Practices and Clinics
Join Robert W. Liles, Esq. and PMI Staff as we discuss the practical realities of trying to meet the statutory and regulatory challenges faced by small practices in today's heavily regulated health care environment. Learn how to modify your compliance practices to reduce the likelihood of RAC, ZPIC and MIC audits. Discuss the government's current areas of enforcement and learn how to respond if your practice is audited.

Coding/Reimbursement Track

Billing for E/M Visits
Is your practice correctly using the newest modifier for billing initial hospital care service? Do you understand the new interpretation of consults? Know what transfer of care rules to watch for and how changes in the fee schedule affect E/M and consult coding. We will show you the percentage increases and decreases that have been established for specialists and primary care providers. Learn what you need to do to stay up-to-date with the current standards and make the most of the change.

Chart Auditing Challenge
The workshop is designed for the attendee who has a basic understanding of chart auditing and is performing them in their practice. This session includes hands-on exercises to develop and refresh current auditing skills. The program includes a review of the evaluation and management coding guidelines. The primary focus of this session will be to optimize reimbursement through compliant strategies, focusing on the chart auditing and analysis processes. Additionally, the workshop will assist in communicating audit results to providers in a positive manner that will effect change.

Practice Financials: Getting to the Bottom Line
Do you feel like your practice has hit rock bottom? Is the economic downturn dictating how you manage your finances? If so, you are not alone. Learn how to collect and evaluate data, understand benchmarking, and utilize reports to help you discern your level of operational efficiency and track physician productivity. Every practice manager needs the tools revealed in this session. Learn to implement strategies that will take your practice to the next dimension.

Coding and Medicare Update
This session will provide an overview of the proposed coding, compliance and Medicare updates for the new year. Take advantage of every opportunity to hold on to your reimbursement and safeguard practice compliance this year. Find out what the OIG will be looking for in physician coding as well as a host of other updates that will carry your practice through 2011.

Carrier Survival Strategies
With each year comes new challenges in working with insurance carriers. Have you had the experience of credentialing a new provider recently, or using the PECOS system implemented by CMS? If so, you probably have a story to tell of the hoops that providers must jump through to effectively communicate with carriers. This session will present real life carrier survival strategies to help you maneuver through the systems. Our providers work hard to provide their services and deserve to be paid without a hassle. Learn how you can work with the resources that are available to insure that the reimbursement process is successful.

ICD-10 Coding Implementation
This class will focus on the impact of the coding system conversion on coding professionals. Examine the chapter differences between the two books as well as the main characteristics and functionality differences of the two systems. How will it affect your current policies and procedures, software, and claim submissions? Get expert advice on the impact on coders and prepare a plan for addressing the changes now and make the inevitable transition go much smoother.

Mastering Medical Decision Making
Proficiency in medical decision-making is now even more important with the Medicare's disallowance of the E/M consultation codes. Review clinical examples and detailed and accurate documentation to ensure the level of service matches the documentation reported. Study E/M encounters and proper documentation of History, Exam and Medical Decision Making. Find out why 99.9 percent of EMR software packages will upcode your encounter. Get tips on how to explain the MDM Point System to your physicians without scaring them.

Management Track

Coaching Through Disruptive Behavior: Strategies to Promote & Healthy Work Environment
Explore the nature and causes of disruptive behavior and the effect it has on the employees, patients and overall practice environment. Learn techniques for dealing with bad behavior. Discussion on when to say, “Enough is enough” and confront the behavior head-on.

Protecting Your Workplace from Hazards
You will see your practice through a new set of eyes after attending this session. Get essential information on worker safety and health protection. We will review guidelines for establishing and maintaining a safe occupational environment for the employees through a safety program that incorporates the following required OSHA plans: Exposure Control Plan, Exposure Incident Plan, Hazard Communication Plan, and Emergency Action Plan.

EMR Panel – Real Life Stories
Hear from real life medical office professionals who have survived the EMR conversion. The workshop includes an update on implementation, financing and financial incentives available. Penalties in 2015 for Medicare providers. This is the trend, these are the incentives, these are the penalties. See ARRA text – terminology from the government. Get your piece of the American Recovery pie. Moderated by David T. Womack, Executive Vice President of PMI.

Are Your Employees Stealing from the Practice or Your Patients?
Discussion regarding the identification & prevention of fraud & embezzlement in the medical practice. Review internal control mechanisms including the elements of fraud and how to identify it in your practice. Find signs of potential weakness and discuss safeguards, processes and duty assignments to help shield against practice theft. Find out what motivates.

Motivate, Develop, and Engage Your Employees
Medical office managers are facing demands to do more with less – a trend that is clearly not going to change in the near future. Employee burnout and turnover is crippling to a medical practice. This session will provide tools for you to coach, motivate and mentor your employees. Build a strong practice with motivated and engaged employees that will become better team players, take greater enjoyment in their work and in the end, contribute valuable talent to your organization for the long term.