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Maxine Collins
MBA, CPA, CMC, CMIS, CMOM
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Maxine has more than thirty years of experience in medical practice management, adult education and general business. She has taught courses at various levels, including teaching business communications and accounting at Midwestern State University in Texas. Maxine has extensive experience teaching administrative and clinical personnel essential medical office skills such as medical terminology, coding, reimbursement, OSHA, and HIPAA compliance. She is adept at personnel management, government rules and regulations, accounting and budgeting. Additionally, her experience with practice marketing and development make her a knowledgeable and much sought-after practice management resource.
Maxine has served as an administrator of a multi-specialty clinic, where she was responsible for all clinic operations including medical records, billing and collections, OSHA, HIPAA and Medicare compliance, and all accounting operations. She also has experience in medical practice consulting, and has successfully launched multiple practices.
Maxine holds a MBA in business from Midwestern State University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant and holds three PMI credentials.
Building on a foundational program - The Essentials of Telehealth Reimbursement - is a series of 9 additional sessions created during the public health emergency when federal guidelines eased to accommodate the need for expanded access to telehealth services. As coronavirus cases spread across the U.S. and shelter-in-place orders and social distancing restrictions were implemented, medical practices scrambled to begin or to expand provide services to patients virtually. Each program in this series reflects billing and coding guidance that was available at the moment the program aired. Lawmakers and payers have continued to fine-tune the details of policy guidance for providing virtual services. The tenth session delineates between Telehealth services provided during the public health emergency and beyond the crisis to best prepare medical practices for transitioning to prior telehealth requirements after the 1135 waivers and other temporary COVID-19 related interventions expire.
1. Essentials of Telehealth Reimbursement (90 minutes; presented by Maxine Collins)
In 2019 CMS expanded payments for telehealth services beyond rural providers opening up additional opportunities for providers to be reimbursed for additional telemedicine services. Other payers followed suit and telehealth expansion was underway. But Telehealth services can be complicated with state-specific laws to observe and reimbursement policies varying per payer. Learn to correctly bill for telemedicine to Medicare, Medicaid, and private payers and comprehend key differences in reimbursement policies at the state level. This session defines what types of telemedicine are covered by which payers and defines the rules and limitations for reimbursement including CPT and HCPCS codes and modifiers that are utilized to report Telehealth services.
2. How to Get Paid for Providing Virtual Services (60 minutes; Maxine Collins)
With the emergence of the virus causing the disease COVID-19, there has been an urgency to expand the use of technology to help people who need routine care and keep vulnerable patients in their homes while maintaining access to the care they need. In March 2020, CMS broadened access to Medicare telehealth services so that beneficiaries can receive a wider range of services from their doctors without having to travel to a healthcare facility. Under the new 1135 waiver, Medicare can pay for office, hospital, and other visits furnished via telehealth across the country and included in patient's places of residence. This session defines the three main types of virtual services providers can offer to Medicare beneficiaries and instructs how the medical practice can begin providing or expanding virtual services and be reimbursed for them during the coronavirus pandemic.
3. Staying Calm & Strategic During the COVID-19 Pandemic (60 minutes; presented by Taya Moheiser)
This session reviews strategy and guidance for medical practices struggling to find balance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through basic steps, key resources, and strategy tips, medical office leaders and teams are supported to find stabilization methods during a turbulent time in healthcare. Students will learn basic guidance being issued from national payers and federal entities and receive strategy tips for best practices on maintaining care through this crisis. Includes key resources, communication methods, and answers to the most frequently asked questions.
4. Private Payers and Telehealth in the Age of COVID-19 (60 minutes; presented by Maxine Collins)
How are the private health insurance carriers responding to the urgent need to expand access to telehealth services in this age of COVID-19? Maxine Collins aims to answer this question exactly in this session. The policy and payment landscape around telehealth continues to be complex. In response to the current pandemic, change is happening rapidly as providers scramble to learn how to use technology to continue treating patients, and payers and governing agencies relax prior limitations to expand coverage.
5. Expert Panel: Telehealth Billing Q&A (60 minutes; presented by Lisa Maciejewski-West, Aimee Wilcox, and Maxine Collins)
This highly engaging program is driven by real-world questions from coders, billers, and managers in medical practices on billing for Telehealth services in the midst of a global pandemic. Get answers from a panel of healthcare reimbursement experts about Telehealth Billing to equip provider practices to bill properly for virtual services and ensure accurate reimbursement.
6. Telemedicine Cybersecurity Challenges (45 minutes; presented by Richard Avery)
On April 2nd, the FCC announced that healthcare providers can apply for money from a $200 million fund created to help them establish a telehealth program. But this rapid shift in patient care in response to coronavirus pandemic presents unique challenges. In this session led by a leading computer privacy expert, the inherent risks involved in providing telemedicine will be identified. Learn which platforms are approved and which have proven vulnerable. Find out precautions your practice can take to safeguard privacy. Technology and privacy are two areas the practice must pay attention to when ramping up their telehealth program.
7. EZ Provider Enrollment During the COVID-19 Crisis (60 minutes; presented by Lisa Maciejewski-West)
The 1135 Waivers during the Public Health Emergency crisis has made it easier than ever to service patients and keep the medical practice solvent. The great news is shared for providers that are not yet Medicare Part B-enrolled, and those working with DME and telemedicine. In certain circumstances, providers can even offer telemedicine and medical services across state lines, even when not licensed in that state.
8. How COVID-19 Impacts HIPAA (60 minutes; presented by Debbie Forde)
The public health emergency arising from the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has forced changes to many federal and state regulations, including HIPAA and the HiTech Act. Learn the details on the changes to privacy and security rules and from a compliance expert who will explain the impact of them on your medical practice. Understand when to share patient health information and who you can share it with during the COVID-19 crisis and clarify where the line is between a good and bad faith effort by a covered entity engaged in telehealth communications.
9. Claims Issues Arising during COVID-19 (60 minutes; presented by Maxine Collins)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been numerous and frequent changes to the coding and billing of healthcare claims. It has been very challenging for providers, administrators, coders, billers, and compliance personnel to stay current with payers with ever-changing details. This session will identify which payers are paying 100% of the allowable and waiving the cost-share and clarify the POS you should use to receive accurate reimbursement. The instructor will highlight actual claims issues currently being experienced by providers attempting to bill for Telehealth services.
10. Billing and Documentation Tips for Telemedicine Services (90 minutes; presented by Maxine Collins)
The final session in this series is designed to provide intense instruction on documenting and billing properly for telemedicine services during COVID-19 and beyond - when the public health emergency ends. Many providers started to provide virtual services during this pandemic. Some providers will be paid for services they have always provided but could not be reimbursed for previously. This program will provide you with all the essential details to gain maximum reimbursement for telemedicine services in the present and the future. Understand how the emergency declarations impact telehealth billing across payers and what will change when they expire. Learn the details on the latest codes and proper modifier usage for virtual services. Seize the opportunity to continue to incorporate telemedicine services when things return to normal and see how it can benefit your practice's bottom line.
Now includes 4 additional bonus sessions on practice survival strategies for this unprecedented time.
11. Engaging Patients During the COVID-19 Crisis Through Care Management Services (60 minutes; presented by Jan Hailey)
12. Legal Concerns for Medical Practices During COVID-19 (60 minutes; presented by Heidi Kocher)
13. Avoid Post-Covid19 Troubles - Navigating Coronavirus Waivers and Flexibilities (60 minutes; presented by Heidi Kocher)
14. COVID-19 Medical Practice Management Recovery and Survival Guide (60 minutes; presented by Linda D'Spain)
Prod ID: 273