| Schedule | Pathology Track |
|---|---|
| Pre-Conference Workshop- Thursday, December 1, 2011 | |
| 11:00am – 1:00pm | Early Registration/ Exhibits |
| 1:00pm – 5:00pm | Professional Component of Clinical Test Billing: Legally boost your ‘Part A’ income |
| This session describes the background, principles, legality, and generally accepted policies and practices for billing and collecting professional fees for routine clinical lab tests for hospital inpatients and outpatients. Included are discussion of the hospital contract terms that need to be in place, the payers and insurers that can and can’t be billed such fees, and the sources of information to use to set the initial professional fee per test. After attending this session you’ll be able to describe the steps that should be taken to determine whether professional component of clinical lab test billing is viable for your practice, the fundamental billing and collection policies and practices that need to be implemented, the methods to use to notify patients of their possible liability, and the contractual arrangements needed with your hospital and the main private insurers with which you deal. | |
| Presenter: | Dennis Padget, MBA, CPA, FHFMA |
| 2:45pm – 3:00pm | Refreshment Break/ Exhibits |
| Main Conference Sessions Day 1 – Friday, December 2, 2011 | |
| 8:00am – 9:00am | Registration/ Refreshments/ Exhibits |
| 9:00am – 10:00am | Polish your ICD-9-CM Coding Skills for 2012 Path/Lab Services |
| Changes for ICD-9-CM 2012 were effective on October 1, 2011. In this session we will cover those changes that are pertinent to path/lab services, as well as review ICD-9-CM criteria for billing path/lab services, key areas and documentation in a pathology report to assign the proper ICD-9-CM code for reimbursement. | |
| Presenter: | Peggy Slagle, CPC® |
| 10:00am-10:15am | Refreshment Break/ Exhibits |
| 10:15am-12:15pm | Molecular and Genetic Test Coding: CPT-2012 Makes You Start All Over Again |
| Numerous coding changes are projected for molecular testing in 2012. New codes have been announced for analyte specific assays and for various levels related to categories of testing. Molecular diagnostics, molecular cytogenetics, and HLA testing are affected by these codes. Reimbursement mechanisms are not yet identified. Additonally, CMS questions its ability to implement and reimburse the new codes. “Up in the Air” is an adequate descriptor for the recognition and use of these codes including the need for interpretations, handling of assays with algorithms, and “last minute” coding additions. All of these topics will be included in this extended session. | |
| Presenter: | Diana Voorhees, MA, CLS, MT, SH, CLCP |
| 12:15pm – 1:15pm | Lunch/ Exhibits |
| 1:15pm-2:15pm | More Work, Less Bonus, Greets Pathology PQRS Reporting in 2012 |
| Changes in the Physician Quality Reporting System will bring new quality reporting measures for pathologists in 2012. In this session we will review PQRS requirements for reporting quality measures, bonus payments and what this means for pathologists and staff who are involved with the submission of PQRS information. | |
| Presenter: | Peggy Slagle, CPC® |
| 2:15pm-3:15pm | Ready…Set…Get on Board with CPT-2012 Path/Lab Code Changes |
| New codes are introduced annually by the AMA; certain codes may be deleted and related descriptions for other codes may be changed. In addition, CMS may introduce or delete certain Level II codes and fail to recognize other CPT codes. The Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) has faced negative cuts two years in a row and the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) is still facing the impact of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). Coverage policies are increasing for payers other than Medicare. And, editing sytems such as CCI and MUEscontinus to impact reimbursement. This session will address pertinent topics for anticipated changes in coding and reimbursement for 2012. Molecular testiing will be discussed in another session. | |
| Presenter: | Diana Voorhees, MA, CLS, MT, SH, CLCP |
| 3:15pm-3:30pm | Refreshment Break/ Exhibits |
| 3:30pm-4:30pm | Seven Times the Fun: Preparing for ICD-10-CM’s Impact on Lab Services |
| October 1, 2013 marks a new era in diagnosis coding. Join me to review the changes and the preparation that we should be doing for this large impact on lab services including claim submission and reimbursement. | |
| Presenter: | Peggy Slagle, CPC® |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. | Reception and Fellowship |
| Main Conference Sessions Day 2 – Saturday, December 3, 2011 | |
| 8:00am – 9:00am | Breakfast/ Exhibits |
| 9:00am – 10:00am | Here’s What the Regulators Have in Store for You in 2012 |
| Every year the laboratory/pathology industry faces regulatory issues that impact management changes, budgeting, billing requirements, reimbursement, and related compliance requirements. This session will present and discuss the latest regulatory updates, what is real, what is proposed and what will be the likely impact for 2012. | |
| Presenter: | Diana Voorhees, MA, CLS, MT, SH, CLCP |
| 10:00am-10:15am | Refreshment Break/ Exhibits |
| 10:15am-11:15am | Get More Income from Your Clinical Lab and Medical Director Services |
| During these tough economic times, it’s often hard for pathologists and hospitals to decide how much lab medical directorship compensation is appropriate and affordable. In addition, both parties need to understand and consider their options for funding that compensation. By attending this session, you’ll be able to describe a recommended way to determine the value of pathologist lab medical director duties and to enumerate the various ways you can go about generating sufficient funds to cover that compensation. | |
| Presenter: | Dennis Padget, MBA, CPA, FHFMA |
| 11:15am-12:15pm | Dealing with LCDs: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly |
| Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) vary from one Medicare contractor to another. LCDs have the potential to become NCDs. What Medicare establishes, other payers seem to adopt. ICD-9 coding determines coverage but is to be replaced by ICD-10. Modifiers are frequently applied in the billing process and may or may not be assigned correctly. ABN usage may be problematic. This session will examine liabilities that laboratories carry when claims are associated with LCDs. | |
| Presenter: | Diana Voorhees, MA, CLS, MT, SH, CLCP |
| 12:15pm – 1:15pm | Lunch/ Exhibits |
| 1:15pm-3:15pm | Major Surgical Resections: We’ll Solve Your Bundle/Unbundle Dilemmas |
| Deciding when different organs or tissues received in one container can and can’t be separately charged (88302-88309) is an ongoing dilemma for pathology coders. The published rules from the AMA and other authorities are few and far between, and even when a particular scenario has been addressed, the advice is often ambiguous or incomplete. This two-part session will give you concrete information on the tissue bundling and unbundling principles and practices you should be following to ensure that you don’t miss legitimate income opportunities or incur undue audit risk. Numerous common scenarios and major surgical resection cases will be discussed in detail. | |
| Presenter: | Dennis Padget, MBA, CPA, FHFMA |
| 3:15pm-3:30pm | Refreshment Break/ Exhibits |
| 3:30pm-4:30pm | Pathology Coding Forum: Your Chance to Stump our Experts (“live case” interactive) |
| This “live case” interactive session gives you the opportunity to present your tough coding questions for evaluation and advice by our expert faculty. You’re strongly encouraged to bring actual pathology reports (e.g., surgical pathology, cytopathology, hematopathology), sans personal health information, to the session to receive advice on both CPT coding and medical report sufficiency. | |
| Presenter: | Dennis Padget, MBA, CPA, FHFMA |
