Early Registration

Breathe Easy: Surefire Tactics For Accurate Allergy Symptoms Coding Every Time!
Presenter: John F. Bishop, PA-C, CPC, MS, CWS

Modifer Power In 2008: Capture All The Revenue You Deserve
Presenter: Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC™-OTO, CPC-H, CPC-P

Modifiers tell the rest of the story with many services. Used correctly, modifiers will insure proper, compliant payment, used wrong, modifiers can put the practice into a compliance bind while reducing revenues. Modifier descriptions have changed substantially for 2008, so this class is even more important as it will address the changes in the wording to the modifier descriptions and how they apply to otolaryngology practices.

Registration, Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

92504 & 69210: Expert Tips On How To Focus Your Efforts On Winnable Appeals
Presenter: Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC™-OTO, CPC-H, CPC-P

Plagued by microscopy & impacted cerumen removal denials? Focus your efforts on winnable appeals. Learn strategies on minor ear procedure and office visit reporting, the exception to the modifier 25 rule and tools for more supportive chart notes.

Balloon Sinuplasty: Where Are We Now?
Presenter: Pamela Biffle

The AAO finally gave concrete guidance on how to bill for endoscopy using balloon dilation. We’ll distill the possiblities and the coding that applies to each.

PQRI: Are You In Or Out?
Presenter: John F. Bishop, PA-C, CPC, MS, CWS

The voluntary Physician Quality Reporting Initiative puts practices on one of two sides: in or out. Get the info to judge whether enrollment is right for your practice. We’ll teach wannabees how to join and enrollees the typical ENT measures to watch for. Finally, navigate the denominator codes, learn when to apply a modifier and get answers to common reporting questions.

Dissections: Coding From The Op Report
Presenter: Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC™-OTO, CPC-H, CPC-P

Functional neck dissection, modified radical neck dissection and lymphadenectomy all refer to the same procedure, meaning you’ve got to be an anatomy vocab wizard just to get the right CPT code. Expert neck coder will show you the ropes including bundles, codeable combos and more.

OIG Hit list: Are you on it?
Presenter: Vicky Varley O'Neil, CPC, CCS-P

Modifier 25 and 59 made it again. Plus, CMS and private payers will be zooming in on incident to services and your billing of services to SNF patients. These rules will keep you out of trouble and the money in your pocket.

Refreshment Break

TNE: Get The Truth On CPT Guidelines And Keep Your NE Coding AAO Compliant
Presenter: Charles F. Koopmann, Jr., MD, MHSA

Recent advice from the AMA on coding transnasal esophagoscopy has sent reverberations through the ENT community. We’ll discuss what the Q&A really means and outline 3 scenarios that will keep your NE coding AAO compliant.

Top 10 ENT Coding Errors: Must-Have Tactics To Reduce Risk Of Fraud Investigations And Indictments
Presenter: Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC™-OTO, CPC-H, CPC-P

Coding errors are the source of reduced reimbursement and potential compliance risk for the practice This class looks at the most common errors found in an otolaryngology practice and the processes that can be put into place to avoid them and thus assist the practice in optimizing compliant income and reduce risk of fraud investigations and indictments.

Cocktail Party

Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Time Is Money: Expert Tips To Identify What Surgeries Are ASC Approved In A Snap
Presenter: Annette Grady

In 2008, you’ll no longer have a list of ASC-approved surgeries. Find out the new way you’ll learn if you can provide operations in an ASC – and what CMS is doing to ensure you don’t move office procedures to the higher-paying ASC.

E/M Audit: Get The Lowdown On Weighing Consult Vs. Referral, Coding Chronic Conditions, Showing Medical Necessity, And More
Presenter: Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC™-OTO, CPC-H, CPC-P

Get the lowdown on weighing consult vs referral, coding chronic conditions, showing medical necessity. Test your skills with these case studies in which E/M expert highlights common pitfalls and avoidance tactics.

Master New 2008 Audiology ICD-9 Codes With Guaranteed Insider Tips
Presenter: George F. Alex, CPC, ACS

With 30 new ICD-9 codes for 2008 pertaining to audiology and speech-language, you need a step-by-step get acquainted guide. Find out the two exams you can now breakout of V70.5. Plus, get inside tips on the medical record details you should spot when choosing between the seven new 389.xx codes. We’ll also discuss common audiology bundles, audiologist rules and incident-to guidelines that will keep your audiology coding on the up-and-up.

Become An ESS Coding Guru With Surefire Expert Tips
Presenter: Charles F. Koopmann, Jr., MD, MHSA

Your bread and butter can be filled with hard-to-crack nuts like debridement codeablility, septoplasty and
radiofrequency bundles and documentation requirements for polypectomy and exploration. AAO practice affairs coordinator Dr. Koopmann will give you the details you need to ensure your endoscopic sinus surgery coding is beyond reproach. Bonus: Real ESS cases will test your skills.