Registration

7 Rules Of Medical Direction: Become A Modifier Master And Prevent Denials In 2008
Presented by:  Joanne Mehmert, CPC

"Doc….About Your Documentation"
Presented by: Debbie Farmer, CPC, ACS-AN

Are the doctors in your office not exactly 'McDreamy' when it comes to documentation? If their documentation is more like a 'McNightmare,' this session gives you all the tools you need to help them fix it. First, you'll learn how to audit existing medical records for documentation red flags, and how to communicate with doctors to get the results you need. You'll also learn when, how, and IF to use templates and other tools to train the physicians in your practice to produce the documentation of your dreams.

Bullet-Proof Your Consult Coding
Presented by: Betty Johnson

The good news about consults is that they bring in approximately 40 percent more than run-of-the-mill E/M. The bad news is that you could have spotless documentation for 99241 - 99255 and still lose every penny of consult reimbursement in an audit, thanks to CMS rules. In this session, we'll outline consult documentation rules and help you implement processes that get you the documentation you need from both the referring doctor and your own doctor. We'll also cover additional details like when you can - and can't - ask for a consult from a physician in the same group, how to spot 'churning' patterns that will sink your practice in an audit, and why it's so important to 'return to sender.' You'll come out of this pre-conference session with clever strategies to earn consult cash - and still have spotless compliance.

Registration and Breakfast/Exhibits

BREAKOUTS

ANESTHESIA:
OB Coding Strategies That Deliver Bundles For 2008
Presented by: Debbie Farmer, CPC, ACS-AN

Make sure your pratice collects bundles in 2008 for relieving a new mom’s pain. In this session, our expert will teach you how to select among the different ways to calculate an anesthesia provider’s time, what to do when a labor turns into a C-section, how to get maximum ethical reimbursement for labor plus sterilization, the ins and outs of Duromorph coding. Plus, you’ll finally know for sure how to code for stand-by, CRNAs, physician handoff during L&D, and much more. Don’t be a “babe in the woods” when it comes to OB coding and billing. Plan to attend this session!

PAIN MANAGEMENT:
Take The UNKNOWN Out Of 'UNLISTED'
Presented by: Trish Bukauskas-Vollmer, CMM, CPC

Arrrrgh. What do you know about that hardware block? If you've been coding lots of anesthesia procedures, chances are you haven't had to grapple much with the great UNKNOWN that is UNLISTED. And even seasoned pain management coders can become UNCOMFORTABLE with the UNLISTEDS. We'll show you scenarios where 'unlisted' is the best, most compliant choice for pain management procedures - even if there's an established code that seems pretty close. You'll also walk away with 8 strategies for watertight documentation that will get even the toughest unlisteds paid, and you'll learn what to do in an appeal if you need to try again.

NEUROLOGY:
Intraoperative Monitoring Crash Course
- Presented by: Marvel J Hammer RN CPC CCS-P ACS-PM CHCO

This one's a must for neurology coders whose practices care for ICU and stroke patients. You'll emerge from this session knowing what you should do when the IOM diagnosis code differs from the ICD-9 code for electrodiagnostic testing. Unravel when you can bill for IOM for two simultaneous surgical patients, and when remote monitoring is OK. Ace when to 'start the clock' and how to get the physicians to document time appropriately and what modifiers you need to get your claims paid.

BREAKOUTS

ANESTHESIA:
Qualifying Circumstances Coding, Physical Status, And Billing For Other Medical Services
Presented by: Debbie Farmer, CPC, ACS-AN

There's no denying that anesthesia coding is different from other specialties. But dealing with the quirks doesn't have to put you in a quandary! Come learn the ins and outs of qualifying circumstances codes, physical status indicators and "extra" services such as line placements. By the time you leave you'll know when to bill what, and how to do it correctly.

PAIN MANAGEMENT:
Double-Check Your Bilateral Coding Expertise
Presented by: Myriam Nieves

If you're like many pain-management coders, even a few bilateral coding mistakes can slash some of your reimbursements. After this session, you'll understand what procedures you can code bilaterally and what procedures you can't, when to bill multiple units instead, and what formats the major payers require. Don't lose out on the cash your practice deserves for TPI, facet injection, and other common procedures.

NEUROLOGY:
Take The Ouch Out Of Chemodenervation Coding, Including Botox Coding Boot-Camp
Presented by: Nancy Reading RN, BS, CPC

Don’t let chemodenervation coding mistakes paralyze your collection efforts. Let Nancy Reading RN, BS, CPC, show you how to deal with multiple injection visits, how to persuade payers to reimburse for migraine diagnoses, and more.

Lunch

Refreshment Break

BREAKOUTS

ANESTHESIA:
Heart-Stopping Cardiac Anesthesia Coding Tips
Presented by: Debbie Farmer, CPC, ACS-AN

Yes. It's true. Your heart will skip a beat when you embrace these strategies for coding anesthesia for coronary artery bypass grafts [CABG] and transesophageal echocardiography [TEE]. You'll learn what diagnosis codes typically support medical necessity for TEE, and where some carriers differ. You'll also take home a slew of tools to help your anesthesiologists correctly document TEE. Finally, our expert will walk you through some tough cardiac anesthesia coding scenarios so that all those claims on your desk will be a breeze.

PAIN MANAGEMENT:
Don't Lose Money On In-Office Drugs & Supplies
Presented By: Trish Bukauskas-Vollmer, CMM, CPC

If your physician follows the trend of providing more pain management services in his office, that means extra reimbursement for his practice - if your coding's up to par. Get the scoop on which drugs and supplies you can report, how to correctly calculate medication amounts and other ways you can help your physician achieve optimal - but appropriate - reimbursement.

NEUROLOGY:
Wake Up! Become An EEG Coding Pro
Presented by: Neil A. Busis, MD

Our expert will make sure you have a handle on long-term monitoring, digital analysis, what is mandatory and what isn’t. If you’re not sure what to do about hyperventilation and photic stimulation, this is the session for you. You’ll also learn how to decipher from documentation if—and when—an EEG crosses from routine to long-term.

Breakfast/Exhibits

BREAKOUTS

ANESTHESIA:
2008 New Code Updates & Hot Topics
Presented by: Kelly Dennis, MBA, CPC, ACS-AP

Worried about which CPT code changes and additions will affect you starting Jan. 1? You don’t have to.  Get the expert skinny from a coding veteran during this information-packed session.

PAIN MANAGEMENT:
The ABCs of ASCs
Presented by : Trish Bukauskas, CMM, CPC

Revenue-impacting ASC code changes are almost here.  Guarantee payment and compliance success by joining us for this intense session.  Kick-start your year with important information and helpful hints on pain management coding for ASC’s:  Know how the proposed CMS changes for ASC will affect you? We’ll show you;  The surprising right way to code pain management...it’s easier than you think;  The biggest ASC coding mistakes you can make and how to avoid them;  Killer tools for ASC coding - what you need in your reference arsenal and why.

NEUROLOGY:
Never-Fail Neurostim Coding: It’s Easier Than You Think
Presented By: Merrilee Severino

Find out how to code correctly for neurostimulator placement, maintenance and monitoring. Build your diagnosis coding skills so you can avoid denials when your neurologist uses neurostim to treat chronic pain. You’ll also understand what’s involved in other neurostim treatments besides SCS so that you can code like a pro.

Refreshment Break

BREAKOUTS

ANESTHESIA:
Monitored Anesthesia Care
Presented by: Kelly Dennis, MBA, CPC, ACS-AP

Conscious sedation, monitored anesthesia care, general anesthesia - what's the difference, and how do they fit together? Do you report MAC with QS or other modifiers? And when does a case cross the line from MAC to general anesthesia? Get answers to all these questions and more, and rest assured you're handling the nuances with ease.

PAIN MANAGEMENT:
Ganglions! Bursas! And More!
Presented by: Marvel Hammer

If nerve anatomy makes you feel like you're not in Kansas anymore, this is the session for you. You'll become a wizard at discerning from the medical record where the provider has injected and you'll be on the yellow brick road to flawless coding.

NEUROLOGY:
Build Up Your Nerve:  Anatomy For The Neurology Coder

Learning about nerves can be an intimidating prospect, but will improve your coding tremendously. Get real-world knowledge to help you decipher different categories of nerves and put you on your way to grasping what happens when your neurologist treats trigeminal neuralgia, performs an occipital nerve block or completes other common procedures.

Zzzzzzzz Sleep Study Coding Course
Presented by: Cheryl C. House RMC, CHI

If sleep study coding questions are keeping you up at night, you can rest easy if you take advantage of this sleep study coding workshop. You'll get the details about what actually happens in different kinds of sleep studies so you can choose correctly among 95805-95807 versus the 95808-95811 code sets. You'll also learn things like when you need a referral and when you simply need an E/M encounter from the physician who orders the study, how to properly report POS to prevent denials, and what modifiers to use when the study is discontinued. You'll leave this session with your eyes wide-open to correct sleep study coding that gets your practice the reimbursement of your dreams.

All About 2008 Op Notes
Presented by: Leslie Johnson, CCS-P

The old mantra holds true for any specialty: if it's not documented, it didn't happen (at least from a coding perspective). But how do you make sense of those operative notes, especially when they need to dovetail with your anesthesiologist's notes? And how do you get access to the surgeon's information to be sure yours coincides? This session will teach you how to overcome obstacles, what to look for, what the details mean and when to rely on the surgical report versus the anesthesia report for your most accurate coding.

Expanded Services-Without the Pain
Presented By: Marvel J Hammer RN CPC CCS-P ACS-PM CHCO

Are the doctors in your pain management practice looking to expand their services? This session will show you how to analyze whether the expansion will be worth the time and effort, how to garner reimbursement or cutting-edge procedures, how to market your new services and other practice management tips, and steps you can take to reduce your liability risk.