Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version

Course Overview

An opportunity to explore the who, what, where, and why behind Medicare regulations and guidance

Physician practices treat a significant number of Medicare beneficiaries, requiring a solid understanding of Medicare regulations to ensure proper billing and compliance. The Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version teaches you the basics of navigating Medicare regulations and guidelines applicable to professional services.

Independent of practice size—whether a solo practitioner, group practice or hospital owned physician—the Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version will help you avoid basic compliance pitfalls and costly mistakes. Apply concepts learned immediately with true-to-life case studies that accompany each module.

You’ll walk away from this course with a complete understanding of the unique nuances of documentation and billing topics, including:

• E/M services
• "Incident to" billing and reimbursement for nonphysician practitioner services
• How to research Medicare regulations and guidance
• Participation in Medicare
• Understanding the mechanics of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
• Completion of the CMS-1500 claim form
• Advance beneficiary notices (ABN)
• National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI)
• Global surgery rules
• Diagnostic testing rules
• Medicare coverage of preventative and screening services
• Teaching physician rules
• Appeals process
• Medicare Quality Payment Programs for Physicians

You will leave this program knowing how to:

• Employ CMS guidelines to ensure proper reporting
• Explain appropriate billing for professional services in many different scenarios
• Identify compliance pitfalls and prepare for potential audits
• Describe requirements for efficient processes that lead to increased productivity
• Examine Medicare coverage guidelines, including the general types of physician services covered
• Recognize specific Medicare coverage requirements for certain services
• Interpret payment principles for physician services, allowing for a reasonably anticipated projected income stream

Who should attend?

The Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version course is great for those who want to learn more about the basics of navigating Medicare regulations and guidelines applicable to professional services.

• Medical practice managers
• Billers and coders
• Medical records managers and staff
• Health information managers and staff
• Clinical managers and department heads
• Finance and reimbursement managers and staff
• Physicians
• Nurse practitioners
• Physician assistants
• Compliance officers and auditors
• Medicare carrier personnel
• Healthcare consultants, CPAs, and lawyers
• Legal department personnel

See the HCPro difference for yourself!

Focus on the actual rules: Learn how to find and apply CMS rules and guidelines to ensure professional services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries are billed accurately and appropriately.

Tools and skills to navigate Medicare rules: Our instructors provide valuable tools and resources that will help you prioritize and research Medicare questions long after the Boot Camp ends.

Case studies: Case studies ensure attendees understand the concepts and know how to apply them to real-world situations.

Small class size: A low participant-to-teacher ratio is guaranteed.

Highly rated, well-established program: Participants consistently give the course an overall rating of 4.75 or higher (on a 5.0 scale).

How does the Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version work?

Class is held Monday – Friday for 1 week from 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (5 classes).

Please Note: Four days before class starts, you will receive a welcome email that includes the dial-in information for the class.

Class is held Monday – Friday from May 13 – May 17. Registration cut-off date: 5/6/2024

For more information about our Boot Camps, contact us at 800-650-6787 or email sales@hcpro.com.

Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version

Course Outline/Agenda

Module 1: Medicare Overview and Resources

• Overview of Medicare Part A, B, C, and D
• Medicare Contractors, including MAC, RAC, and QIO
• Finding Medicare source laws, including statutes, regulations and final rules
• Finding Medicare sub-regulatory guidance, including manuals and transmittals
• Medicare Coverage Center, including LCDs, NCDs, CED and Lab Coverage Manual
• Links to Medicare resources and resources for staying current

Module 2: Medicare Participation

• Medicare physician/supplier enrollment process
• Medicare enrollment form to use – which form is appropriate?
• Reporting NPIs on Medicare claims
• Participation and non-participation in the Medicare program
• “Opting out” of the Medicare program
• Assigned versus non-assigned claims
• “Limiting charge” rules and the implications assigned and non-assigned claims

Module 3: CMS Quality/Value Based Payment Incentives

• Quality programs, Value Based Payment, and the CMS Quality Initiative
• Current quality programs under Medicare for physician practices: PQRS, Meaningful Use, & Value-Based Payment Modifier
• MACRA and the associated value based payment programs (MIPS, APM’s, PFPM’s)

Module 4: Medical Necessity and Non-Coverage

• Social Security Act “Limitation on Liability” provisions and when it applies
• Situations in which ABN is necessary to hold the patient responsible for non-covered services
• Circumstances under which an ABN would be ineffective/invalid
• When is it inappropriate to present an ABN to a patient
• Circumstances where a routine ABN is permitted
• Appropriate reporting of ABN modifiers

Quiz 1: Overview, Participation, VBP Incentives and Medical Necessity

Module 5: CMS 1500, ICD-10-CM, NPI and Other Must-Know Billing Fundamentals

• Role and functions of the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)
• MAC jurisdiction for services furnished to a Medicare beneficiary
• CMS-1500 data set instructions and proper reporting of services provided
• Proper reporting of site of service and the effect on payment
• Overview of how SNF consolidated billing and how it effects billing for professional services furnished to SNF residents
• Reassignment relationships and when they are permissible under the Medicare reassignment regulations/guidelines

Module 6: Overview of the Resource Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS)

• Medicare payment and the physician fee schedule
• Using relative value file/physician fee schedule database to make operational decisions
• Medicare’s annual deductible and coinsurance and the effect on beneficiary liability and payment to practitioners-22
• Proper use of modifier -22 and -52 and the effect on reimbursement

Module 7: NCCI, MUEs, Modifiers and Other Must-Know Billing Fundamentals

• NCCI edits, composition, and application
• Differentiate between the Column 1/Column 2 and the Mutually Exclusive code edits
• Determine special considerations and practical issues for practitioners related to NCCI edits
• Determine when an NCCI edit will apply to a claim
• Determine the correct way to bill for a code pair that is subject to an NCCI edit including appropriate use of modifiers

Quiz 2: CMS 1500, RBRVS and NCCI

Module 8: Evaluation and Management Services: The Most Commonly Billed Physician Service

• Appropriate billing for E/M services furnished to a hospital inpatient
• Determine the appropriate way to bill for E/M services furnished to a hospital observation patient.
• Appropriate reporting of E/M services furnished in an emergency department
• Appropriate reporting of E/M services furnished to a nursing facility patient
• Medicare’s approach to consultations
• Appropriate billing for critical care, concurrent care, care management, behavioral integration, and care plan oversight services**

Module 9: Surgical Services for Physicians: Modifiers and More

• Global surgical package –inclusion and exclusion of services
• Determine the applicable postoperative period of a procedure
• Appropriate billing for services furnished during the postoperative period that are not included in the surgical package, including the use of appropriate modifiers
• Multiple procedure reduction and its application to a particular Medicare claim
• Appropriate billing for bilateral surgeries, assistant surgeons, co-surgeons, and team surgeons
• Determine the appropriate way to bill for assistant surgeons, co-surgeons, and team surgeons

Module 10: Clinical Lab, Radiology and Other Diagnostic Services

• Determine when the professional and technical component services for a diagnostic test are separately billable
• Determine when and how to use modifiers to appropriately bill for professional and technical component services
• Physician supervision required for a particular diagnostic test
• Bill appropriately for diagnostic radiology services in a professional practice setting
• Application of multiple procedure payment reduction and calculation of its effect on reimbursement
• CLIA requirements applicable for laboratory services furnished in a professional practice setting
• Locate and effectively use the clinical diagnostic laboratory services fee schedule and the national coverage determinations (NCDs) applicable to clinical laboratory services

Quiz 3: E/M, Surgical and Diagnostic Services

Module 11: Non-Physician Practitioner and Therapist Services

• Medicare’s recognition of non-physician practitioners
• “Incident to” and “split/shared” coverage of NPPs services
• NPP services that qualify for “incident to” coverage
• Circumstances when NPP services may appropriately billed under “split/shared” coverage rules

Module 12: Physicians at Teaching Hospitals: Teaching Physician Issues

• Overview of Medicare coverage of services provided by interns and residents
• Situations in which a teaching/attending physician’s presence is required when residents are involved in patient care
• Appropriate billing for resident involvement of patient care (including the appropriate use of modifiers)
• Documentation requirements applicable to teaching/attending physician services when residents are involved in patient care
• Appropriately bill for services furnished by an intern or resident functioning as an assistant surgeon
• Determine if Medicare payment is available for services furnished by a particular moonlighting resident

Module 13: When the Medicare Payment is Not What you Expect: Audits and Appeals

• Overview of the Medicare program integrity function applicable to services furnished in a professional practice setting
• Comprehensive Error Rate Testing progra
• Proper Response for Audit and Record Request
• Overview of the Medicare Part B appeals process

Module 14: Medicare Coverage of Preventive Health Services

• Initial Preventive Physical Exam
• Annual Wellness Visits
• Medicare Coverage of Screening Services
• Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program

Quiz 4: Non-Physician Practitioner services; audit and appeals, teaching physicians and preventive services

Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version

Schedule

May— Class Schedule (Eastern time)

Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version

Questions/Answers

What is the focus of the Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version?
The Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version is technically oriented and focuses on the Medicare regulations and guidelines applicable to professional services. The course is taught using a combination of lecture, class discussion, and hands-on exercises. The objective of the course is to provide course participants with a detailed understanding of the Medicare "rules," with a particular emphasis on the real-world application of those rules.

What computer set-up do I need to attend this class?
This will be hosted on the GoToMeeting platform. Attendees should have access to a computer that has a microphone and speakers to participate. There is also an option to dial-in over a phone line if you need to connect on your phone. You can read the full system requirements for GoToMeeting by visiting https://support.goto.com/meeting/help/system-requirements-for-attendees-g2m010003. You can also test your system by visiting https://support.logmeininc.com/gotomeeting/get-ready. 

Does HCPro offer on-site Medicare Boot Camps?
In addition to our open registration courses, we also offer the Medicare Boot Camp as an on-site program (with a substantial discount) for organizations that have a number of employees who need training. For more information on hosting an on-site Medicare Boot Camp, click on Host an On-Site Course.

What if I need to cancel or transfer my registration?
To view our cancellation policy, please click here.

Who typically attends the Medicare Boot Camp—Physician Services Version?

• Medical practice managers
• Billers and coders
• Medical records/health information managers/staff
• Clinical managers and department heads
• Finance and reimbursement managers/staff
• Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants
• Compliance officers and auditors
• Medicare carrier personnel
• Healthcare consultants, CPAs, and lawyers
• Legal department personnel**

What material does the course cover?
To view the course outline, click on "Course Outline" above.

Does the course require any previous experience or training?
The course starts with Medicare fundamentals and does not assume that participants have any particular background or experience. However, because of the fast-paced nature of the course, it is recommended (but not required) that participants have at least one year of experience working in a professional practice setting. Familiarity with the CPT® coding system will be particularly helpful.

How is the course taught?
The course is taught using a combination of lecture, class discussion, and hands-on exercises.

What should I have available for each session?
For each class, participants should have their packet of materials and may wish to also have available a highlighter, notebook for taking notes, and sticky notes/flags.

In order to get the most out of the course, you should also have a current CPT manual available. Any current version of the CPT manual will be fine so long as it is published by the American Medical Association (AMA). (Our instructors use and recommend the AMA's CPT Professional Edition.)

Optum publishes a manual called CPT Expert. We recommend against using it for this course because CPT Expert does not contain all of the official CPT guidelines.

What if I have a question that didn’t get addressed in class?
The course offers open office hours each week to address topics related to the course materials and class discussion. Questions should be related to the course and topics discussed throughout the course. Instructors are not able to address questions outside the scope of the course.

Does HCPro ever share contact information (e.g., name, address, phone number, email address, etc.) with other companies?
Historically, we have not shared contact information with anyone outside of our company. However, it is possible that at some point we might share contact information with other companies that offer products and services that we think would be of interest to our customers. If you would like us to keep your contact information confidential, please let us know so that we can flag your information in our customer database as "Do Not Share."

How do I get more information? 
Contact us at 800-650-6787 or email sales@hcpro.com

Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version

Things to Know Before Attending Class

What is Included with Your Purchase

When you purchase a seat for our live virtual boot camps you get online access for one participant to the live sessions, a hard copy of our printed workbook materials, and access to the recordings of the sessions. HCPro reserves the right to revoke your access if we find that you are sharing your login or any of the class information.

Course Materials

You will receive a hard copy of the class materials. These will be shipped to you via UPS. If ordering on our website, please be sure to enter the physical address of where these materials should be shipped to. If you order over the phone or if you are unsure of what address we have on file, please ask the person you are speaking with to verify your address information and update accordingly or call our customer service department. Materials should arrive approximately two business days prior to the start of class.

Virtual Boot Camp Platform

We use GoToMeeting to present our virtual boot camps. To ensure your system supports GoToMeeting, use this link https://support.goto.com/meeting/system-check. We will send out access information for the class 4 business days prior to the class start and again 1 business day prior.

Session Recordings

You will have access to the recordings of each class session via a password protected page on our website. You will be given the page location two business days following the first session. Recordings will be added to the page within one business day following the live session. You will have access to this page for 60 days after the final live session. 

Continuing Education Credits

To receive continuing education credits, you will be required to successfully complete a 40-question quiz that is based off of the content covered throughout the course. Successful completion is achieved by getting at least 80% of the multiple-choice questions correct.

What to Bring to Class

We suggest that you have the following available during the class:

• Highlighter
• Notepaper
• Sticky Notes/flags
• Pen/Pencil

Contact Information

For more information about our Boot Camps, contact us at 800-650-6787 or email sales@hcpro.com.

We Look Forward to Having You In Class!

Live Virtual Medicare Boot Camp®—Physician Services Version

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this Boot Camp, participants will be able to:

• Employ CMS guidelines to ensure proper reporting
• Analyze appropriate billing for professional services for different clinical scenarios and sites of service
• Apply Medicare’s evaluation and management guidelines to ensure proper billing
• Illustrate an understanding of medical necessity, limitation of liability, and effective delivery of advanced beneficiary notices 
• Evaluate compliance pitfalls and prepare for potential audits
• Examine Medicare coverage guidelines, including the general types of physician services covered
• Comply with the specific Medicare coverage requirements for certain services
• Interpret payment principles for physician services, allowing for a reasonably anticipated projected income stream
• Explain Medicare’s telehealth benefits
• Examine requirements for efficient processes that lead to increased productivity

Continuing Education

AAPC
This program has been approved by the AAPC for 21 continuing education hours. Granting of prior approval in no way constitutes endorsement by AAPC of the program content or the program sponsor.

AHIMA
This program has been approved for 20.8 continuing education unit(s) (CEUs) for use in fulfilling the continuing education requirements of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Granting of Approved CEUs from AHIMA does not constitute endorsement of the program content or its program provider.

NAHRI
This program has been approved for 21 continuing education units towards fulfilling the requirements of the Certification in Healthcare Revenue Integrity (CHRI), offered as a service of the National Association of Healthcare Revenue Integrity (NAHRI).

Disclosure Statement:
HCPro has confirmed that none of the faculty/presenters, planners, or contributors have any relevant financial relationships to disclose related to the content of this educational activity.