Advanced Specialty Coding Virtual Summit: Anesthesia

November 6–8, 2023

Get the Latest Guidance for Accurate Anesthesia Coding, Billing & Compliance 

 The 2023 Anesthesia Virtual Summit is the can’t-miss event of the year for Anesthesia coders 

 Join the nation’s top coding trainers November 6 – 8, 2023, and get in-depth guidance on intracranial procedures, hernia repair, post-operative pain management and more. You can expect tips and tools on proper coding and billing, improving documentation, and reducing audit risk, as well as a look at the main compliance risks that threaten your practice. 

 In 2023, we’re bringing the Advanced Specialty Coding, Compliance and Reimbursement Symposium to YOU! We are redefining our specialty coding education—and we can’t wait to share it with you. Get ready for a virtual experience unlike any other! 

Here’s just a sampling of what we have in store for you in 2023: 

• 2024 CPT and ICD-10 coding and guidance update so your practice is prepared ahead of the implementation dates.  
• Expert guidance on how to properly code for common anesthesia procedures, including aneurysm surgery, tumor removal, hernia repair, and post-op pain, gynecological, and obstetric services. 
• Best practices for reporting anesthesia services with a variety of endoscopy procedures. 
• Tips to overcome the latest coding challenges: Prepare to defend your claims when you report moderate sedation, monitored anesthesia care, or general anesthesia for procedures such as epidurals and facet joint interventions. 
• Work through compliance scenarios with real-world examples and learn how to reduce your risk. 
• Expert advice: Get answers to your pressing coding, billing, and compliance questions during the Q&A sessions each day. 
• Get your entire team trained without sacrificing productivity and without spending thousands of dollars. 
• Reduced expenses. No travel time and no travel costs—participate from the comfort of your own happy place! 
• Great networking opportunities and more engaging sessions—ask questions, get clarification, and be part of the conversation. 
• Access to the on-demand recording for 60 days after live event so that you can relisten and browse content at your own pace. 
• Extra! Add-on a specialty – Pain Management, Orthopedics, and/or Billing & Compliance Virtual Summit – and attend sessions from multiple tracks spanned over time.

At DecisionHealth, we are committed to delivering you the highest standard of training excellence, provided by nationally recognized industry experts, in an interactive virtual environment that promises more value and flexibility at an extremely affordable price. 

Advanced Specialty Coding Virtual Summit: Anesthesia

Agenda

*All Times are Eastern

Main Conference Day 1 — Monday, November 6, 2023

12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
It Is Brain Surgery—Anesthesia for Intracranial Procedures
Doris V. Branker, CHC, CPC, CIRCC, CPMA, CPC-I, CANPC, CEMC
Get your head in the game when you code anesthesia services for intracranial procedures (00210-00222). This group of codes includes anesthesia for complex procedures such as aneurysm surgery and tumor removal. Learn how to select the appropriate code for intracranial procedures, discover how patient positioning influences coding and find out which services are typically bundled into the anesthesia service.

12:55 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. 
Scope It Out: Anesthesia Coding for Endoscopy Explained
Pamela Linton, CPC, CANPC
In 1842 an American physician used modern anesthesia for the first time. Nine years later a French physician created the first functional endoscope. Both disciplines have come a long way and this session will give you a close look at the best practices for reporting anesthesia services with a variety of endoscopy procedures. You’ll get tips to help you efficiently select codes, learn to detect documentation errors and review relevant Medicare rules, including the new policy for colonoscopies following a positive test for colorectal cancer.

1:40 p.m. – 1:55 p.m. 
Networking Break

1:55 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. 
Sedation for Pain Management—Be Prepared to Appeal
Amy Turner, RN, BSN, MMHC, CPC, CHC, CHIAP
When you report moderate sedation, monitored anesthesia care, or general anesthesia for procedures such as epidurals and facet joint interventions, you can expect Medicare and private payers to force you to defend your claims through the appeals process. Your practice must have a rock-solid understanding of current medical necessity policies if it wants to get paid. Learn how to build a solid case for appeal, from determining whether a patient is a candidate for sedation to making sure the service’s documentation paints a clear picture of medical necessity.

2:50 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Q&A Session With the Speakers
Doris V. Branker, CHC, CPC, CIRCC, CPMA, CPC-I, CANPC, CEMC
Pamela Linton, CPC, CANPC
Amy Turner, RN, BSN, MMHC, CPC, CHC, CHIAP
Bring your most pressing and challenging questions and our expert speakers will answer them during this session. BONUS: Have a tough scenario or complicated question you’ve been struggling with? Submit your scenario and/or question ahead of time to Julia Kyles at JKyles@decisionhealth.com.

3:15 p.m.
Day 1 Concludes

Main Conference Day 2 — Tuesday, November 7, 2023

12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. 
Who’s the Boss? Take Control of Private Payers That Don’t Meet Their Obligations
Doris V. Branker, CHC, CPC, CIRCC, CPMA, CPC-I, CANPC, CEMC
Your practice struggles to meet all the obligations in its private payer contracts, but getting a private payer to hold up its end of the contract can seem like an impossible task. Don’t worry, you aren’t doomed to slow claims processing, ignored deadlines, and missed payments. This session will use real-world examples to show you how to create an effective internal escalation process, make the contract work for your practice, and receive the revenue you’re due.

12:55 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. 
Gynecological and Obstetric Services: Use the Latest Tips to Improve Your Anesthesia Coding
Kelly Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPMA, CPC, CPC-I
Anesthesia coding and billing for OB/GYN procedures takes you beyond the obstetric codes (01958-01969). Gynecological procedures such as breast reconstruction, tubal ligation, and culdoscopy require anesthesia procedures, and you need a detailed knowledge of anesthesia coding to quickly process claims. Get the latest tips for coding these and other gynecological services. Also get best practices for coding and billing obstetric services and discover how your practice compares with other practices when billing for labor epidural patients.

1:40 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.
Networking Break

1:55 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. 
Anesthesia for Hernia Repair: Close the Knowledge Gap
Pamela Linton, CPC, CANPC
The 2023 CPT manual included major revisions to the abdominal hernia repair code set, and it wasn’t a simple one-to-one change. The update deleted 18 procedure codes and replaced them with 14 procedure codes and one add-on. What did that do to anesthesia coding? This session will answer the question and close the knowledge gap for anesthesia services for abdominal hernia repair. Learn how to quickly select the correct anesthesia code, including ASA Crosswalk™ alternates for hernia repair surgery, and what to do when you think another anesthesia code is appropriate.

2:50 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Q&A Session With the Speakers
Doris V. Branker, CHC, CPC, CIRCC, CPMA, CPC-I, CANPC, CEMC
Kelly Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPMA, CPC, CPC-I
Pamela Linton, CPC, CANPC
Bring your most pressing and challenging questions and our expert speakers will answer them during this session.
Submit your scenario and/or question ahead of time to Julia Kyles at JKyles@decisionhealth.com.

3:25 p.m. – 3:55 p.m. 
Cocktail/Favorite Beverage Virtual Reception
Julia Kyles, CPC (Moderator)
Bring your drink and your biggest issue with a carrier/payer, and let’s spill the tea!

3:55 p.m.
Day 2 Concludes

Main Conference Day 3 — Wednesday, November 8, 2023

12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. 
Compliance Workshop: Real Scenarios—and Solutions—for Your Anesthesia Group
Kelly Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPMA, CPC, CPC-I
Work through real-world compliance scenarios that will teach you how to confidently tackle compliance head-on and reduce your practice’s compliance risk. From how anesthesia practices performed an internal review for the first time to what they did when they found evidence that their practice had a compliance problem. This session will use the lessons other practices learned to show you how to boost your practice’s compliance efforts.

12:55 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. 
2024 Update: Prepare for the Coding Changes That Will Impact Your Practice
Julia Kyles, CPC
A new year, a new round of coding updates—and for practices that aren’t prepared, a new round of underpayments and denials. Don’t let it happen to your practice. Get an overview of the relevant procedure code updates that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2024, and cover changes to ICD-10-CM guidelines for fiscal year 2024. Bonus: This session will bring you up to date on the COVID-19 public health emergency waivers that were extended past May 11.

1:40 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.
Networking Break

1:55 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. 
Post-op Pain Services--From Surgeon’s Request to Daily Management
Kelly Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPMA, CPC, CPC-I
ESP, FNB, IPACK, PECS, TAP ... Figuring out the post-op block alphabet is just one of your challenges when the anesthesia provider performs post-operative pain management services. From making sure the surgeon’s request is properly documented to reporting daily management, reporting these essential services can be a lot of work. Learn how to make short work of reporting post-operative pain management services, from untangling the approach for the block from the nerve treated to determining whether the provider performed a plane block.

2:50 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. 
Q&A Session With the Speakers
Kelly Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPMA, CPC, CPC-I
Julia Kyles, CPC
Bring your most pressing and challenging questions and our expert speakers will answer them during this session.
Submit your scenario and/or question ahead of time to Julia Kyles at JKyles@decisionhealth.com.

3:15 p.m.
Conference Concludes

— Agenda subject to change —

Advanced Specialty Coding Virtual Summit: Anesthesia

Speakers

		Doris V. Branker, CHC, CPC, CIRCC, CPMA, CPC-I, CANPC, CEMC, is principal consultant and owner of DB Healthcare Consulting & Education. She is a multispecialty coding, reimbursement, practice management, and compliance consultant. Branker’s specialty areas include evaluation and management, anesthesia, pain management, critical care medicine, interventional radiology, and cardiology. She shares free educational content in her specialty areas on her YouTube page Doris Thecoder.
		Kelly Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPMA, CPC, CPC-I, has owned her own consulting company, Perfect Office Solutions, Inc., since November 2001. She has over 39 years of experience in anesthesia coding and billing and speaks about anesthesia issues nationally. She is a certified coder and instructor with special qualifications in anesthesia and served as lead advisor for the anesthesia Board of Medical Specialty Coding. Dennis is a certified healthcare auditor and is currently studying for AAPC’s Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA) examination.
		Julia Kyles, CPC, is a content specialist at DecisionHealth in Brentwood, Tennessee. Since joining the DecisionHealth editorial team in 2000, she has written a wide range of articles and books including the Anesthesia & Pain Coder’s Pink Sheet and Pain Management Coding Answers. She also develops the agendas for the annual anesthesia and pain management conferences. To improve her coding knowledge and better understand her readers, Kyles joined the AAPC and received her CPC certification in 2015.
		Pamela Linton, CPC, CANPC, is the corporate coding manager for the anesthesia and pain management division in the compliance department of Zotec Partners, a national revenue cycle management company. She has been in the coding profession since 1980 and has worked exclusively in anesthesia and pain management for the past 23 years. Much of Linton’s work is centered on training. She gives new clients feedback on how they can improve their documentation, creates education materials for coders and physicians, provides in-person training to physicians, and responds to questions from coders, managers, and providers on a daily basis.
		Amy Turner, RN, BSN, MMHC, CPC, CHC, CHIAP, is the director of advisory solutions for Ventra Health. She is responsible for proposing, budgeting, staffing, leading, and conducting various consulting engagements covering a wide spectrum of healthcare-related needs. Turner has a widespread background in clinical operations, revenue cycle, internal audits, risk management, and healthcare administration. She has 22 years of pain management experience and uses her unique blend of clinical training, coding education, and revenue cycle knowledge with an overlay of regulatory compliance expertise to offer insights that speak to both clinicians and executives. Turner’s experience includes working in large and small private practices, at academic facilities, and with hospital-based physicians.

Advanced Specialty Coding Virtual Summit: Anesthesia

Location

At DecisionHealth, we are committed to delivering you the highest standard of training excellence, provided by nationally recognized industry experts, in an interactive virtual environment that promises more value and flexibility at an extremely affordable price.

We aim to provide you with:

• More flexibility to attend sessions from multiple tracks spanned over time, and the ability to browse content at your own pace.
• Opportunity to get your entire team trained without sacrificing productivity and without spending thousands of dollars.
• Reduced expenses. No travel time and no travel costs – participate from the comfort of your own happy place!
• Great networking opportunities and more engaging sessions – ask questions, get clarification and be part of the conversation.

We look forward to seeing you virtually!

Advanced Specialty Coding Virtual Summit: Anesthesia

Pricing

Group pricing is as follows:

• 2-10 attendees = each attendee receives 10% discount off retail price
• 11-15 attendees = each attendee receives 15% discount off retail price
• 16-20 attendees = each attendee receives 20% discount off retail price
• 21 or more attendees = each attendees receive 25% discount off retail price

Discounts will appear in your cart.

Advanced Specialty Coding Virtual Summit: Anesthesia

Continuing Education

AAPC
This program has the prior approval of AAPC for 8 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 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.

BMSC
This program is preapproved by the Board of Medical Specialty Coding & Compliance (BMSC) for 7 CEUs towards the maintenance of the ACS, SCP and CCP-P credentials.

Advanced Specialty Coding Virtual Summit: Anesthesia

Sponsors

DecisionHealth delivers the most credible content attracting medical practice decision makers. DecisionHealth delivers the most credible content attracting medical practice decision makers.

Reach hundreds of medical practice professionals looking for solutions to their unique challenges! Capitalize on this opportunity by exhibiting onsite and generate new leads and sales for your company.

For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Regina Dexter at rdexter@decisionhealth.com or (800) 727-5257 x6061.