Highlights from the 2009 MGMA Conference

The MGMA 2009 Annual Conference took place in Denver this October 11-14. Maria Horn, a practice management consultant at PCC, attended this year's conference and  brought back many helpful tips and ideas from these informative sessions. The conference provided networking opportunities, current information about health reform and industry challenges, as well as an opportunity to learn about the latest innovations in health care.

PCC's Maria Horn said that attending the conference every year helps her to keep her finger on the pulse of the changing healthcare industry, and is important to her role as a pediatric practice management consultant. Based on the topics covered at this year's MGMA Annual Conference, Horn said some of this year's biggest topics of interest to pediatric practices include:

Health Care Reform: Health Care Reform was of course a major topic of conversation at this year's MGMA conference, and was front and center in the first two general sessions of the conference as well as referenced in the welcoming speech.

• The first general session that focused on health care reform was called, "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care" led by T.R. Reid, a journalist from the Washington Post. Reid spoke about the various models of health care delivery throughout the world, many with better medical outcomes far betther than that of the U.S. 
• A second general session, "Can We Meet the Coming Healthcare Challenge? At What Cost," was led by Dr. Bill Jessee, MGMA President and CEO. Jessee described the U.S healthcare system as fragmented, costly, inequitable, "spotty" with respect to quality, and "perverse" when it comes to physician pay incentives. He said that true healthcare reform requires payment reform, and stressed the need to move from a volume-based system to one that rewards physicians for keeping patients healthy and preventing hospital re-admissions. He also spoke of the need to tackle administrative costs, as well as the necessity of putting some of the onus on patients within a system that encourages healthy behaviors.

Well Care Initiatives: Horn said the importance of pediatrics and primary care were central to the discussion of current topics of concern in the health care industry. Conversation focused on the importance of the medical home and the coordination of treatment. 

• In the general session, "Improving Health Care," Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel, M.D. spoke about the role of primary care in improving health care, and the importance of what he calls "High Touch Medicine," or the relationship between the physician/patient relationship, which produces better medical outcomes and is key to providing high quality care at a reduced medical cost. Emmanuel also spoke about the need to move away from treating illness to preventing illness.  

Washington Updates: With health care reform on the horizon, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the issues surrounding stimulus funds and EHR, new HIPAA standards, and more, it's important for your practice to understand how best to prepare for the many challenges that will accompany these complex federal regulations.

In addition to providing a brief overview of the healthcare reform bills in the House and Senate, Leah Cohen of MGMA Government Affairs, also discussed RVU calculations for 2010, the PQRI initiatives, Recovery Audit Contractors (Medicare claims), and new HIPAA requirements for reporting breaches. He also strongly advocated for practices to take part in their grassroots project to influence the legislature.

Horn said that this year's MGMA Conference was one of the best that she has attended, and recommended that every pediatric practice takes the opportunity to attend this and other similar conferences to stay attuned to changes in the industry and better prepare for them. She also recommends getting involved in practice management societies such as the MGMA, or the AAP Section on Practice Management (SOAPM) committee. We at PCC try to stay on top of changes on the horizon in order to assist pediatric practices in meeting new challenges.

PCC also presents several Pediatric Coding and Practice Management Conferences each year, open to pediatric practices across the country. We have one scheduled for Coral Gables Florida on January 29 that is endorsed by the AAP and sponsored by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Masters of Pediatrics. Learn more and register today!