pediatric coding seminar

If I boycott the swine flu, is that as good as a vaccination?

You see, I really want to talk about something else, but I can't hold off forever.

Whew, we have finally gotten our ducks in a row and announce our Fall Pediatric Coding and PM conference in Columbus, OH on September 17. It's the usual deal: AAP endorsed and AAP members get in cheaper. The individual class titles include:

• Free Online Practice Management Tools
• Coding Primer
• Give Me the Money: How to Decrease your A/R
• The Codes You Leave on the Table
• Pediatric Physicians' Compensation Models
• Vaccine Coding: Preventive Medicine for a Healthy Bottom Line
• The No Surprises Chart Audit

Please check out the promotional site or register ASAP!

Whew - after the conference on the 21st, I then spent a week in DC with my family (woohoo!) and have returned to over 160 follow-up questions that PCC has promised to answer. Those who attended the conference will receive a password-protected URL, just like last time, in a few weeks when we're done.

How'd we do? Thanks to 75+% of the folks who completed our brief survey, here are our scores (using a standard CEU survey):

Question	Score (1-4)
Knowledge of Subject	4.00
Preparation/Presentation	4.00
Class Materials	3.85
Time Spent Covering Information	3.86
How would you rate seminar overall	3.94

Not bad, if you ask me. A nearly perfect score from the attendees, overall. Of course, I note the "nearly" - something to strive for, I guess. Space-wise, this was a big improvement over NYC (which, given the cost, is a good thing).

Thanks to the AAP and Drs. Tuck and Lander for their help.

Meanwhile, if you missed this event, please note that we are hoping to continue this event in the fall (Cincinnati, Rochester) and next spring (Seatlle?). Any input on times and locations requested. However, you can also come to beautiful, summertime Vermont and get a full-blown pediatric practice management extravaganza, too.

More when I catch up, plenty of goodies to share.

Our coding/PM event is filling up. I have to update the talk about Pediatric Compensation Models with more recent data, but otherwise we're in good shape. This will be great.

It's not too late to sign up, I'd love to see you there.

* April 17 Pediatric Coding Conference: Earn 5.0 CEUs!

This April 17, put your practice ahead of the curve with PCC's 2008 Spring Pediatric Coding and Practice Management Conference, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatric coding experts will address key issues in a full day of courses and question and answer sessions designed to improve your coding practices and reimbursement. PCC's 2008 Spring Pediatric Coding and Practice Management Conference will be held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC. This is an intensive, one-day session focused on important pediatric issues that effect your practice everyday. You'll master the coding basics, tackle additional coding topics, get answers to your specific questions during Q&A sessions with our pediatric panel, and gain valuable insight on timely pediatric issues!Our expert panel of instructors includes Richard Lander, MD, FAAP, Richard Tuck, MD, FAAP, and PCC's Chip Hart.

* Earn Continuing Education Units (CEU)

This program has prior approval of the American Academy of Professional Coders for 5.0 Continuing Education Units. Granting for prior approval in no way constitutes endorsement by AAPC of the program content or the program sponsor.

* Learn More and Register Now

View the complete course schedule and register online now at: www.pcc.com/practmgmt/codeconf0408.php Admission to this conference is only $325 for AAP members ($379 for non-members)! Space is limited, so register now.

Registrations have been flying in for our coding conference in April.  Interestingly, most of them are from "out of town" practices - TX, TN, OH, you name it.  We were told by the hotel that DC-folks are notorious for signing up at the last minute...we may be telling them that there's no room at the inn.  Literally- the difficult part for those coming from out of town will be finding hotel space.  The WWW site has 4 or 5 options listed, but don't get caught without a place to stay.  Sign up now.

The important news, however: we have CEU credits!  That's right, 5 official CEU credits for attending the day for those who need them.  I don't know that we've updated the WWW site yet to indicate this, but we got the news yesterday.

Finally, we are working on producing this event (in both full-day and 1/2 day versions) in different places around the country.  If you think a pediatric practice management seminar would go over well near you, let me know.  Really.

It's official. PCC's Spring 2008 Pediatric Coding Conference will be held on April 17 at the Capital Hilton in Washington DC.

You can get all of the details here, some of which are repeated below. To sign up, race here. We sold out in NYC last time and this venue is a lot nicer and holds fewer people.

And - yes - the seating will be a huge improvement over NYC. Tables, guaranteed viewing, etc., etc., etc.

Thanks again to our amazing speakers, Dr. Lander for helping make this all happen, and the AAP for endorsing the event. Remember: AAP members get a big discount!

Spring 2008 Pediatric Coding Conference

Developed by PCC and Endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Thursday, April 17, 2008 — Washington, DC

Put your practice ahead of the curve with PCC's 2008 Pediatric Coding Conference, endorsed by the AAP. Pediatric coding experts address key issues during a full day of courses with question and answer sessions designed to improve your coding practices and reimbursement.

The 2008 Pediatric Coding Conference will be held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.
This is an intensive, one-day session focused on important pediatric issues that effect your practice every day. You'll master the coding basics, get answers to your specific questions during Q&A sessions with our pediatric panel, and gain valuable insight on timely topics about immunizations, pay-for-performance programs, physician compensation, and more. Our expert panel of instructors include AAP Fellows Richard Lander, MD; and Richard Tuck, MD.

Register now. Admission to this conference is only $325 for AAP members ($379 for non-members)!
Thursday, April 17, 2008

Schedule
7:30-Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00-Welcome and PCC's Free Online Practice Management Tools
8:15-Coding 101
9:00-Give Me the Money: How to Decrease your A/R
9:45-Q&A
10:00-Break
10:30-Procedure Power Coding
11:15-Pediatric Physicians' Compensation Models
12:00-Q&A
12:15-Lunch (provided)
1:30-Vaccine Coding: Preventive Medicine for a Healthy Bottom Line
2:15-Who Wants to Be a Coding Millionaire?
3:00-Q&A
3:15-Break3:45-Thirty Tips in Thirty Minutes
4:15-Q&A

Course Descriptions
PCC's Free Online Practice Management Tools
Your host, PCC, will provide information about free online pediatric practice management resources. These free resources can help you update your pricing, review your coding curve, select an EHR and more.

Coding 101
Super coding expert Richard Tuck, M.D., covers the essentials of pediatric coding with updates for 2008. Whether you are new to coding or feel like you already know it all, there is something here for everyone.

Give Me the Money--How to Decrease Your A/R
The AAP's SOAPM Chairperson, Richard Lander, M.D., will cover the policies and procedures you need to have in place to collect the money that is due to you. Topics will include everything from preparing for HSAs to how your staff can ask for money at the Time of Service and still keep your patients happy.

Procedure Power Coding
Most pediatric offices leave thousands - tens of thousands! - of dollars on the table every year for work that they have done but failed to code properly. National CPT expert, Richard Tuck, MD, will walk you through providing and coding for procedures to increase your bottom line.

Pediatric Physicians' Compensation Models
Developing a fair compensation model is an ongoing struggle for many pediatric practices. PCC's Chip Hart will walk you through the challenges of many real offices to determine what might work for you. The varied skills, personalities, productivity levels, experience, lifestyle demands, and non-financial contributions of those involved are just some of the factors that contribute to the challenge of physician compensation. Hart will provide an overview of existing models and data from pediatric office across the country and identify patterns of success.

Vaccine Coding: Preventive Medicine for a Healthy Bottom Line
Each passing year makes the process of billing for vaccines more difficult. With the introduction of new vaccines, changes in the coding rules, and many insurance companies adding their own interpretations, Dr. Lander will help you navigate the muddy waters to get properly reimbursed. Stop losing money on one of the most expensive, risky - and necessary! - aspects of running your practice.

Who Wants to Be a Coding Millionaire?
Dr. Tuck provides an entertaining and challenging review of coding highlights to maximize your practice income. Whether you work for a practice that is afraid to use 99214s or have already mastered the subtle details of the -25 modifier, this game show format course is a must attend.

Thirty Tips in Thirty Minutes
Join Dr. Tuck and Dr. Lander in a fast-paced barrage of all the little, but important, tips and tricks that didn't make it into the other topics!

About the Instructors
Richard Lander, MD, FAAP
Dr. Richard Lander is a managing partner in a pediatric private practice in New Jersey and is president and co-founder of Resources in Physician Management Services. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UMDNJ. Along with his dedication to the care and well being of children and adolescents, Richard has made it a priority to help to ensure that pediatricians are properly remunerated for their hard work on children's behalf. As the president of the NJ-AAP Chapter, he initiated and remains as co-chair of the Pediatric Council. Richard serves on the national Committee on Child Health Financing and chairs the AAP Section On Administration and Practice Management (SOAPM). He has been a consultant to the AAP Task Forces on Reimbursement, the Task Force on Obesity, and the Task Force on Mental Health. Since 1989, he has been an AAP Regional CPT Trainer and has lectured on coding and practice management for the AAP, private enterprises, and pediatric residency programs. He serves on and contributes to several coding newsletter editorial boards.

Richard Tuck, MD, FAAP
Dr. Richard Tuck is a general pediatrician in a private group practice in Zanesville, Ohio. He is also medical director of Quality Care Partners, a southeastern Ohio PHO. Dr. Tuck is a nationally known expert with extensive knowledge of CPT and ICD coding, as well as payer and reimbursement issues, gained through his personal practice and state/national committee involvement. He serves as the American Academy of Pediatrics’ representative to the AMA RBRVS Review Update Committee (RUC). Dr. Tuck received the Buzzy VanChiere award for his efforts to educate pediatricians on appropriate coding. This education assists physicians in obtaining adequate payment for the work they do and maintains access to care for their patients.

Chip Hart
Chip Hart is the Director of PCC's Pediatric Solutions consulting group. Chip's pediatric practice management expertise has helped hundreds of pediatricians increase their financial health. He has conducted many successful negotiations with insurance companies, and worked as a consultant for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the AAP Section on Administration and Practice Manangement (SOAPM). As a dynamic and motivating speaker, Chip leads educational seminars and consults for pediatric professionals nationwide. He established the popular "PedTalk" mailing list and moderates this lively forum for pediatric healthcare professionals. Using his varied experiences with pediatric practices for inspiration, he writes regularly about the "Confessions of Pediatric Practice Consultant" (which you can read online at www.chipsblog.pcc.com). Chip has also authored articles on practice management and health care information technology for Pediatric Coding Alert, Beansprout, and Medical Group Management Association.
Location and Accommodations

The conference is held at the Capital Hilton , 1001 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

Register now. Admission to this conference is only $325 for AAP members ($379 for non-members)!

Save the date: April 17.

It's not official yet - we're confirming a location - but we hope and expect to produce a pediatric coding and practice management seminar in the greater Washington DC area on or around April 17.  It will be nearly identical to the one we produced in NYC in August.  We hope to get AAP endorsement again and, if everything works out, we may even be able to acquire an educational grant from a generous source that might lower or eliminate the cost for AAP members!

That last item is a bit of a dream still, but it's not off the table.

Anyway, I thought I'd let everyone here be the first to know.  As soon as it's official - speakers, location, date, and content - I'll post it all here.