August 9 , 2006
E-Update

Table of Contents

 AAA Member Advisory re: 2007 Hospital Final Rule

Ambulance Cost Study

AMBUPAC Raffle for AAA Annual Meeting

ASM 2007 Session
August 23 Audioconference -- CMS Claims Denials

2006 Medicare Reference Manual Updates Available

Save the Date: AAA Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando

“Secrets of Successful EMS Leaders” by Mike Taigman and Stephen Dean Now Available on AAA-Link



 

AAA MEMBER ADVISORY

 
 
TO:          AAA Membership
 
FROM:    David M. Werfel, Esq.
             
RE:         2007 Hospital Final Rule
 
            On August 1, 2006, CMS released its hospital inpatient PPS Final Rule for FY 2007.  This Final Rule sets out hospital inpatient policies and payments for hospital discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007. 
 
            In the April 12, 2006 Proposed Rule, CMS proposed changes that could have raised or lowered hospital reimbursement rates by as much as 30%.  As a result of intense pressure from the hospital industry, CMS has backed away from some of the more severe changes set forth in the Proposed Rule.  Highlights of the Final Rule include:
 
·        payment rates will increase by an average of 3.5%, with urban hospitals seeing an average increase of 3.4% and 1000 rural hospitals seeing an average increase of 3.7%.
·        as a result of DRG payment reforms (discussed in more detail below), payment rates for cardiac specialty hospitals will increase by an average of 1.2%.
·        implementation of a 3 year transition from list charges to hospital costs in the methodology used to set payment rates.
·        adoption of refinements to prevent underpayments for treatment of the most severely ill patients, through creation of 20 new DRGs and modification of 32 existing DRGs.  Further changes to the DRG system are expected in FY 2008.
·        requiring hospitals to report additional quality data beginning in July 2006.  Hospitals that fail to report this data will see their payment rates increase by 2 percentage points less than the compliant hospitals. 
 
            While the Final Rule will implement a number of important changes to the way hospitals are reimbursed under the hospital inpatient PPS, it will have no direct impact on reimbursement for ambulance suppliers.  The Final Rule will appear in the Federal Register on August 18, 2006.

Ambulance Cost Study

If you have received a letter from Quantria Strategies asking you to complete a cost study, please submit a completed survey today.

Quantria Strategies has sent letters to 1,000 ambulance service providers asking that they participate in an ambulance cost study.  The providers were randomly selected and represent a cross section of all provider types, service area populations and regions of the country.  The AAA hired Quantria Strategies to conduct the study so that the ambulance industry will have a basis by which to compare the results of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on the costs of ambulance services now expected to be released this fall.

If you receive a letter, please follow the instructions and participate in the survey.  It is critical that we have a large response rate.  If you receive a letter and have any questions, please contact John O'Hare of Quantria Strategies at jfo@quantria.com or Judy Xanthopoulos at jax@quantria.com.

 

 

 

AMBUPAC Raffle Donations Now Being Accepted!

Please help us raise money for our AMBUPAC by donating prizes that will be raffled off at our Annual Meeting in Orlando! By donating a prize, you are supporting AAA and your organization.

Past Generous Prizes have included:

  • Gift certificates to well-known restaurants
  • Apple iPods
  • Digital Cameras
  • DVD Players
  • Maine Lobsters
  • Show tickets and 2-night hotel stays
  • and MANY more!!!!

To donate, please fill out the attached form and fax it to Stacy Bromley at 703-610-9005. Please contact Stacy with any questions.

NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS FOR ASM IN 2007

Now accepting enrollment for the 2007 session of the Ambulance Service Manager (ASM) Program.  Reserve your place today!

2007 Ambulance Service Manager (ASM)
The ASM Program is sponsored by the American Ambulance Association (AAA) and is for aspiring, new, and experienced managers who wish to develop their leadership competencies and sharpen essential management skills.  The program provides a broad foundational curriculum matching cutting edge management theory with real-life practical applications.

The ASM Program is a certification course designed to immerse participants in an engaging learning cohort.  A small group of 40 participants moves together through two weeks of face-to-face instruction and experiential learning led by industry leading faculty bridged by several weeks of online discussion and group project work.

ASM Graduates will:

  • Develop 41 competencies essential to contemporary leaders managing sustainable EMS Organizations.
  • Build problem solving skills through real life case studies, group work, and an industry specific team research project.
  • Appreciate principles of system design, operational efficiency, and performance management.
  • Demystify the complexities of finance, budgeting, and the ever evolving reimbursement landscape.
  • Learn cutting edge practices and theories including appreciative inquiry, emotional intelligence, and other human relations innovations.
  • Engage industry leaders as they present current trends in EMS including system design, technology, best practices, and what the future holds.

Dates for the 2007 program are:

  • Online Session Begins: January 29, 2007
  • On-site Week 1: February 25-March 2, 2007
  • On-site Week 2: April 29 - May 4, 2007
Questions???  Contact Sharon Conroy at (816) 431-2600 or sconroy@emprize.net

Go to http://www.fitchassoc.com/Services/conferences.htm to download the brochure and registration materials.



AMERICAN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION

Presents

CMS Claims Denials - Audio Conference 

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 f 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (EST)

 

PRESENTERS:

David Werfel, Esq. & Brian Werfel, Esq.

AAA Medicare Consultants

The ambulance industry is receiving many denials for ambulance transports Medicare used to pay, but is now claiming the hospital should pay.

 

In this audio conference call, David and Brian will discuss why these denials are occurring, why it is happening now and what you should do in response.

They will also explain how the AAA is approaching this issue.

You will only receive this very timely information from the AAA.

At least half of the call will be allotted to answer your questions.

To sign up for this audio conference and others please click on the attached brochure.
2006 Medicare Reference Manual Updates

ATTENTION:

$89 for all AAA Members

BUY A 2006 MEDICARE REFERENCE MANUAL UPDATE NOW

 

 


SAVE THE DATE !

***View list of current exhibitors just posted online ***

AAA Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando, Florida

October 2-6, 2006

WHO SHOULD ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE:
- AAA Members
- Members of AAA Committees
- Owner/CEO/President
- Executive Directors and Vice Presidents
- Managers and Supervisors
- Ambulance Industry Professionals

Secrets of Successful EMS Leaders

“What's Important to You?”

Presented By Mike Taigman and Stephen Dean

June 2006 lesson now available FREE on the AAA-LINK

The popular audio tape series “Secrets of Successful EMS Leaders” by Mike Taigman and Stephen Dean is being posted as a monthly series FREE of charge as a  member benefit on the AAA-LINK.   Each month a new module will be posted.  Listen to the series online or download to your MP3 Player.  The series is also being distributed to all AAA member companies who have set up private LINK systems with EMSED.COM.    You can access the AAA-LINK at:  http://key.emsed.com .  A userid and password are required.  For more information or to sign up for a FREE userid and password call EMSED.COM at 877-435-9309.


 

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