WPS Medicare J5 Provider Outreach & Education Advisory Group (POE AG) Minutes - Iowa and Nebraska

April 16, 2009
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Teleconference

Members Present
Aileen Sigler, WPS Medicare
Cindy Waters, ABCM Corporation
Cristie Knudsen, Audubon County Hospital
Laurie Gaffney, Buena Vista Hospital
Mike Hayden, Care Initiatives
Kristen Bellamy, Diversacare, LLC
Debbie Russell, IA Assn of Homes and Services for the Aging/Friendship Haven
Heather Hulscher, Iowa Hospital Association
Theresa Miller, Iowa Methodist Medical
LeAnn Kai, Iowa Methodist Medical
Lynn Wright, Washington County Hospitals and Clinics
Cheryl McGourty, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare
Gretchen Heckenlively, Tri-County Hospital
Kathy Jasa, Providence Medical Center
Jeanine Soneson, Howard County Community Hospital
Mike Feagler, Great Plains Regional Medical Center
Susan Fink, Fremont Are Medical Center
Michelle Monhollon, Lincoln Surgical Hospital
Karel Sysel, Dialysis Center of Lincoln
David Burd, Nebraska Hospital Association
DaLaina Gobeli, Signature Care Centers
April Roggasch, Good Samaritan Hospital
Jana Danielson, Nebraska Medical Center
Cheryl Petersen, University of Iowa Hospitals
Loren Schroder, Phelps Memorial Health Center
Rebekah Mussman, Kearney County Health Services
Neil Hilton, Brown County Hospital
Sarah for Jill Vogel-Tague, Genesis Medical Center

Meeting
The J5 Part A Provider Outreach and Education Advisory Group for Nebraska and Iowa took place via teleconference on April 16, 2009. Aileen Sigler, Outreach Analyst, called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

Aileen began by reminding the group of the main purpose of the POE Advisory Group which is to suggest training topics for future provider education. In addition to workshops, suggestions from the POE group can drive other educational activities such as "Ask-the-Contractor" Teleconference (ACT) topics and Computer-Based Training (CBT) subjects. The Medicare Contractor Beneficiary and Provider Communications Manual (Publication 100-9), Chapter 6, Section 20.4 was reviewed. The minutes from the last meeting on January 15, 2009 were referenced during the meeting.

Newly Suggested Education Topics

• Information regarding RAC audits
• Wound clinic (teleconference)
• RHC/Home Health (teleconference)

Suggested Seminar Locations
No new suggestions, these are the same since January's meeting:

• Kearney
• Omaha
• Nebraska City
• North Platte
• Norfolk
• Davenport
• Ames
• Cedar Rapids
• Waterloo
• Iowa City
• Des Moines

Recommended Timeframes for Education:

• Middle of the month; avoid first and last week
• Avoid scheduling activities on Monday and Friday

Contractor Updates and Issues
Aileen educated the group regarding the CMS Secure Net Access Portal (C-SNAP), what it is, how to register for it, and the benefits of using it to obtain eligibility and claim status. The other item Aileen discussed was the temporary holding of CAH claims billed with an 85X type of bill and modifiers 'AS', '80', '81' and '82'. More information on both these topics can be found on the WPS Medicare Website.

Provider Education
There will be 5 billing seminars for the J5 states of Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa in the third quarter of FY 2009. They are as follows:

• SNF Billing, June 18, 2009 in Sioux City, Iowa (cost: $26.00)
• CAH Billing, May 19, 2009 in Wichita, Kansas (cost: $54.00)
• SNF Billing, June 24, 2009 in Bettendorf, Iowa (cost: $40.00)
• OPPS Billing, June 10, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri (cost: $64.00)
• SNF Clinical, June 9, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri (cost: $49.00)

All seminars will run from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. with registration beginning at 8:30. Breakfast, lunch and seminar materials will be provided.

Check the Education area of the Website for upcoming seminars and teleconferences. Suggestions made today, along with CERT data, will drive topics and locations for future education.

Sign up for any of these educational events on our Website. Contact the Outreach Analyst hosting the event for more information.

Member Issues
Q. WPS has made a change in processing Swing Bed claims if there is a revenue code 964 or 710. We were told to remove these charges from the 18X bill type and to send in an 851 bill type claim with the charges for revenue codes 964 and 710. What was the rationale behind this change?
A. After extensive research of the Federal Rules and Regulations and much discussion with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Central and Regional Office staff on the proper billing of CAH Swing bed services, we received clarification on this topic. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) charges are not billable under a CAH Swing bed claim. These charges should be submitted on an 85X type of bill with the related outpatient charges. Also, the only appropriate charge, per the IOM, Publication 100-4, Chapter 4, Section 250.3.3, billable on an 85X type of bill for CRNA are anesthesia charges.

Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held via teleconference on July 16, 2009 from 10:00-11:30 AM.

Page Last Updated: Friday, 06-Nov-2009 14:04:54 CST