Absent: Tim Karhu, Susan Gregg

GR Committee Minutes -April 7, 2009

Present: Randy Roat, Barry Reiter, Bob Burleigh, Holly Louie, Dennis Mock, Bill Finerfrock, Kathy Canny, Sherri Dumford, Ken Goodin, Don Rodden, Lonnie Johnson, Dave Nicholson, Shawn Keough-Hartz

Absent: Tim Karhu, Susan Gregg

1.  Kathy motioned to approve the March 3, 2009 minutes and Dennis seconded.

2.  Sub-Committee Reports

Publications – Don

a) Q-1 dissemination went out on March 31st. Purpose was to showcase HBMA to new Legislators and legislative staff.

b) We wanted to create a template header so every dissemination has basic content and information about HBMA so it re-profiles us as an organization. This creates branding of the name and footprint that we have in the industry.

c) Results were very favorable especially in the Senate.

ACTION: We need to work on the Q-2 dissemination so the GR committee was asked to reach out to the subcommittee (Bob, Shawn, Susan, Don and Bill) to share ideas of potent information we can share at the Federal Level.

The House did not open the attachment and there was discussion of how to get people to open attachments. We put the narrative in the body of email and the summary in the attachment. For O-2 we will have the key facts bulleted in the header of the next dissemination. We could send these disseminations out to an approved separate distribution list to the regulatory side, for example the people we meet in Baltimore.

ACTION: Don will work with Brad to expand and enhance and redesign our thoughts on what we might want to present to the regulatory side. They will see what they can put together before the May Washington meeting.

Bob was asked to come up with the estimate number of physicians represented by HBMA companies: 60-70 thousand physicians was his estimate

Education – Jud not on the call

States – Kathy

Kathy asked that the GR Committee look at the Duties of the State Representatives and approve it so we can fill in the open seats. Look at item two and Kathy would like some policy and procedure from the GR Committee so she will have a way to review the document and what to do next as far as how to present it to the committee. Time frame is that we get something together before the Spring Meeting and have it at the HBMA booth for signups.

Brad was going to contact others to file these Regions positions.

ACTION: Barry, Kathy will have a call with Brad to get approval on the wording of Regional duties before the conference. We will send an email out to the GR Committee for comments on the wording.

3.  Updates From Bill Finerfrock

CMS / Hill Meeting Dates

We still do not have dates but working on early June with CMS.

PECOS Call

This is re-scheduled for Monday the 13th from 11-12 with Kim Brant, Head of Program Integrity Group. They were planning to have Jim Bosenmeyer and Pat Payton originally.

Bill will put together an email identifying things we want to talk about.

Bob and Bill discussed that failure within the carriers to be responsive actually leads to non-compliance and actually foster distrust and a lack of interest in complying with the regulations.

We want to talk to Kim about this topic of getting something in writing that clarifies and specifies that it is permissible for the physician to delegate or identify someone whom they confirm that position and authority.

Randy, Ken, Barry, Bill and Brad will be on this PECOS call.

Bob and Randy have talked and Bob was going to draft sample contract or amendment language to go into billing contracts that we would publish as an ethical policy of HBMA membership.

90 min. session at Spring Conference – What will be discussed?

1. Details of EHR provision in terms of incentive payments

2. Healthcare reform where it is in the process

3. Medicare Reform

4. Economic Stimulus

A Hot Topics Session has been added to the Spring Conference presented by Bob and Holly; OPPS, IPPS, Red flags and RACS will be discussed on Wednesday morning.

Schedule next meeting with Karen Jackson

Meet with her in June at the face to face.

4. Legicrawler Update: Good comments and the delivery problem has been fixed

Ken commented that Legicrawler is generally better. He likes the product better.

5. Palmetto and MAC Transaction: The issues have been resolved

6. GR Committee Meeting in Boca Raton, FL –

ACTION: Cindy will send an email to confirm the GR Committee availability.