Note from the editor: Spotlight on the NAHRI Journal

by Nicole Votta

NAHRI members can tap into a wide variety of resources for education and networking, including Quarterly Members-Only Calls, local chapters, and the quarterly NAHRI Journal.

Each issue of the NAHRI Journal (published January, April, July, and October) takes a deep dive into revenue integrity topics, providing detailed analysis of regulatory changes, tips on revenue integrity program management, and education on core revenue integrity competencies. Each article features thorough research and insight from experts in the revenue integrity field that you can put into practice right away.

You’ll also hear directly from members of the NAHRI Advisory Board in the “Note from the board” column and get the inside scoop on the association from NAHRI Director Jaclyn Fitzgerald in the “Director’s note” column. The “Meet a member” column gives members the opportunity to be recognized by their peers in the association and share their accomplishments as well as personal stories.

Our most recent issue, July 2020, dug into some of revenue integrity’s biggest challenges, from the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on revenue integrity and the 2021 Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule to ongoing revenue integrity pain points, including charge reconciliation, payer audits, and year-end CPT®/HCPCS updates. Take a look at the July 2020 table of contents to learn more.

Reading the NAHRI Journal is an excellent way to keep your revenue integrity knowledge up to snuff—and you can demonstrate it. NAHRI members are entitled to one Certification in Healthcare Revenue Integrity (CHRI) continuing education credit for reading the NAHRI Journal and completing a 20-question quiz. The continuing education information is included on the table of contents page of each issue along with a link to that issue’s quiz. Haven’t earned your CHRI yet? NAHRI member who qualify to sit for our CHRI credential exam can save $100 on exam fees and $100 on recertification. Take a look at our CHRI Exam Handbook for more information.

Members can access the NAHRI Journal in several ways. Each issue of the NAHRI Journal is available as a full-color PDF. You can download the PDF or you can read the embedded version on the issue’s table of contents page (Tip: If you hover over the thumbnail in the embedded reader, you can click it to view as full size.). Or, you can read individual articles directly on the NAHRI site. Every issue’s articles are added to the site and you can browse issues by year and month.

So, what’s next for the NAHRI Journal? Our October issue is currently in the works and, among other topics, will feature detailed analyses of the 2021 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rules. These two rules contain proposals that could shake up revenue integrity, such as the elimination of the inpatient-only list and expanded prior authorization requirements, while the industry is still struggling with the impact of COVID-19. The October issue will also feature the results of NAHRI’s 2020 Revenue Integrity Professional Salary Survey.

Work on the NAHRI Journal never truly stops. The NAHRI team is constantly monitoring the industry to learn about breaking news and trends and to understand the ongoing issues revenue integrity professionals face. If you’d like to submit a column, share a topic you’d like to see us cover, or have a question about the NAHRI Journal, please contact me at nvotta@hcpro.com.

Editor’s note: Votta is an editor for NAHRI.