Conference countdown: Preparing for the 2019 Revenue Integrity Symposium

by Jaclyn Fitzgerald, CHRI

It’s the best time of the year! The NAHRI team is gearing up for this year’s Revenue Integrity Symposium (RIS), our official annual conference packed with valuable insight, education, and networking for revenue integrity and revenue cycle professionals. If you haven’t reserved your seat to the symposium yet, there is still time to join us in the beautiful Florida sunshine.

Sessions kick off October 15 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, and NAHRI members can start the fun early by attending our member reception on October 14 at 6:30 p.m. Members attending this reception should RSVP online as soon as possible to reserve their space at www.surveymonkey.com/r/XMBGD8K. RIS is your opportunity to make lasting connections with peers who are as passionate as you about ensuring revenue integrity has a voice, so be sure to take advantage of all we have to offer while you’re on-site.

Know before you go

When packing for the trip, please remember to bring layers. The sun may be shining outside, but our meeting room temperatures may fluctuate. We recommend that you wear professional yet comfortable clothing and shoes that are easy to walk in as you navigate to and from sessions.

Prior to the event, you’ll receive an email from the NAHRI team letting you know that access to the conference mobile app is available. The app is a great way to network and connect with peers, keep track of your desired conference agenda, and access presentation materials. The NAHRI team will send important updates and reminders through the app for the duration of the program, so be sure to have it set up on your phone before heading to Orlando.

Gearing up for day one

Come down bright and early to join us for a continental breakfast at 7 a.m. on October 15 in the exhibit hall before we welcome our keynote speaker, Denise Ryan, to RIS for the first time. Not your typical motivational speaker, Ryan is genuine and highly skilled—she holds the title of Certified Speaking Professional, a designation awarded to fewer than 10% of professional speakers. Ryan’s keynote focuses on the importance of keeping yourself motivated professionally and personally. In the fast-paced world of revenue integrity, it can be easy to lose enthusiasm and get burned out. But Ryan will share with us her six steps to take back to your facility to ensure you stay on track.

A glance at the agenda

Our breakout sessions begin just after the keynote session. We have eight tracks to offer this year, with four tracks running concurrently during each breakout, including the following:

• Acute Care Regulatory Changes and Hot Topics
• Revenue Integrity Program Designs and Strategies
• Acute Care Coding and Documentation
• Chargemaster and Charge Capture Strategies
• Denials, Audits, and Appeals
• Patient Status and Utilization Review Strategies
• Professional Development
• Long-Term Care—brought to you by AMBR

While you do not need to pre-select tracks or sessions prior to the symposium, you may want to take a glance at the agenda during the breakfast hour or while on your flight. Use that time to map out the education and networking opportunities that will best help you meet your goals when you return to your facility. This year, we are excited to welcome more than 40 speakers, including returning favorites and those who will be making their RIS debut. We are pleased to welcome former CMS senior executive Marc Hartstein, MA, to RIS for the first time. Hartstein was responsible for drafting and leadership of CMS' 2-midnight rule through the agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the White House. He will present two sessions. On day one of the symposium, he’ll offer valuable, firsthand insight on the history and background on the 2-midnight rule. On day two, join Hartstein as he speaks on the laboratory date of service rule, providing an overview of the reason for the policy and changes made in recent years.

Also new for 2019 is our track focused on professional development, which can help attendees navigate their career opportunities. Last year, we introduced several sessions on professional development and revenue integrity strategy, which were met with a great response. Our new track focused on these skills is designed to further assist attendees in learning about leadership in the healthcare setting. Sessions in this track include a panel discussion focused on success and leadership, as well as a panel on securing and retaining talent.

Long-term care at RIS—something for everyone

Upon special request, NAHRI is partnering with the Association for Medicare Billing and Reimbursement (AMBR) for Long-Term Care to offer a track dedicated to the unique billing and reimbursement challenges in the LTC setting. This opportunity allows acute care and LTC professionals to share ideas across settings and increase their network of peers.

The LTC track includes sessions on Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) implications for senior management, consolidated billing and impacts on reimbursement under PDPM, reinventing the triple-check process, and tracking payer correspondence to prevent lost claims. We’ll also have sessions on avoiding common cost reporting mistakes, implementing revenue cycle management best practices in the skilled nursing facility, using your performance data to maximize reimbursement, and tracking therapy utilization to minimize claim denial risk, as well as a PDPM crash course for the business office.

At the end of our day one sessions, we will all gather back in the exhibit hall for a networking reception with light refreshments from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

CHRI exam at RIS

Don’t forget to stick around for our live, pencil-and-paper version of NAHRI’s Certification in Healthcare Revenue Integrity (CHRI) credential exam after the close of sessions on day two. CHRI is traditionally a multiple-choice, 2.5-hour online exam. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to sit for the pencil-and-paper exam after brushing up on your revenue integrity skill set at the symposium.

The CHRI credential offers revenue integrity professionals the opportunity to hone and validate their knowledge base while ensuring facilities have a benchmark to measure the competency of their staff. Facilities can also use the CHRI credential to recruit team members who are committed to bringing value to the industry and staying abreast of changes in regulations and best practices. Review the exam prerequisites and submit your application today. When sending your application in for approval, please check the box on field 7 that indicates your interest in the live exam.

See you soon!

I hope to have the opportunity to connect with you at RIS or through the many virtual networking opportunities offered by NAHRI. If you’re looking to earn support from program administrators to attend the conference, you may adapt our 2019 Revenue Integrity Symposium Justification Letters, which are tailored for both acute care and LTC professionals.

Don’t forget to take advantage of our discounted tickets to select parks in the Orlando area. Our resort is just minutes from Walt Disney World^® and other attractions. To purchase discounted tickets to the Disney parks, click here or call 407-566-5600 by October 12, 2019. Treat yourself to a day of park fun or an evening at Disney Springs, which is honoring a Show Your Badge Program that includes exclusive discounts for RIS attendees who show their badge at various stores and restaurants.