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June 11th, 2019 Board Meeting Minutes

MOKSACVPR Board Meeting

June 11, 2019

Attendees: 

  • Sandy Abbott, Carolyn Beard, Amy Choitz, Leann Dickson, Tiffanie Holman, Tedd Walsh, Tricia Walsh

Proceedings:

Meeting called to order at 0700 by Tedd Walsh

May 2019 meeting minutes approved 

NEW BUSINESS

  • Quarterly newsletter—Loretta

Committee Reports:

  • Treasurer’s Report–Tricia Walsh
  • Financial Report:  
    • Wrapping up all conference expenses / income
  • Conference:  
    • Tricia working on conference breakdown.  Approx. $4800 profit this year.
  • Education –Tricia Walsh
  • Conference:
  • Comment made that conference was too expensive.  Board had an idea of providing cost breakdown for conference including volunteer hours, CEU’s, food, etc. 
  • Education Committee:  
    • Volunteer applications have been approved and sub-committees have been made with a head person that will provide communications to volunteers and attend education committee meeting the first Monday of the month 12p-1p. Volunteers noted with “*” are also asked to attend monthly meeting. 
  • Speakers/Day of organization:  

               Subcommittee head:  Tricia Walsh            

Volunteers: Carolyn Beard*, Marcia Waters, Snizhana Weber*, 

Sandy Abbott* (Travel Coordination for speakers)

  • Web-Site Management:

Subcommittee head:  Amy Choitz

  • Communications/Marketing:

Subcommittee head:  Tedd Walsh

Volunteers:  Cassandra Stafford, Tiffanie Holman*, Deb Dorshorst

  • Vendors:

       Subcommittee head:  Loretta Thomas

Volunteers: Sonny McNeilis

  • Food/Hospitality:

Subcommittee head:  Dawnie Ellison

Volunteers:  Gregory Thackery

  • Communications—Loretta Thomas
    •  Loretta will take over Constant Contact communications  
  • Website – Amy Choitz 
    • Update Carolyn and Tedd’s fellow information on website
      • Amy would like pictures of both
    • 2019 board / committee members have been updated
  • Standards & Issues – Leann Dickson / Debbie Dorshorst

Summary of May 22, 2019 MAC Liaison Conference Call

  1. CMS has asked for a RAC audit. RAC = Recovery Audit Contractors. By definition, CMS is actually to be auditing the MAC regarding consistency and appropriateness in payments. However, the individual rehab departments seem to be the ones actually audited, as they are the ones providing the required documentation. This go-round includes only Cardiac Rehab charts. There have been some programs around the country who are already involved in the audit process. Programs in KY were asked to submit 5-10 charts.

*Important: Please stress to your members / programs the importance of communicating with their facilities (billing / audit / medical records) office(s) regarding the potential audit. Some cardiac rehab departments voiced their frustration d/t not being informed of the audit by their hospital. Consequently, the appropriate / adequate documents were not initially provided, which led to a more lengthy and complicated audit.

2)     AACVPR professionals (Karen Lui, Phil Porte, Kate Traynor, and others) will meet with CAG (Coverage and Analysis Group) in July re: the unrealistic and contradictory information regarding cardiac and pulmonary rehab. Topics will include physician requirements, ITP signatures, etc. and focus on 2017 negative audit findings that were later reversed. Information is intended to help with the current audit, as well as future OIG audits.

3)      NPP Bill. The AHA, ACC, and Women Heart are trying to get a bill in DC that would move the NPP supervision effective date up from 2024 to 2020. In addition, they would like the bill to allow NPPs to independently order our services. While the AACVPR obviously is in support of this bill, we are choosing to stay focused on our #1 priority this legislative session, which is…

4)      Bill regarding “off-campus” rehabilitation departments and reimbursement issues. This is what was discussed at DOTH this year. Representatives and Senators from both parties have been identified as co-sponsors. The initiative is currently at the legislative council. We are optimistic that a bill # will be assigned soon. Once that is done, AACVPR will notify members and programs that they are ready to have legislators contacted. Coming soon: a virtual lobbying software tool which will make it easier to locate and communicate with specific legislators. We will hear more as soon as a bill # is assigned, so stay tuned!

5)      The Million Hearts Cardiac Rehabilitation Collaborative has created a ‘Cardiac Rehabilitation Summary for Payers’, which is a great resource to use as we try to convey the value of our program to the insurance companies. There is both a Summary and a 5-page document complete with bibliography that can be used. *As a sidenote, this is also great information to use when locally marketing your program to physicians/clinicians and potential patients.

6)      I don’t want to make anyone unnecessarily nervous, but Karen Lui shared that CMS has stated their intention to consider dropping FFS payments for ALL off-campus locations, even those who have previously been grandfathered in. Obviously, this is something to watch. CMS will submit their document around the July 4th holiday, and AACVPR will obviously be responding if this issue is a part of their document. That is all I know at present about this.

  • Nominations—2020 positions
    • KS Member at Large
    • Secretary
    • President Elect
  • Certification—Carolyn Beard
    • Facilities will be notified by end of August.  Remediations will begin thereafter. 
  • Value Based Care—Tedd Walsh
    • New information will be posted soon

OLD BUSINESS

  • Strategic Planning
    • Technology—Idea to video conference and post to website for members to view for a fee
      • Amy will check with Lane to see what options we have
      • Could we hire someone to come professionally? Cost?

Board meeting:  July 9, 2019 at 7am

Education meeting:  July 1, 2019 at 12pm

Minutes submitted by Tiffanie Holman