September 16, 2008
MINUTES
Part B Provider Outreach and Education Advisory Group teleconference
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
11:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
External attendees ( 17 )
Virginia Arnold, CPC, North Brandon Imaging
Thomas Hughes, Orthopaedic Associates of St. Augustine
Shelli Johnson, Olser Medical
Jeanette Leon, SB Rehabilitation, Inc.
Vickie Little, Andre Abelly
Sharon Marcolina, Provision Laser Eye Center
Barbara McIntyre, High Springs Medical Center
Lorena McQueen, Osler Medical
Lorraine Molinari, Lorraine Molinari & Associates
Angela Opalak, Midtown Imaging LLC
Jill Paiva, Medicom Inc.
Valarie Prusia, Prusia Medical Practice Consulting
Jeannie Randhan, CPC, Mid-Florida Cardiology Specialities
Michael Saavedra, Department of X-Ray & Ultrasound
Donna Smith, Lorraine Molinari & Associates
Wilma Torres, Coleman Consulting Group, Inc.
Leslie Witkin, Physician First Inc.
Internal First Coast Service Options Inc. (FCSO) attendees (14 )
Kimberly McCarron, Manager, Provider Outreach and Education (POE), Facilitator
Anna Wehner, Provider Relations Representative (PRR)
Sharyn Moreland, Learning Management System (LMS)
Shari Bailey, Manager, DAC
Ethel Miranda, Manager, Provider Contact Center
Julie Stiles, Training Administrator
Robert Lewis, PRR
Deborah Moore, PRR
Bill Angel, Web site
Katharyn Hammond, Web site
Scott Adkins (LMS)
Kim Karnes, Project Consultant
Terri Drury, Publication
Elizabeth Loy, Web site
Katherine Taylor, Web site
Agenda
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Review of Action Items from 05.14.08 meeting
3. Web site Update
4. Learning Management System (LMS) and Web-Based Training Modules (WBTs)
5. Provider Contact Center
6. 2008 MCPSS (Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey)
7. Topics for Upcoming ACTs
8. Next POE-AG meeting/teleconference
9. Process Out
Welcome and introductions
Kim McCarron, Manager, Provider Outreach and Education, welcomed everyone to the Provider Outreach and Education Advisory Group (POE AG) teleconference meeting. All participants introduced themselves and identified the organization being represented. There were a total of 17 participants who participated in the teleconference.
Kim spoke about the 05.13.08, meeting and asked if there were any questions on the minutes. There were no questions or comments.
Review of action items from 05.13.08 meeting
Kim reviewed the action items from the previous meeting and explained we have completed all of them. She spoke about the specialty needs and the enhancements we have made on the Web site, the topics for Ask the Contractor Teleconferences, and we will be conducting the ‘Incident to’ Act on August 14, 2008 with a total of eighty participants currently registered. Donna Smith requested that update to fee schedule changes be added to the agenda. Kim deferred topic for discussion at the end of the session.
Web site update
Kim asked the group to answer the following questions concerning the Web site: What is working well? What is your perspective on the content?
• Participants indicated that they use the Web site regularly. Lengthy discussion occurred around providers having difficulty easily locating information relevant to their specific area of practice or specialty. Kim McCarron explained FCSO requirements that we not duplicate information available from CMS Web site or from other places within the FCSO Medicare Web site, and this requirement helps to ensure consistency of information. However, the group did agree with FCSO’s recommendation that, in order to meet the need addressed during this discussion, the POE team will develop a template for specialty pages. This template would identify those key topics or areas of interest for that specialty and then provide links to the various sources of information. The POE team will send this draft template out to the POE AG members for feedback prior to working toward implementation.
Specialty pages are being created this week for:
• Ambulance – Part A
• Ambulance – Part B
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)
• Anesthesia
• Chiropractic Services
• End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
• Hospice
• Hospitals
• Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility (IDTF)
• Oncology – Part A
• Oncology – Part B
• Podiatry
• Rehabilitation Services – Part A
• Rehabilitation Services – Part B
• Rural Health Clinic
• Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
POE members suggested the following specialties be added:
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Cardiology
• The members also discussed their desire for features such as blogs or chat capability. Kim explained that FCSO would need to ensure proper management and control of this type of feature to ensure incorrect, invalid, or private information is not shared. Members of the group indicated a blog could take the shape of a customer-to-customer communication with no involvement or oversight required by FCSO. Kim indicated this would require dialogue within FCSO and with CMS to determine feasibility.
*Still in the research phase.
• eNews listserv enhancements – Kim explained FCSO’s Web site team is considering the move to a regular schedule for distribution of eNews notices. For example, messages would be distributed each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with additional notices sent when urgent issues are identified. The participants like the idea of this change. An advantage is that they will know when to anticipate FCSO communications, and if they aren’t received, they’ll know they may be experiencing a technical difficulty or issue.
Routine eNews are now being created every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with additional notices on Tuesday and Thursday when necessary
• Members requested that links from the FCSO Medicare Web site to CMS site be more specific and not take user to a ‘general’ page. Bill Angel, FCSO’s Medicare Web site and Provider Self-Service Technology team, discussed the challenge that develops when of taking a user to specific articles or locations and the source documents have been revised or relocated. To avoid the error the customer would then receive, FCSO’s links move the user to the general location. Bill did indicate the Web team will look at ways they can incorporate information to help the user know where to go to access the specific CMS article or resource.
MLN Matters summaries provide direct links to the corresponding article on the CMS site. We are looking at other ways to be more specific when possible, such as including links to the appropriate IOM references on the new specialty pages.
• Bill Angel discussed with the group work the Web site team is performing to identify and implement enhancements to the Fee Schedule section of the Web site, with the goal of making this critical information easier to navigate.
The fee schedule page has been revised to break the content into five areas:
• Fee Schedule Data Files
• Fee Schedule Look-ups
• Fee Schedule Resources
• Archives [items more than 2 years old]
• General Information
• Members of the group agreed that the new page on the FCSO Medicare Web site “News and Bulletin” is an improvement and makes it easier for providers to navigate through this large volume of “absolutely relevant” information.
We will be adding new specialty sections to the News and Bulletins page as well as on the dedicated specialty resource pages.
Learning Management System (LMS) and Web-Based Training modules (WBTs)
Sharyn Moreland reported on the LMS and WBTs. She explained that we are currently working on repurposing presentation to the LMS. This training is real-time and we currently have 31 courses that are live. We review the courses every 90-days to make sure the content is accurate and up-to-date. If we update any of the courses, there will be a notice posted to the LMS letting the providers know which courses have been updated.
We have received feedback concerning the pop-up blockers providers are receiving when they are in the LMS. This is not something FCSO can control, and Sharyn suggested the providers contact their IT department to have the firewalls changed. FCSO also has to follow the 508 compliance guidelines within the LMS.
Concerning CEU’s, there is a minimum of one hour for the courses to receive a CEU. We are also working on the modules to be shortened so they do not take as long to go through. If you start a module and have to leave, you will be brought back to the module and will have to start from the beginning.
For example, we received feedback that the E/M module is too long, takes too much time, so it is being redesigned into either small sections or smaller learning objectives.
Sharyn asked the attendees for ideas for new WBTs. She also stated this is a good training for new employees into the facilities. Some of the WBTs are beginners, while others are being worked for intermediate/advanced.
Kim asked the group if they currently use the WBT and for what. She received a few responses:
• Yes, I have used it and have had some difficulty; however, I blame that on user error.
• Yes, I have used it and am wondering if there is a way to print the courses. I am taking both the Part A and Part B courses. Sharyn answered we do not have the capability to allow providers to print the courses. The attendee stated there seems to be a problem with a link in the E&M module, it does not take you to the page. Sharyn stated she will look into this and have it fixed as soon as possible.
• Yes, but I don’t take the tests. Is there a problem with not doing the tests?
Sharyn advised participants that taking the tests provides feedback and ensure consistency of information being presented support the learning objectives.
Kim encouraged the attendees to share with their peers the updates we are handling in the LMS and to encourage them to take the WBTs.
Provider Contact Center
Ethel Miranda reported on the customer service representatives (CSRs) training times, which happens on Fridays from 2:00-4:00 p.m. She stated we have submitted this same timeframe to CMS for FY09.
She gave a brief report out on the Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey (MCPSS) and a few comments that were made for the CSRs.
• Better job training for the CSR staff. Ethel asked for topics from the attendees and stated she has to let CMS know by the 15th of the previous month what topics will be used for the CSRs during the Friday training sessions.
We did not receive any suggestions from the group. Ethel asked them to feel free to add this to the survey and/or fax to Kim.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Unit enhancements – on the 1st of July we implemented changes around the Provider Enrollment Application. Providers can now contact the IVR for the status of their application.
Another topic that seems to be “hot” are the referral calls to the operations staff of the customer service area. It seems to take some time for an answer, and Ethel stated she is leading a workgroup that has been put into place to discuss the top issues we are currently seeing from the volumes of calls received.
Status of Appeals – we have an interim fix for the next 60-90 days. We are able to print a list of the current appeal claims and mail them to providers with the status. We are working to create the lists at least two times a month.
A question was asked about the Appeals report and who should the providers contact if they would like this report. Ethel stated they would contact the customer service lines, and she or the supervisor will handle the requests.
2008 MCPSS (Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey)
Kim gave a high level overview of the MCPSS, with some of the remarks FCSO received from the providers chosen to complete the survey. A few of the remarks were hard to understand, and we have set up a workgroup from the different teams in MEPS to review and create a plan of action. There were 1000 Part B responses.
A few of the items are:
Do well
• Expertise of Provider Relations Representatives
• Topics of education material updates
• Professionalism of staff
Improvements needed
• Amount of training education available – we are currently adding more WBTs, Web site enhancements, and teleconferences
• Detail in which topics are covered – does this mean we need more detailed topics? We have added specialty pages to the Web site.
• Relevance of training needs
• Accessibility of contractor
• Expertise of provider training staff
• Communication of changes
Kim asked for feedback from the attendees on the survey. There were no comments.
Topics for upcoming ACTs
Kim gave a list of our upcoming events.
She also gave an explanation of the ACT/webcasts and how we are currently handling them. Kim advised group that the E/M series will be hosted again by FCSO. The July Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) web cast will be presented in August. A web cast on the IVR and enhancements will be held in September for both Part A and B providers.
Kim asked the attendees for additional topics they would like to see covered and if they would send those to us on the survey form or fax to Kim’s attention.
Kim then asked the attendees how they felt the information on the top inquiries and top rejects/RTPs were working for them.
Other: Response to Donna Smith – fee schedule changes
Bill Angel advised the FCSO website physician fee schedule has been updated, and only one day of claims were reimbursed at the -10.4 rate. A mass adjustment will be done to correct those claims. Bill told participants that if they reduced their billing based on the -10.4 reduction, an appeal request would need to be submitted.
Next POE-AG meeting/teleconference
Kim explained this was the last meeting for fiscal year (FY) 2008 and asked the participants to keep an eye on our Web site for membership for fiscal year 2009. We tentatively are looking at our FY2009 first face-to-face meeting sometime in October or November 2008.
Process out
Kim processed out and thanked everyone for participating. The meeting adjourned at 1:00 p.m.
Follow-ups
• Solicitation of new members
• Continue to request suggestion, ideas and topics for:
• IVR options
• New WBT
• ACTs
