Health Telephone Seminars

Effective Auditing of Physicians' Documentation BenefitsThe federal government's increasing interest in fraud, waste and abuse heightens the awareness of physician practices, both large and small, of the increasing scrutiny of physician documentation to support billings. In the past, audits are performed and physicians were lectured but all too often little improvement was noted. How can practices efficiently and effectively audit physician  more...

Wellness Programs: Rewards, Penalties, Legal Risks, and Legal Developments ...health reform debate. Health care reform clearly demonstrates the desire of Congress and the President to encourage wellness programs and healthy lifestyles to control the cost of health insurance. Much of their interest is based on success stories from the private sector. Despite regulatory uncertainties, rising health insurance costs have led more employers than ever to turn to wellness  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation BenefitsThis live audio conference 'Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation,' presented by John W. Valente, Esq., will discuss some of the solutions and strategies used by employers to both prevent and control common workplace injury claims. A review of common injuries employers face every day in the workplace injury realm, ranging from slip and fall claims to back injuries from lifting, and  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation BenefitsThis live audio conference 'Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation,' presented by John W. Valente, Esq., will discuss some of the solutions and strategies used by employers to both prevent and control common workplace injury claims. A review of common injuries employers face every day in the workplace injury realm, ranging from slip and fall claims to back injuries from lifting, and  more...

HIPAA Security Compliance Challenges after the HITECH Act ... under HIPAA must take special care of electronic patient health information, including establishing policies and taking regular actions as part of a security management process. Under new regulations due to the HITECH Act more entities than ever need to be in compliance, and HHS compliance audit activity and enforcement penalties are both increased, especially in instances of willful neglect  more...

Fraud Enforcement Trends in the Health Care Industry ...fitsNew funding, new tools, and a heightened focus on the health care industry by civil and criminal law enforcement authorities means that investigations are not what they used to be. Learn more about what areas enforcement authorities are focusing on, where the big and small cases are being brought, how to deal with law enforcement's new tools, and how best to prepare yourself and your  more...

Health Savings Accounts ... on whether HSAs are achieving the goal of reducing total health care costs through consumerism. Focusing on the final comparability rules for employer contributions and updates on the new contribution limits and IRS guidelines, it will explore new design opportunities for employers considering how to implement a successful HSA program. This live audio conference is designed for human resource  more...

Powers of Attorney: Medical Records Release Concerns ...sBusy medical practices understand that each day personal health information is transmitted in various forms between hospitals, doctors, attorneys, insurance companies, patients and their lawyers and families. With increasing reliance on electronic medical records health information can be transmitted with minimal effort. However, health information requests become more confusing and less  more...

Best Practices in Nursing Documentation: Writing Effective and Legal Proof Notes ...health care providers hand-wrote cryptic notes on essay paper-like chart pages that rarely were ever looked at again. Long gone, also, are the days that physicians would only look at labs, reports and other physician's notes, expecting the nurse to call to the physician's attention anything important about the patient so they didn't have to read nurses' notes. Electronic records are a reality  more...

Workers' Compensation: Return to Work Issues ...y between federal laws prohibiting discrimination against health conditions and state workers' compensation laws, you will learn strategies to make the most of functional capacity evaluations and rehabilitation programs. This live audio conference will help you comply with state and federal laws, manage injury claims more efficiently, and get workers back on the job sooner. This live audio  more...

Weight Loss At the Workplace: Legal Issues For Employers Seeking To Reduce Health Care Costs ...sideration of any work place programs assembled to reduce health care costs by encouraging employees to lose weight. The speaker's discussion of employee wellness programs targeting weight reduction or obesity will analyze this issue within its broader context and potential legal implications. This live audio conference is designed for human resource managers, benefits and payroll  more...

Key Legal and Practical Considerations When Forming an ACO: Seizing the Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges to Achieve Qual BenefitsThe long-awaiting Final Rule governing ACOs participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) provides the industry with an improved outlook of the potential success that may be achieved, but also a daunting list of challenges to be met in order to seize the opportunities. This live audio conference will walk you through the legal, regulatory, policy, and practical challenges and  more...

Developing a School Wellness Program ...e aware, childhood obesity is one of our nation's leading health threats. Today, about 1 in 3 children and youth (ages 2-19) in the United States is already overweight or obese -- that's nearly 25 million young people. - Disappearing recess: Nearly one-third of elementary schools do not schedule recess on a regular basis. - Less physical education: 92% of elementary schools do not have daily  more...

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Records: What Can You Release? ...even knowing it in responding to requests for a patient's health information that contain substance abuse and mental health information? Do you know that you may need to withhold mental health and substance abuse records, even in responding to a records subpoena? Learn more about these issues and more by attending a live audio conference 'Substance Abuse and Mental Health Records: What Can You  more...

Understanding Your Summary Plan Descriptions ...health and welfare plans are required to communicate the terms of the plan to participants in a summary plan description. The SPD is an important disclosure document that describes, in understandable terms, the rights, benefits and responsibilities of participants and beneficiaries in ERISA-covered health and welfare benefit plans. The SPD must include important information regarding the plan,  more...

Understanding LEED for Sustainable Building BenefitsMystified by the new LEED certification process? Concerned about whether you need a new approach for your next LEED project? Confused about the requirements for maintaining your existing AP status? This live audio conference provides the answers! By attending you will understand how the project certification and professional accreditation requirements have changed with the release of  more...

Best Practices to Modify Electronic Health Records While Maintaining Record Integrity ...health record system can make it possible to work more efficiently and effectively by automating certain tasks and making information easier to locate. But sometimes, even electronic records must be modified by adding, amending, correcting or deleting information. In some ways, paper records were easier to deal with, as incorrectly filed documents could simply be re-filed, and any changes to  more...

Discharge Codes: Impact on the Post-Acute Care Transfer Policy - Risks and Rewards BenefitsImproper understanding and application of discharge codes may result in reduced hospital reimbursement and represent a compliance risk under the PACT policy. William E. Haik, M.D. has been involved in ICD-9-CM coding and chart documentation for more than 25 years and will explain why the problem exists and how to remedy it. This live audio conference is designed for medical records  more...

The WE in Wellness--5 Skills Every Case Manager Should Know for Effective Case Management ...re crucial for the coordination of an individual client's healthcare provided by multidisciplinary teams within and between organizations and systems. As clinical case managers become central to a client's experience with their health, they are usually in the position to evaluate a client's level of wellness and to either directly provide education or to put together an individualized plan for  more...

Medical Records Update for Paralegals: Releases, Retention and Confidentiality Requirements ...health plans, vendors, and others who retain medical or health records are often subjected to complex and conflicting requirements to maintain the confidentiality and restrict the disclosure of the information. Complex and overlapping rules and regulations impose rigid requirements that must be met before information is released and require medical record repositories to retain the records for  more...

Smartphone Policies For The Health Care Industry ... devices. Many of these issues are even more acute in the health care industry because of the 24/7 nature of the facilities, and the regulations regarding patient privacy. Failing to have and enforce an appropriate policy can create liability both to employees and patients. This live audio conference will help you develop a plan to (1) identify the legal issues raised by the implementation of  more...

COBRA: A Little of Everything is Changing ... in the employee benefit world - COBRA, Subsidy, National Health Care, FSAs - how can anyone keep up? This audio conference will focus on the most misunderstood changes. How are the best ways to explain these changes to employees? COBRA - I Thought the Subsidy Was Over!! YES, the subsidy is over - but, now we are living with the results - let's look at the impact the subsidy had on COBRA  more...

Why Is This Guy Still on My Health Plan? ...any situations where an employee remains on the company's health benefits as an active employee for many years past the date in which the employee was actively at work for the company. This live audio conference will answer a common problem employers experience, what date should an employee be treated as a terminated employee when he/she is on a leave of absence, or fails to return from a leave  more...

Determining Meaningful Use for Electronic Health Records ...and hospitals must achieve 'meaningful use' of electronic health records through an attestation process. This process is new and complicated. This live audio conference will outline meaningful use guidelines and requirements to receive incentive payments, including timelines, criteria, an outline of the attestation process and recent developments in HHS' implementation of Stages II and III.  more...

Financial Statement Preparation and Analysis for Nonprofits BenefitsThis live audio conference will provide you with an overview of nonprofit financial statements and both external and internal nonprofit financial reporting concepts. We will focus on the primary users of nonprofit financial statements and the key differences between nonprofit and for-profit financial statements and reporting. This program will explore the fundamental accounting concepts  more...

Understand and Interpret Financial Statements ... provide both a historical and current perspective on the health of an organization, as well as offer indications of future performance. They offer management, creditors, prospective investors and various other users a means to judge the financial performance of an organization. The speaker will discuss the various components of a set of financial statements. He will also discuss balance sheet  more...

IPPS Final Rule BenefitsThe Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) was implemented in 1983 replacing a cost-based reimbursement methodology in an effort to better control the costs of providing care to the Medicare inpatient and to incentivize hospitals to better manage utilization. As time has passed CMS has modified the program to better recognize severity of illness AND to reduce payments to hospitals for  more...

The Trickle Down Effect of Health Care Reform: A Potpourri of Payroll, Benefits, Income Taxes, and Other Changes ...health care reform require that you continually monitor the landscape to spend your benefit dollars effectively, while remaining compliant. This is an opportunity for employers to reassess their decisions and consider the future impact of this legislation. Attend this live audio conference and stay current on your compliance obligations, planning considerations and take a closer look at the  more...

Strategies to Reduce Bullying and Social Aggression ...health professionals, parents and lawmakers realize the seriousness of bullying, cyber bullying and social aggression in school. Certain state laws and regulations now hold schools personally responsible for the effects of bullying, including cyber bullying. Whether your school plans to implement one or more bullying prevention strategies or a comprehensive bullying prevention or school  more...

Workers' Compensation Metrics: Assessing and Reporting on the Success of Your Program ... a way to measure the effectiveness of their occupational health programs and crafting reporting packages that are relevant and action-focused. Often data is difficult to collect, or overwhelmingly detailed. Vendor-supplied reports are generally focused on tactics, not strategy outcomes. This leaves many employers unable to answer some of the most critical risk management and fundamental  more...

Legal Issues Surrounding the Utilization and Maintenance of Computerized Medical Records ...health information technology and evidence that electronic health record systems can reduce medical errors and lead to more efficient delivery of care, many hospitals and providers are beginning to implement EHRs in their facilities and practices. Despite federal regulations that permit certain donations of EHR technology, the implementation and ongoing use of EHRs is expensive and raises many  more...

Preparing for Medicaid Audits ...pared? The Medicaid program is a state's most significant health care expense and, in many instances, one of its largest budgetary items. It is the health insurer of last resort for children and the economically disadvantaged. The recent economic downturn has caused shortfalls to many states' overall budgets. Under recently enacted health care reform legislation the Medicaid program and its  more...

Medical Records: Responding to Subpoenas and Investigations BenefitsDon't be caught off guard. You could be breaching the confidentiality of patients without even realizing it! From HIPAA requirements to state privacy laws, legal issues abound in the medical records arena. If you're not up to date on medical records law, your company could face serious legal and financial liability risks. Attend this audio conference and gain critical information on  more...

Managing Employees' Pre-Existing Conditions: Strategies for Reducing Injury Losses ... the fundamentals of managing employees with pre-existing health conditions. In addition to an understanding of the interplay between federal laws prohibiting discrimination against health conditions and state workers' compensation laws, you will learn the nuances of distinguishing between pre-existing conditions and new work-related injuries. You will also obtain practical resources and  more...

How Can End-of-Life Planning Resources Benefit Your Workplace? ...arents, children and other relatives, or who experience a health crisis for themselves or a partner. End-of life issues affect benefits costs, workers' productivity and absentee rates. This audio conference helps the employer evaluate and enhance human resources programs and policies to assist workers who will face caregiving, serious illness, grief and loss, and end-of-life planning. Potential  more...

HR Time Lines: The Complex Integration of FMLA, WC, Disability and COBRA ...hat can run together? What cannot? When can we cancel the health plan, for what reason and is it a COBRA qualifying event? During this audio conference we will pull all of these together to explain the employer's liability. When can coverage be canceled? What laws protect employee benefits? Many times all of these laws touch ONE person - you need to be sure your corporate policies and  more...

Risk Management in the Retention and Destruction of Medical Records BenefitsThere are many different types of medical records. The retention and destruction of each is governed by various state and federal laws and regulations. Additionally, when evaluating the storage and destruction of medical records, other factors such as reimbursement and billing, accreditation and professional standards must be considered. This audio conference will help you understand  more...

Complying With OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements BenefitsMany companies do not understand the scope or complexity of the various recordkeeping obligations under OSHA's laws and regulations. This audio conference will provide guidance as to OSHA's recordkeeping requirements, including pending regulatory changes and trends. Learn about OSHA's new penalty policy, as well as the pending OSHA Reform Bill hidden in the Miner Safety and Health Act.  more...

Economic Substance Doctrine Codification Update ...health care via legislation titled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Knowledge of its tax implications, tax credits, employer obligations and other financial aspects will be discussed in this informative audio conference. Awareness of the compliance rules will avoid financial risk and a variety of costly penalties for both individuals and employers. The Health Care Act includes  more...

Risk Management in Telephone Triage: Lessons Learned From Telephone Triage Litigation ...icates that approximately 20 to 28 percent of all primary health care is handled over the telephone. However, without proper training and accountability, telephone triage can result in improper diagnosis and management as well as legal liability. This audio conference will provide a brief overview the concept of malpractice as well as important considerations when providing telephone advice. A  more...

Medical Privacy Rights of Minors ...roviders and others who come into contact with medical or health records are often subjected to complex and conflicting requirements to maintain the confidentiality and restrict the use of the information. When those providers and others deal with minors, the complexity increases dramatically. When the right of an individual to privacy and security with regard to his or her medical information  more...

Impact of Health Care Reform on Elder Law ...BenefitsThis teleconference will teach you how the recent health care act will affect seniors and persons with disabilities. President Obama signed into law, in March of this year, the Patient Protection and Affordability Act of 2010 and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. These together are referred to as the Affordability Care Act. This act makes changes to Medicaid and  more...

Mental Health Record Compliance ...health providers are subject to many restrictions on how they can deal with patient records. As a health care provider, you are generally subject to the HIPAA medical record privacy and security requirements. To the extent they deal with substance abuse diagnosis and treatment, you are also subject to additional federal confidentiality restrictions, particularly part 2 of 42 CFR. You also deal  more...

Grant and Other Funding Opportunities Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 ...health reform legislation signed into law in March provides a significant number of direct and indirect federal grant funding opportunities for medical providers, hospitals, home health agencies, nursing facilities, colleges and universities, and employers. Under several of the grant programs, state and local government, and nonprofit entities are flow-through entities through which eligible  more...

Principal Diagnosis Selection: Ensure Compliance with Official Coding Guidelines ...health care business economic climate, there exists a renewed focus upon third-party payer initiatives to second guess and undermine medical record coder's selection of principal diagnosis selection under the guise of medical necessity and accurate and compliant coding. Under the RAC Demonstration Project, a pattern of supposed coding errors and medical necessity errors were vested based upon  more...

Labor Law: Could 2011 Be the Turning Point for Unions? ... this fall. While most of the country has been focused on health care reform, 2011 could prove to be a pivotal year for union activity. What businesses may not be aware of, are many proposed, smaller amendments to NLRA and NLRB rules - when coupled with some form of passage of the Employee Free Choice Act - could prove to be disastrous for employers lacking knowledge and experience against a  more...

Health Care Reform Update ...d other consultants and professionals who work with group health plans and related benefits on a daily basis. This teleconference will cover the practical implications of this legislation and the potential impact of change to the health insurance industry. This teleconference is designed for human resource managers, benefits professionals, attorneys, controllers, CFOs, business owners and  more...

Business Associate Agreements After the HITECH Act ...eaching provisions concerning the privacy and security of health information that will materially and directly affect more entities, businesses and individuals in more diverse ways than ever before. The HITECH Act now directly obligates business associates to comply with the HIPAA Security Rule's administrative, physical and technical safeguard requirements, including developing and  more...

IRS Form 8928: Health Plan Reporting and Excise Tax Update ...health plans now have a duty to self-report certain regulatory plan failures and pay excise taxes where such failures are not corrected in a timely fashion once discovered, or are due to willful neglect. You need to know the Internal Revenue Code rules or risk expensive excise taxes for failure to comply with COBRA, HIPAA and other federal group health plan mandates. Recently issued IRS final  more...

Administration of Pain Agents BenefitsYou will learn about using balanced analgesia with pharmacologic options for treating pain. This provides optimal analgesia and level of function for their patients. Discussion will include the importance of choosing the appropriate pain agent for the type of pain at the right dose. Learning Objectives - You will be able to discuss different types of pain medications. - You will be able  more...

Medical Records 101: Responding to Requests for Patient Information ...and get an overview of medical management issues faced by health care providers in responding to requests for patient information for litigation purposes. The conference speaker, who has extensive experience in civil litigation, including the representation of large medical institutions, will provide guidance in avoiding mistakes in disseminating patient information. You'll find out what you  more...

Is Your Health Care Plan Grandfathered Under the Health Care Reform? ...health plans routinely make annual changes to their plans that are designed to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve employee health and productivity. As plan sponsors consider design changes for 2011, they must also take into account new federal mandates under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as modified by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010  more...

Evaluating Your Third-Party Administrator: Are You Getting What You're Paying For? ...efitsUsing a third-party administrator is ubiquitous with health and welfare, and retirement plans. However, proper administration by TPAs should not be taken for granted. As with all facets of employee benefit plans, TPAs need to be monitored and evaluated to ensure proper plan administration and fulfillment of a plan sponsor's fiduciary responsibility. This teleconference explores the key  more...

Employee Driven Health Care: A Checklist for Employers BenefitsThis teleconference will include a comparison of HSA, HRA and FSAs. You will discover the value of Section 125 plans and recognize funding methods for various plans. Human resource managers, benefits and payroll professionals, controllers, CFOs, business owners and managers, insurance professionals and attorneys  more...

Medical Necessity - The Collaborative Partnership Approach BenefitsHospitals constantly struggle with reducing financial exposure due to noncompliance with medical necessity in the ordering and performing of diagnostic tests on both the inpatient and outpatient business environment. Current hospital business processes and medical staff mind-sets do not lend themselves and promote financial efficiencies in the performance and reimbursement of diagnostic  more...

Today's Legal Medical Record - A Hybrid Record ...at for developing your definition and policy of the legal health record for your institution. We'll remind ourselves what the real purpose of the medical record is and investigate how we meet those purposes with a hybrid record. We'll look at what the components of the legal medical record include versus those items that are not included. We'll also look at how we transition our forms or  more...

Impact of Health Care Reform on Health Care Providers ...health insurance coverage, recently enacted health care reform legislation also made sweeping changes to the Medicare payment and service delivery systems and strengthened current laws upon which the federal government relies to fight health care fraud, waste and abuse. This teleconference will include a broad overview of the aspects of health care reform legislation of most interest to health  more...

Return on Investment for Wellness Programs ... that worksite wellness should be part of every strategic health plan. These plans can offer a valuable tool for employers to promote a fit and health-conscious work force that will save employers money by keeping health insurance premiums down, reducing workers' compensation costs, and by increasing productivity and decreasing lost time. Implementing a plan takes time, attention and deserves a  more...

Insurance Claim Appeals ...ave to be performed to attempt to gain reimbursement from health care insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid. This teleconference will help you understand how first to establish when an appeal can be implemented, when to formally continue to disagree with their findings in writing and what options are available to continue fighting these appeals. The teleconference will explain  more...

Employee Safety and Health Systems: Cutting Injuries Using the Team Approach ...by the individual responsible for the facility safety and health system. The problem is that the success of the committee, and thus the system success, is predicated by the authority given to the committee and its leadership which in most cases is low to nonexistent. The bottom line is that employee safety will be as good as management wants it to be or as poor as management will allow it to  more...

Recovery Audit Contractor Roll Out - What Can We Expect? BenefitsThe permanent Recovery Audit Contractor Program has rolled out in most regions and the RACs have posted new issues approved by CMS for review. This teleconference will review who, what and how providers can prepare for the reviews, the lessons learned and the appeal process, including CMS' recently issued recoupment time limits and interest assessment rules. Medical records directors,  more...

Criminal Liabilities Under HIPAA ... and establishing new civil and criminal HIPAA penalties. Health plans, health care clearinghouses, health care providers and Medicare prescription drug card sponsors may be prosecuted criminally for HIPAA violations. With ID theft on the rise, prosecutors are becoming more aggressive in enforcing HIPAA laws, particularly when intent to illegally obtain patient information is involved. In  more...

Influenza: Seasonal to Pandemic ...easonal influenza continues to be a regular challenge for health care and public health personnel. However, the events of April 2009 changed our perception of influenza when a novel Influenza A strain emerged and produced the first pandemic in almost 50 years. This teleconference will explore the changing influenza strains and the illnesses that result. You will come away enabled to better  more...

Billing and Collecting for the Health Care Industry BenefitsDon't miss this billing and collecting teleconference presented by Neltner Billing Consulting Services, Inc. During the teleconference, we will present an overview of coding, billing and auditing for evaluation and management services. We will discuss common billing errors and practical methods for ensuring compliance. We will also share specific techniques for claims processing, payment  more...

Opt-Out Incentives and Other Cost Cutting Measures for Health Plans ...health care reform has highlighted for the public what employers have known for years - health care is expensive. Employers have for years looked for creative ways to alleviate double digit annual increases in the cost of health coverage provided to its employees. Employers have toggled deductibles and co-payments, and they have implemented wellness programs and consumer driven health care  more...

Understanding LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance ...s exist to reduce their energy waste, save money, improve health and productivity, and exploit new technologies that have recently become available to help the environment. Learning Objectives - You will be able to explain the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Existing Buildings Operations Maintenance (2009) rating and certification system. - You will be able to identify opportunities to  more...

Stark Act Update: Recent Changes and Operational Challenges ...ent with an entity that bills for or performs 'designated health services,' the financial arrangement will need to meet all components of an applicable exception. If the Stark Act is implicated and all components of an applicable exception are not met, the physician cannot refer to an entity that he or she has a financial relationship with and the entity cannot bill for designated health  more...

Construction Contract Bid Errors ...on for contracts, often coupled with precarious financial health, leaves very little margin for error - yet bid mistakes are on the increase with adverse consequences for owners, contractors and subcontractors. This teleconference analyzes the legal consequences of bid errors and how to avoid them. Those who conduct the procurement of construction services, those who seek the award of  more...

Workplace Accident Investigations for the HR Professional BenefitsAttend this teleconference and learn how to conduct a workplace accident investigation as well as how to conduct an effective investigation and protect the company's interests. Many written investigative reports are used against the company because they are too conclusory or did not have sufficient information, and should have included certain language for risk management purposes. Learn  more...

Limited Medical Programs: How Employers Are Using Them to Control Health Care Costs BenefitsAfter years of increasing medical premiums, employers are hitting road blocks in cost saving measures. We are at a point of office visit co-pays approaching $50, prescription drug co-pays of $50 to $100, deductibles exceeding $2,000 for in-network benefits, and more and more premium cost shifting from employer to employee. Employee's are finding it hard to afford the per pay premiums and  more...

Implications of the Stimulus Package on HIPAA ...substantial changes to requirements for the protection of health information privacy and security under HIPAA, some of which are already in effect. New requirements for business associates of HIPAA covered entities and requirements to notify individuals in the event of a breach are only two of the many areas affected in the new law, including new requirements for restricting and accounting of  more...

Health Insurance Basics For Employers ...health insurance. This includes people new to the health insurance industry or new to interacting with the industry. It also includes people who have been in or interacting with the insurance industry for a while but never received adequate training. Attend this teleconference and come away with an understanding of the basics of health insurance for employers in the United States. An overview  more...

Making Revisions to Closed Medical Records ...es, and at whose request? This teleconference will enable health information professionals to know how to respond to requests to revise closed records, to know what is required for individual rights under HIPAA, and to know what belongs in any organization's procedures for revising closed medical records. You will also learn about issues pertaining to electronic records and revisions, including  more...

Conducting Effective Safety Audits ...rogram. Just as periodic physicals can help you check how healthy you are, periodic safety audits can help evaluate the health of your safety program. This teleconference will outline the four steps you should consider in order to conduct effective safety audits. Manufacturing engineers, presidents, vice presidents, plant managers, quality control personnel, operation managers, facility  more...

Medical Identity Theft: Why You Must Prevent and How to Minimize Its Occurrence BenefitsMore and more patient information is being captured electronically, both within the provider setting and remotely from the patients themselves. Additionally, an increasing number of myriad touches of this data occur on a daily basis by various known and unknown entities, not all of whom are authorized or have a specific need to know. In this environment, ample opportunity exists for  more...

15- Minute Expert Adult Patient Assessments: Practical Strategies, Tips, and Updates for Health Care Professionals ...th each patient seems to be decreasing. That is why every health care professional needs to be proficient in assessment skills. This teleconference, '15-Minute Expert Adult Patient Assessments: Practical Strategies, Tips and Updates for Health Care Professionals,' will help you identify practical strategies for completing an exam that efficiently evaluates your patient from head to toe,  more...

Health Care Facility Design and Development ...health care facility is particularly challenging in the modern economic and regulatory environment. Health care administrators are looking for project delivery models that ensure excellence in planning and delivery. Incorporating thought leadership in design, operational efficiency and sustainability, as well as efficient project delivery are important differentiators for project teams. This  more...

Implementing a Health Risk Assessment for Your Health Plan: What Works, What Doesn't, What's Legal ...health risk assessments and wonder if they're a good idea for your organization. Or you've been tasked with implementing a health risk assessment as part of your health plan and don't know much about them. You have a lot of questions such as 'How can a health risk assessment help control health care costs?,' 'What makes for an effective health risk assessment?,' 'How do I get employees to  more...

Managing Benefit Options for Part-Time Employees ...me basis. Additionally, in hard to recruit fields such as health care, or with entry level employers such as retailers, part-time employment is the norm and may account for more than 50% of the workforce. Employers struggle with how to design a program that will attract and retain the workers they need on a cost effective basis. This teleconference will explore the myriad of options and  more...

Dealing with Difficult Patients ...healthcare facilities must weigh the value of client satisfaction and safety. Acute care settings may be particularly susceptible to the problem difficult patients because of the number of different service providers involved and the fact that it is an important and heavily people-based service. Difficult patients cannot be avoided; therefore health care institutions must have clear strategies  more...

Changes of Status Checklist ...ou are an employer who sponsors a cafeteria plan or other health and welfare plans, it can be confusing to administer your plan when an employee has a change in status. This teleconference will assist you in determining when you can allow an employee to change their election under your cafeteria plan. It will also cover what happens when an individual has a change in status while on COBRA. We  more...

Healthcare Self-Disclosure Update ...l review these and other key questions: - What options do health care providers have for voluntary disclosure? - What factors should health care providers consider when determining whether a potential violation should be reported? - How have these been changed by health care reform legislation and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act? - How does the position of CMS alter the approach of a  more...

Can Medical Tourism Lower Your Healthcare Costs? ... potential means for helping to mitigate the high cost of health care in the United States. It is no longer really about tourism but substantially more about the nature of medical care that might be available from destination providers. While originally largely the domain of self-pay individuals, many self-insured employers and their consultants are assessing the benefit of offering a medical  more...

Valid Consents ...taining an affirmative decision, it is important that the health care practitioner obtain informed consent. This teleconference will educate you on how to determine whether a patient is capable of giving informed consent. This teleconference also explains who may give informed consent on behalf of the patient if the patient is incapable of doing so. In addition to informed consent for medical  more...

Medical Professionals and Social Media: Privacy and Security Issues ...and more new physicians and other professionals enter the health care workplace, they are bringing with them the tools and technologies that they feel helps them do their job better, including the greater use of cell phones, texting, twittering, blogging, and using Web sites like Facebook and LinkedIn . But using these devices and technologies can carry significant risks of privacy violations  more...

Health Information Exchange: The Impact of the Stimulus Code ...ruary of 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act known more commonly as the Stimulus Act. The legislation for a large part included tremendous new legislation, but brings to the forefront, the first time in history, incentives for American doctors to revamp their paper charts to electronic health records  more...

Scope, Extent and Effect of EPA's New "All Appropriate Inquiry Standard" for Environmental Due Diligence BenefitsThis teleconference will explain who is affected by the EPA final rule, when all appropriate inquiries must be conducted or updated, and what specific activities the final rule requires. You will hear from one of the leading experts on CERCLA, brownfields and lender liability on the EPA's all appropriate inquiries final rule. Learning Objectives - You will be able to define all  more...

Return-to-Work Compliance When Jobs Are Gone BenefitsThe last couple of years have been financially difficult for employers and employees. Many organizations have undergone one or more phases of reductions-in-force, as well as restructuring and creative solutions such as reduced work hours or pay. What can such organizations legally do when employees on a leave of absence want to return to such a changed workplace? This teleconference will  more...

Suicidology: Your Responsibilities for Protecting Your Clients and the Public ...is among the most important functions exercised by mental health professionals. The imperative of keeping the client safe constitutes not only the most important initial clinical objective, but is at the core of good risk management. Research continues to help clinicians predict suicidal behavior in the individual with increasing accuracy. However, there is no single test or method of  more...

Avoiding Reinjuries in Workers' Compensation Claimants BenefitsHave you ever had an employee return to work from a work related or non-work related injury, only to reinjure themselves? In this teleconference you will learn how to identify the potential factors for reinjury and what you can do to reduce the overall risk. Additionally, you will learn skills to help you interact more effectively with engineers, production managers, supervisors/foremen,  more...

Managing External Health Information ...health care providers remain frustrated and uncertain about how to handle external health information. This information may come in the form of unsolicited health information - i.e., information that is volunteered by patients or by other health care providers, either at the time the patient arrives for treatment or thereafter - and in some cases even after the patient has been discharged. It  more...

Infection Control Programs ...Health care associated infections have moved into the forefront of the health care industry due to emerging and re-emerging issues, the human toll and reimbursement challenges. Central to this problem is the impact of the infection preventionist and the infection prevention function. This teleconference will help identify specific elements of an effective infection prevention program and  more...

Controlling Health Care Costs With Self-Funded Plan Options ... must answer when deciding to switch from a fully insured health plan arrangement to a self-insured arrangement. The speaker will cover different self-insured health plan options, for example, preferred provider, HMO, health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements. The importance of choosing a third-party administrator based on factors beyond just the per person administrative  more...

Introduction to New ICD-10 Coding: Preparing for Implementation ... As the US moves a lightening speed towards an electronic health record, there has been a renewed emphasis on transition since ICD-9-CM is not compatible with a true electronic health record. In January 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services published a Final Rule for the adoption of ICD-10 effective October 1, 2013. While this seems like a significant time period in order to get  more...

Benchmarking your Health Benefit Program: How Do You Stack Up? ...r competitiveness by knowing the kinds and the quality of health insurance other employers are offering. Measuring your health plan against meaningful benchmarks will help fuel your strategies not only for reducing cost, but also for recruiting, employee retention and health plan design. n nThis teleconference will work through several methods to evaluate your health benefit program's cost,  more...

Staying Compliant with the Medicare Incident-To Rules nAt a time when every medical practice dollar counts, the Medicare incident-to billing rules can enable physicians to capture revenue from common services performed by office staff. The incident-to rules, while simple on their face, can be complex in their application and failing to follow each element of the rules can result in overpayments and even false claims liability. Knowing the rules and  more...

Smoking Discrimination in the Workplace: On and Off the Clock ...health insurance claims and are absent more frequently than nonsmokers, a growing number of employers have implemented programs to minimize the number of smokers in its workforce. These employer programs range from offering quit smoking programs to refusing to hire smokers and even terminating smokers. Privacy advocates argue an employer's interest in the smoking habits of applicants and  more...

Presenteeism: Measurement and Intervention Issues for Employers and Health Plans ...iness world. Presenteeism, or work loss due to underlying health conditions when individuals remain at work, is one important facet of productivity. One study found that approximately 6 percent of a global company's total compensation (salaries, wages and all benefit costs) were lost due to presenteeism. Work site wellness programs can potentially make many important contributions to the  more...

Demand-Side Water Conservation Initiatives ...rcumstances are impacting businesses, homeowners, and the health and security of our modern existence. Brown and Caldwell is helping utilities, government agencies and private companies nationwide develop effective solutions to manage increasing water demands with dwindling water resources. Our team has a proven track record in water conservation and drought preparedness evaluation and  more...

Patients' Rights Update ...Health care providers, particularly long term care providers, mental health providers and hospices, have become increasingly aware of patients' rights concerns in recent years. Many states have passed bills of rights for their residents living in mental health, skilled nursed or other health care facilities. These bills of rights cover basic and not so basic concerns. From the right to be  more...

The New HIPAA Special Enrollment Rules and Related Disclosure Issues ...e special enrollment rights currently applicable to group health plans and imposes new notice and disclosure obligations for employers that maintain such plans. While many of these obligations are not effective until after 2009, the special enrollment changes are effective April 1, 2009. In addition, the new law imposes civil penalties of up to $100 a day for failure to comply with the new  more...

Managed Care Contracting and Fee Schedule Review nMany practice administrators are charged with the task of negotiating managed care contracts for their practices. This responsibility is generally an inherited function from their predecessor. Most do not understand how to compute an equitable fee schedule or track contract performance. This teleconference will help you understand methods for tracking to performance and how first to establish a  more...

Client Rights Issues: Informed Consent and Confidentiality ...ights regarding providing informed consent and privacy of health information. However, many health care providers do not understand the complex intersections of regulatory and common law requirements for obtaining consent and protecting client privacy. Failure to properly comply with these legal requirements can result in regulatory sanctions as well as liability for health care providers. This  more...

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Children ..., including school failures, trouble with the law, mental health problems and dependent living. Therefore, it is important that children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are identified early and receive early interventions. This teleconference will provide a brief introduction to diagnostic and neuropsychological aspects of fetal alcohol syndrome. You'll also get suggestions for  more...

Using Medical Certifications to Minimize Employer Liability: FMLA, ADA and Workers' Comp ...n statutes. But the legal landscape for managing employee health issues has had many changes in recent months. Amendments to the ADA took effect January 1, 2009. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act also takes effect in 2009. Employers are subject to new regulations under HIPAA for their wellness programs, and new FMLA regulations are pending. Despite this rapid change, the principles  more...

Understanding the COBRA Alternative Coverage Rules ... done to reduce costs. In lieu of a company's traditional health plan, for COBRA purposes, the company is allowed to offer alternative health coverage although the procedure for doing so is quite complicated. n nDiscussed first is what constitutes the various forms of alternative health coverage, how it applies and in what circumstances. Secondly is a discussion of what procedures must be  more...

Occupational Noise Induced Hearing Loss nThis teleconference will bring you up to speed on issues related to hazardous occupational noise. Understand the intricacies of the effects noise exposure have on hearing. Get a handle on complicated issues surrounding the calculation of hearing impairment. Avoid problems down the road by getting to know state-specific workers' compensation issues. You'll gain the practical insight you need to  more...