“Things appear to be a bit more provider friendly, and they [CMS officials] are reducing some of the burden on providers, which we are not used to,” concedes van Halem. “I think they are probably doing it because there is such an appeals backlog that they have no choice but to do it.”
For Medtrade attendees looking to hear the absolute latest, and even surprising audit information, van Halem and Grahovac will share their expertise on Tuesday, Oct 24, from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., in Room C208 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Grahovac and van Halen chatted with Medtrade officials to give a glimpse of what attendees can expect.
Q: Why should Medtrade attendees go to your presentation? Wayne van Halem: We are bringing two different perspectives to the same environment. For the first time since I’ve been doing presentations on the topic of audits, we actually have good news to share, which is something different. We are usually talking about all the bad stuff, and there still is bad stuff. However, CMS officials are changing the way they perform audits and the audit approach. There are important things people need to know. They are lessening some restrictions, and providers need to know that. There will be discussions of things that have not changed yet, but probably will, and these changes will positively impact providers. Attendees will want to learn of those changes…and I’d love for people to walk away from a Medtrade presentation by the van Halem group and not be scared to death.
Q: Why is it a good idea to get out of the office and travel to trade shows? Grahovac: When you leave that office and come to Medtrade, it’s not just the classroom time that you are getting. You are also getting that networking time, and you are also getting to step away from your day-to-day routine to look at things from a different perspective. You get to talk to your peers and see if they are doing something different. What could help you? You get to go on the exhibit floor and take your brain away from your tunnel vision. Getting out of the office and attending Medtrade gives you information that you may not have access to since you are usually so busy trying to run your business and your day-to-day operations.
Q: What is your level of optimism these days?
Van Halem: A lot of companies are still suffering and struggling with decreased reimbursement rates and burdensome regulations, and while there may be some better audit news, that does not take away from the other issues of competitive bidding.
The industry is still struggling. I think we will see a pendulum swing, and I hope it swings very soon. From an industry-wide perspective, I think things are going to get better. I hope that happens sooner rather than later. Long term, there is a lot of opportunity in this business. Short term, there is still a lot of struggling going on. That’s what makes events like Medtrade so important, because it gets people together networking, talking, and not being distracted.
Audits & Compliance: He Said/She Said - Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
WHEN: Tuesday, October 24, 2017: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
WHERE: Medtrade at the Georgia World Congress Center, Room: C208
SPEAKERS: Wayne van Halem, president, The van Halem Group;
Kelly Grahovac, senior consultant, The van Halem Group
Medtrade is Oct 23-25, 2017 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Click the link below to register for Medtrade 2017
https://registration.experientevent.com/showMTH171?flow=attendee&Marketing code=MTMON
For more information about Medtrade, go to www.medtrade.com
