APTA

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Pre-Conference Workshops
Wednesday, October 11, 2006 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Management Tools for Private Practice: Gaining control and improving profitability

Speaker: John G. Wallace Jr., PT, MS, OCS

Overview:
Management Tools for Private Practice: Gaining control and improving profitability offers participants an opportunity to participate in an end-to-end learning experience to improve payment for professional services and to improve profitability. From getting clean, accurate claims out the door, to meeting regulatory requirements, managing front office functions, increasing therapist productivity, and using technology to leverage time and personnel resources, this course will give the owner tools and strategies the to implement on Monday morning.

Course Topics:

Billing and Collections Strategies: Getting It Right the First time: Getting claims out clean the first time, coding strategies, avoiding under-coding by understanding what constitutes treatment time, avoiding miss-coding of services and common documentation errors, avoiding common billing errors and debunking common billing myths.

Understanding Medicare Compliance: Avoiding risk and making Medicare one of your best payers: Review basic Medicare compliance and the June 2005 and February 2006 Medicare manual changes, detailed discussion of how to use LCDs for Physical Medicine and Biofeedback, Therapy Cap strategies and requirements when you are “over the cap”, the exceptions process, how to properly use: ABNs and the Correct Coding Initiative, appealing claims, and understanding NPIs and provider numbers.

Managing By the Numbers: Use statistics to manage productivity and profitability, calculating and benchmarking cancellations, therapist productivity, payment and cost per visit and others, review and assess your accounts receivable and the performance of your billing and collections functions whether you do it in-house or use an outsourced billing company, and how to find valuable information in physician referral report and treatment schedule

Managing the Front Office: Proper Use of Internal Controls: Setting up internal controls for mail, handling cash and checks, and posting payments, reconciling treatment activity with billing and collections, how to properly execute the insurance verification and treatment authorization functions

Evaluating Payer Contracts and Designing a Resourced-based Fee Schedule: How to read payer contracts, evaluate contract language, avoid common contracting mistakes, recognize “silent” PPOs, evaluate contract profitability, design a fee schedule consistent the resource-based reimbursement most payers use. Intermediate

Starting A New Practice – What You Need To Know

Speakers: Edward Ramsey, PT, DPT, Owner, Ramsey Rehab Inc.
Diane McCutcheon, President, Diane McCutcheon Business
Management Consulting Services, Inc.

Overview:
Learn the initial keys to personal and financial success and freedom through opening your own successful PT or OT clinic. You know that you are a GREAT therapist but do you have the tools to have others say it so strongly that their personal witness propels patients to your clinic?

This session will provide the basic information and tools necessary to start the process of opening an out-patient PT or OT clinic. This is a beginner class designed for PT’s who are still considering the idea to those just opened.

Course Topics:

What are the qualities in a successful business Owner
The basic personal qualities necessary to be a successful
business owner and how to strengthen weak areas with further education and professional help. Attendees will be asked to complete a personal assessment to see if they “Have what it takes”

Marketing-from pre-opening, start-up to the early years. What is in a business and Marketing plan, including SWOT

What is in a business and marketing plan and how to write one that will be comprehensive and strengthen your ability for funding. Instruction and completion of an individualized SWOT analysis will be completed during the conference.

Understand what is pre-marketing, branding, and why a company mission statement is important.

Marketing tips and ideas for the start-up and early years. Some common mistakes to avoid and areas to target based on your own SWOT analysis.

Credentialing
The necessity of credentialing – with provider numbers for
Insurances that most people in your area have is essential to being able to offer PT to a wide variety of patients and get paid for your services.

Staffing – Hiring the right person(s). Basic HR – legal compliance, handbook, personnel issues.

Staffing your office with the right person from the beginning and training them correctly is key to getting paid for your services. The billing and collection process can be a very complicated process, however, with proper training and support from associations and outside sources you will be guaranteed success in getting paid for your services. Not only is it essential for your new staff member to be trained, but it is also paramount for an owner to understand the office and billing processes in order to manage staff and recognize when a potential problem may be beginning. The sooner problems are identified the sooner you can get back on track and insure that your will be paid for your services. Learning to read and analyze reports daily, weekly and monthly is key to a successful practice.

Additionally, implementing basic Human Resource policies and procedures is a great way to insure that when you open your practice and as your grow, your foundation is set with policies and procedures that are written to keep your employee practices fair and in legal compliance.

Clinic design, location assessment, structure, buy vs lease.
Understanding the most common clinic designs, the benefits of each and the flow principle.

Finance
Preparing to secure financing and options available.

Management and Operational Tools
Billing systems, office equipment, Billing – paper claims, electronic billing
Management Tools – reports, month end, staff meetings and Using outside services – training and development