NCMGM Committee Reports

NCMGM has 13 committees representing the different segments of the healthcare industry.  To learn more about the committees of NCMGM, visit the committees page of our website (under the “About Us” tab).  Below are the recent reports from our committee chairs:

ACMPE Committee

By Susan Childs, ACMPE Committee Chair

We are pleased to announce the 2014 exam dates! Exams will be offered:

• May 19-31
• August 18-30
• December 1-13

More information, including registration deadlines, will be available at www.mgma.com/exams.

Also check out the online study groups, or start one of your own! Give a call to anyone on the ACMPE committee to support your success in becoming a CMPE or FACMPE!

Advocacy Committee

By Fran Sembert, Advocacy Committee Chair

Mark your calendars for Advocacy Day in Raleigh June 17 and 18. Plans are underway now for educational sessions the afternoon of the 17th at the Raleigh Marriott City Center. We’ll spend the morning of the 18th with our legislators at the General Assembly. Stay tuned for more information.

For more information concerning the Advocacy Committee, please contact Fran Sembert at fd.sembert@wendoverobgyn.com.

Conference Committee

By Pam Saunders and Tammie Grimmett, Conference Committee Co-Chairs

The Conference Committee met on January 22nd to start planning for the NCMGM 2014 Fall Conference scheduled for September 10 – 12 in Pinehurst, NC at the Pinehurst Resort. This year’s theme will be “What’s Next?” and registration will be available beginning early summer.

As you all know there is a lot happening 2014, so not a shortage of topics to discuss or be educated on.  Some key topics for our 2014 Fall Conference will factor in employee engagement, patient portals, panel discussions and a Washington Update from MGMA.  NCMGM will be sending out updated information on the website and blog as we get closer to the conference dates!

For more information on the Conference Committee, please contact Pam Saunders at pam.saunders@cnsa.com or Tammie Grimmett at tgrimmett@spineandscoliosisdocs.com.

Governance Committee

By Debbie Cashion, Governance Committee Chair

NCMGM is preparing to collect $5 per paid attendee at the Fall Conference and donate this amount to the Davis-Watson Scholarship Fund. Since we have the Tri-State meeting in May of this year, the Governance Committee will be looking for ideas to raise additional monies throughout the year to promote the Davis-Watson Scholarship Fund.  NCMGM did receive confirmation both from Medical Mutual and First Citizens Bank that they will both honor their awards again this year. The Governance Committee will be reviewing nominations for the Administrator of the Year Award and the Practice of the Year Award (both will be given at the Fall Conference). We will begin nominations for these awards in late spring / early summer.  Our committee will also be reviewing our bylaws for an additional changes which will be voted on at the Tri-State meeting.

For more information on the Governance Committee, please contact Debbie Cashion at dcashion@catawbapediatrics.net.

Medicare Committee

By Sherry Williams, Medicare Committee Chair

The Medicare Committee last met on November 5 to discuss goals for the coming year.  The Committee notified several local MGMA chapter presidents in January that Palmetto Outreach and Education representatives are available to travel and speak at meetings depending on the size of the audience, and they were encouraged to consider it if they have a topic of interest.  A Speaker Request Form, which can be found on Palmetto’s website, would need to be completed, submitted, and approved.  The Medicare Committee has a new co-chair, Jane Lutz.  Jane’s term as Chair will begin on November 1, 2014.

If you have suggestions or questions regarding Palmetto GBA J-11, please contact  Sherry Williams, Committee Chair, at swilliams@ptanc.com.

Student Outreach Committee

By Leah Cook and Jeanne Chamberlin, Student Outreach Committee Co-Chairs

The Student Outreach Committee works to support our profession by introducing college and university students to medical practice administration.  Some of our recent endeavors include:

• Student Membership Registration: applying for student membership is easier than ever! The committee wished to simplify the registration process for students who are interested in membership; upon our recommendation the NCMGM membership website was updated to allow students to attest to full-time status. Students are now capable of completing the entire membership application in one sitting. Know any interested full-time students? Encourage them to register here for an NCMGM Student Membership.
• 2014 Summer Internship Clearinghouse: Are you interested in hosting a student internship this summer? Let us know! Student interns are usually between their third and fourth year of undergraduate or between the two years in a MHA/MBA program.  Internships normally run mid-May to mid-August and an internship may be project-based or the student may provide coverage for staff vacations while learning about medical practices. Contact us now to add your name to the internship opportunity list; the list will be distributed to students in mid-February so that students can contact you directly to arrange a phone or in-person interview.

If you’d like to become involved by hosting a student intern, participating on a panel discussion, or joining our committee, please contact the committee co-chairs, Leah Cook at l.cook@msochealth.com or Jeanne Chamberlin at j.chamberlin@msochealth.com.

Worker’s Compensation Committee

By Cameron M. Cox, Jr., Worker’s Compensation Committee Chair

Fee Increase!!!
Now that we have your attention and as has been reported numerous times in numerous ways, please remember that there was a thirty (30) percent increase in Worker’s Compensation Fees for new and established patient visit codes and a five (5) percent increase in Physical Medicine codes effective January 1, 2013.  We encourage you to verify that your services are being paid in accordance with these increases as it is very likely that some carriers are not paying you at the new levels.

Electronic Claims Filing and Electronic Payment Update
Due to the efforts of many concerned individuals and organizations including the North Carolina Medical Group Managers and the North Carolina Medical Society, legislation was passed directing the North Carolina Industrial Commission to adopt rules requiring electronic billing and payment processes.  These rules were mandatory and were originally scheduled to become effective March 1, 2014.   Unfortunately, there will be a slight delay in these rules becoming effective. The Commission will not require compliance with the Electronic Rules until July 1, 2014 and compliance with rules requiring compliance with electronic medical payment processes will not be mandatory until January 1, 2015. Details related to this delay as well as a guide outlining the technical specifications for your practice management system and or clearinghouse vendors are now in final form and ready for publication. Click here for access to the guide. This guide can also be accessed on the Commission’s webpages for Carriers and for Medical Providers.

Please note, however, that a number of clearinghouses already offer the ability to file your Worker’s Compensation Claims electronically so we encourage you to explore this option now.  We encourage practices to begin discussing with your clearinghouses and billing companies in preparation for this.   We appreciate your attention and respectfully request that you respond to our inquiries related to issues impacting Worker’s Compensation and make us aware of any concerns that you may have or circumstances you are experiencing that impact your patients and or practice in a negative manner.

Please feel free to contact me and other members of the Committee if we can be of assistance.   NCMGM and the NC Medical Society are working towards updating our memberships as information becomes available. You can also view the posting from NCMS published on Friday, February 21st: http://www.ncmedsoc.org/blog/index.php/archives/28243

For more information, contact Cameron Cox, Jr., at cmcox@msocgroup.com.