Monday, May 13, 2024

8:00 to 8:30 am - Registration and continental breakfast

8:30 to 9:45 am - How to Win at Contracting: Effective Strategies for Your Organization’s Agreements

Doug Wolfberg, Page, Wolfberg & Wirth

EMS agencies are involved in a wide array of contracts.  Whether it’s a participating provider agreement with a payer or insurer, a SNF or hospital facility contract, a joint billing agreement between a BLS and ALS service, or other type of contract, your organization needs to be armed with effective strategies when entering into contracts and agreements. EMS Attorney Doug Wolfberg will present critical information on effective contracting, and will provide practical tips on what to watch out for in the most common EMS contracts. 

9:45 to 10 am - break

10 to 10:30 am - Leadership 

Chris Dell, Chief, McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority

Sponsored by

A topic that is important, a need in the EMS community as some of our providers and leaders begin to move into retirement, who will be prepared and ready to take over?  The AAP has been working to develop a leadership academy to prepare the next generation of leaders.  Chris will highlight some of the topics with a few teasers diving into some of the education.

10:30 to 12:30 pm - What Does the OSHA Proposed Emergency Response Rule Mean for EMS Providers

Scott Moore, Esq. - Moore EMS Consulting, LLC

On February 5, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that will provide the first update to the Fire Brigade Standards published 44 years ago. The comment period for the Proposed Rule will close on May 6, 2024, and will have significant impacts for Fire, EMS, and Technical Rescue organizations. Join the AAA’s HR & Operations Consultant, Scott Moore, as he provides overview of the Proposed Rule’s new requirements which include additional administrative obligations, job-related training, physical and mental health initial and ongoing assessments for emergency response employees. While the Proposed Rule has not been finalized, it is clear that OSHA is committed to addressing the safety in EMS organizations.   

12:30 to 1:30 pm - Lunch (included)

1:30 to 2:30 pm - AAP and PA EMS Provider Foundation Annual Meeting

Come hear what the AAP and the Foundation have been up to.....ask questions and give us feedback on our projects!

2:30 to 2:45 pm - break

2:45 to 3:45 pm -  Medicare Carrier Update

Gail Atnip from Novitas Solutions

Annual Update from Novitas Solutions

3:45 to 4:00 pm - break

4:00 to 5:00 pm - Medicare and Reimbursement Update

Doug Wolfberg, Page, Wolfberg & Wirth

In this conference closing session for the day, Doug Wolfberg from will present PWW’s up-to-the-minute information on what’s happening with Medicare, balance billing, commercial reimbursement and other timely topics that affect your bottom line.

5:00 to 7:00 pm - reception in the Bear's Den

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

8:00 to 8:30 am - Registration and continental breakfast

8:30 to 9:45 am - How to Avoid Self-Pay or Work with Them When You Must

Maggie Adams, EMS Financial Services

Unresolved self-pay accounts continue to plague the ambulance industry. We’ll discuss how to avoid problems in the revenue cycle management process that led to unresolved patient-pay accounts. The latest self-pay regulatory changes will be reviewed. Plus, step-by-step actions to better manage incoming patient calls, negotiate with patients, diffuse difficult calls and resolve self-pay will be reviewed. How to interact with patients who experience financial hardship, bankrupt patients, or those who need more time to make payments or resolve insurance will be addressed. For those accounts that must go to collection, we will cover strategies for choosing and working with a collection agency for the best results.

9:45 to 10:00 am - break

10:00 to 10:15 am - FirstStates Financial Services Presentation

10:15 to 11:30 am - Department of Human Services Update

Eve Lickers, Director, Bureau of Policy, Analysis and Planning

Dan Bates, Division of Regulatory & Program Development

11:30 to 12:30 - Lunch (included)

12:30 to 1:00 pm - Show Me the Money - Show Me the Trip Sheet!

Brian Maloney, Director of Operations, Plum EMS

Why is it that since the beginning of EMS, one of the most significant challenges we face many times is the completion of patient care reports?  This is the story of one EMS organization and the unconventional approaches taken to help be 100% compliant with the state regulation of 72 hours and in the 99^th percentile for 24 hours.   

        

1:00 to 1:15 pm - break

1:15 to 3:00 pm - Billing Impossible:  Stump the Panel and Win a Prize

Maggie Adams, EMS Financial Services and Kimberly Walk, AmbCoach, Inc.

What are the toughest claims the billing department ever tried to get paid? How have efforts been thwarted to get reimbursement? What excuses have facilities used to delay payment? What type of transports continue to be a problem with Medicare? What about Medicare and Medicaid managed care plans – does everything go smoothly with their claims processing? Are efforts to appeal claims denials successful? Are patients paying their co-payments and deductibles promptly or at all? Bring examples of your organization’s “Billing Impossible” to the panel of billing experts to get answers to the most difficult questions faced in today’s billing departments. Learn how other billers tackled some of their toughest challenges. A prize will be awarded to the question/problem that stumps the panel.