Medicare Cost Report Appeals and Reopenings–What You Need to Know Webinar [PODCAST]

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Highlights of this episode include:

• What is this webinar about?
• Who would benefit most from this webinar and why?
• Key takeaways
• Best practices

Kelly Wisness: Hi, this is Kelly Wisness. We’re pleased to welcome back Kristin DeGroat, Besler Holdings’ Chief Legal Officer. In this episode, Kristin will provide us with a glimpse into Besler Holdings’ first webinar, Medicare Cost Report Appeals and Reopenings: What You Need to Know, live on Wednesday, May 13, at 1 PM Eastern Time. This is our first in our Medicare Cost Report Appeals and Reopenings Series.

Welcome back and thank you for joining us, Kristin.

Kristin DeGroat: Well, thank you for having me back.

Kelly: Well, let’s go ahead and jump in today. So can you tell us what’s this webinar about?

Kristin: So, we’re going to talk about the Provider Reimbursement Review Board, at least a background of that. And then we’re really going to focus on what you need to do to preserve your appeal rights as well as your reopening rights, which are different and are handled differently. And we’ll get into a little bit of the differences and provide some best practices.

Kelly: Awesome. Sounds like it’s going to be a great webinar. So, who would benefit most from this webinar and why?

Kristin: So, most people immediately think, “Oh, this is just for reimbursement people.” But actually, people in patient financial services, even executives that maybe don’t deal with the cost report and appeals and reopenings and really don’t get into the depth. But there are data elements that we need, which usually come from patient financial services. There are cost report elements needed. And again, you need the buy-in at the top so that they understand what it takes and maybe the costs associated with filing appeals and/or reopenings.

Kelly: Well, that makes a lot of sense. So, what will be some of the key takeaways from the webinar?

Kristin: So, the key takeaway, I think, really will be, “I can have an appeal that preserves my rights, and I can have a reopening at the same time.” Most people don’t realize that. And so, I think that’s beneficial where it’s an issue that can be settled. So, the problem we’ve got with the board, right, in filing appeals is that they often take a number of years. And so, the reopening may be the faster route, not always, but maybe the faster route to getting the dollars.

Kelly: That makes sense. And yeah, I didn’t know that you could do an appeal and a reopening at the same time, so I’m sure others don’t know that as well. So, what best practices do you have for those going through an appeal or reopening?

Kristin: So don’t take any chances. Don’t just assume you’re going to be able to appeal or reopen. You need to understand the specifics of those rules and how they apply to your cost report. Protest, protest, protest, protest, that is the key. And again, file your reopenings, even if you have an appeal.

Kelly: Those are some great best practices. Thanks for sharing those with us. So why is having an external partner important for this very complex and often long process?

Kristin: The change in rules between the cost report rules, the reopening rules, the board’s rules. There are many pitfalls. And if you don’t understand how they fit together, you could lose your right to appeal or reopen. So, you’ve got to understand how that comes together. And having an external partner that focuses on the rules, the changes, ensuring that everything is filed properly, that you have the right tools to ensure that your appeal rights are protected.

Kelly: No, that makes a lot of sense. Sounds like finding the right partner is important for this process. Well, thank you–

Kristin: Definitely.

Kelly: Yeah, so thank you so much for joining us, Kristin, and for giving us this glimpse into Besler Holdings’ free webinar, Medicare Cost Report Appeals and Reopenings: What You Need to Know.  Join us live on Wednesday, May 13^th, at 1 PM Eastern Time. And as a bonus, you can also earn CPE. Thanks again, Kristen.

Kristin: You’re welcome. Looking forward to seeing everyone Wednesday.

Kelly: Sounds great. And thank you all for joining us for this episode of the Hospital Finance Podcast. Until next time…

[music] This concludes today’s episode of The Hospital Finance Podcast. For show notes and additional resources to help you protect and enhance revenue at your hospital, visit besler.holdings/podcasts. The Hospital Finance Podcast is a production of Besler Holdings.

If you have a topic that you’d like us to discuss on The Hospital Finance Podcast or if you’d like to be a guest, drop us a line at update@besler.com.

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