B O O K - American College of Rheumatology

tuesday
honorably and professionally and frequently assume that all
contracts and letters of employment will contain everything
that we want and need. As a result, we do not realize that the
responsibilities and expectations of the employee and employer
are different. The employer’s priority is the financial stability of
the institution (practice, hospital, medical school or company). In
order to create the best working relationship, the expectations
and needs of both parties must be clearly and legally stated
resulting in the final contract. However, because physicians are
relatively untrained in contract negotiation, they frequently
do not anticipate the implications of their actions or inactions,
resulting in a suboptimal agreement. This session, is designed
to educate fellows and post-fellowship rheumatologists on the
practical and legal aspects of negotiating contacts and letters of
offer with private practices, academic institutions and industry.
Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
• explain the value of legal advice prior to signing a contract and
the legal ramifications of the contract
• identify a fair private practice or hospital practice contract
and how to successfully modify it to correspond with their
individual needs
• negotiate a fair academic or industrial letter of offer/contract
ACR Clinical Symposium
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Thomas J. Murphy Ballroom
The Brain and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: 2010
Update cP P/C PM PS
Moderator: F. Jorge Sanchez-Guerrero, MD; Instituto Nacional
Nutricion; Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Speaker: John G. Hanly, MD; Queen Elizabeth II Health Services
Center; Halifax, NS, Canada
Session Overview:
Patients with neuropsychiatric lupus are a diagnostic and
therapeutic challenge for the practicing rheumatologist. The
major challenges include: identifying the range of manifestations
that are seen in neuropsychiatric lupus; making the accurate
attribution (e.g., related to lupus, medications, comorbid
conditions; and choosing the most appropriate therapeutic
options. This review will focus on all aspects of neuropsychiatric
lupus from diagnosis, to management.
Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
• explain the clinical diversity of neuropsychiatric events in
systemic lupus erythematosus
• identify attribution of neuropsychiatric events and their
impact on quality of life
• describe the immunopathogenesis of primary
neuropsychiatric lupus
• explain therapeutic options for patients with neuropsychiatric
lupus
ACR Practice Issues
1:00 - 2:00 PM
A402
Recovery Audit Contractor vs. Comprehensive Error
Rate Testing Audits – Do You Know the Difference?
BR C PS
Moderator: Cynthia A. Weaver, MD; Rapid City Medical Center;
Rapid City, SD
1:00 PM
Recovery Audit Contractor
To be announced
1:30 PM
Comprehensive Error Rate Testing Audits
James Cope, MD; AdvanceMed; Richmond, VA
Session Overview:
In an era of uncertainty for health care, rheumatologists are
faced with working harder to increase compliance with complex
Medicare rules. Most physician practices will need to process
re-design to understand and prevent significant recoupment
of payments deemed incorrect by Medicare. The Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services increased scrutiny over all types
of claims in an effort to reduce the payment error rate submitted
for reimbursement. Their action plan delegated responsibility
to several contractors, mainly through the Recovery Audit
Contractors and Comprehensive Error Rate Testing, to identify
and return improper payments to the Medicare Beneficiary
Trust Fund. Since 2005, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services has collected nearly $440 million in improper
Medicare payments through the Recovery Audit Contractors
demonstration program.
Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
• identify how and why the Recovery Audit Contractor or
Comprehensive Error Rate Testing target sample claims for
review
• discuss how to effectively track medical necessity and coding
errors
• develop a system for appropriate corrective action as
warranted to lower the error rate and improve the accuracy in
billing, processing, and payment of Medicare claims
ACR Special Session
1:00 - 2:00 PM
A406
Clinical Teaching Strategies in the Outpatient Clinic
Setting Ed.
Moderator: Abby Goulder Abelson, MD; Cleveland Clinic
Foundation; Cleveland, OH
Speaker: Terry M. Wolpaw, MD, MHPE; Case Western School of
Medicine; Cleveland, OH
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2010 Program Book