Health Policy & Administration

This 90-minute audio conference will cover updates on the outpatient therapy rules pertaining to certifications / recertifications, qualification standards for therapists and assistants, payment under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and the outpatient therapy cap for 2008. In addition, the audio conference will explain the rationale for the use of some of the more confusing CPT codes such as the splinting//strapping codes, orthotic and prosthetic codes, physical performance test, and manual muscle testing and range of motion codes. The presenter will also review and explain the 8 new CPT codes and discuss the PQRI measures applicable to physical therapists in the private practice setting.

Rick Gawenda, PT, Ypsilanti, Mich., is the director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Detroit Receiving Hospital and the owner of Gawenda Seminars. Gawenda has worked in all areas of therapy within the hospital and home health care setting. He has provided education and consulting to hospitals, rehabilitation agencies, private practices, and his peers in the areas of CPT and ICD-9 coding, billing, documentation, reimbursement, and the appeals process for Medicare denied claims as they pertain to outpatient rehabilitation therapy services. He is the current President of the Michigan Association of Medical Program Rehabilitation Administrators, a member of the APTA, and the President of the Health Policy & Administration Section of the APTA. Rick is also on the editorial board for Briefings on Outpatient Rehab: Reimbursement and Regulations. He authored HCPro’s Coding and Billing for Outpatient Rehab Made Easy: Proper Use of CPT Codes, ICD-9 Codes, and Modifiers and The How-To Manual for Rehab Documentation.