*Charging for treatment rooms
*HIPAA-compliant electronic transactions

This question answered by Sheryl Spohn, RHIA, a coding consultant with Pershing Yoakley & Associates in Atlanta, as published in the August issue of Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies.

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WE NEED YOUR EXPERTISE!

Join the Compliance Monitor Team! Compliance Monitor Q&A relies upon experts just like you to answer pressing compliance questions. We're looking for experts in coding, billing, documentation, HIPAA, EMTALA, Stark, laboratories, and many other areas of compliance.

If you are interested in answering questions from your peers, please e-mail Compliance Monitor editor Kate Alvarez.

Explanations, case studies, and practical strategies for EMTALA compliance

"A Practical Guide to EMTALA Compliance" is a 150-page book that summarizes, clarifies, and explains EMTALA in plain-English. A study of EMTALA violations from 1996 to 2000 revealed that 90% of violations dealt with the screening, stabilization, or transfer provisions--requirements that still exist under the new law.

This practical resource thoroughly explains these requirements, provides case studies to illustrate compliance, and gives you practical strategies to make sure you comply in every patient case!

To order or learn more, including how you can save 10%, click here or call 800/650-6787 and mention source code EB23384D.

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Click here to take our quick survey on your financial policies and procedures.

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To find out more about how the final rule could affect your facility, order the pay-per-view article " OPPS 2004 final rule puts financial squeeze on rural hospitals." The cost is $10. Subscribers to the online version of Briefings on APCs have free access to this article. Subscribers to the print edition can find it in their December issues.

A $30 steal.
You can read this article and much more in the December issue of Briefings on APCs. Your cost: Five stories for only $30. You'll also learn how to deal with the deletion of Q0085, what feedback the provider Roundtable gave CMS and what results they got in return, how to determine the codes for venipuncture, and why the final rule isn't as hard to live with as we thought it would be.

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Medicare reform: Get the inside scoop from key Senate negotiator

Join HCPro on Thursday, January 15, 2004, for the 90-minute live audioconference, "Medicare Reform Act: What You Need to Know to Survive and Thrive." Colin Roskey, the former health policy advisor and counsel to the Senate Finance Committee, will present his insights from his experiences inside the conference committee--and then address questions, helping hospitals implement the key reimbursement provisions, identify compliance obstacles, and understand the true intent behind the provisions in the new Medicare law.

Click here to register or learn more. Or, call 800/650-6787 and mention source code EZ24615B.

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A: To read the answer to this question, click here.

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To submit your answer, go to the Question of the Week at Complianceinfo.com.

Here are the answers to the last survey:

When will your organization begin auditing its HIPAA compliance program?

• Within the next six months: 68%
• In 7 to 12 months: 17%
• In 12+ months: 9%
• We do not plan to audit: 6%

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Network with your audit colleagues

"Audit Talk" is a new, moderated chat forum that members can use to post messages or questions for their peers 24-hours-a-day. "Audit Talk" offers a free forum to network, share ideas, and solve problems for those in the audit industry. Getting involved is easy. To subscribe, just send your request to this e-mail: owner-audit_talk@hcpro.com.

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Share the news

You've been benefiting from our informative e-mail newsletter, so why not pass on this resource to your peers? Sign up a colleague and get $20 off your next purchase on HCPro's Healthcare Marketplace!

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Send your comments and questions about Compliance Monitor Q&A to:

Kate Alvarez
Editorial Assistant
kalvarez@hcpro.com