Note from the Speaker: The only conference dedicated entirely to revenue integrity

By Sarah Goodman, MBA, CHCAF, COC, CCP, FCS

The Revenue Integrity Symposium (RIS) is such an important event to anyone in the revenue integrity profession because while there are many conferences that touch upon aspects of revenue integrity, RIS is the only one entirely dedicated to that topic. Sponsored by the National Association for Healthcare Revenue Integrity, RIS 2018 will be held October 16–17 at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park (Phoenix), Arizona.

I have attended RIS before, and I always look forward to seeing long-time friends and colleagues there. Often, we only run into each other once a year at the symposium. If there are any new attendees, they should know that the general sessions are a must, and depending upon your specialty or interests, there are a number of excellent breakout sessions from which to choose. 

At this year’s conference, Kay Larsen, CRCR, a revenue integrity specialist at Adventist Health Glendale, Glendale, California, and I will be co-presenting on the chargemaster and charge capture. Our session, titled “Revenue Integrity and the CDM: The Road to Success,” will take place on day 1, October 16 at 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Keeping your chargemaster up-to-date and pricing strategically and competitively is more important than ever with CMS' focus on price transparency and enlightening patients on healthcare costs. The audience will learn about the impact of common reimbursement methodologies, how to navigate the NCCI and other edit tools, how to identify charge capture strategies for common ancillary services, and tips for promoting revenue integrity in the facility setting. Please join us!

I am also looking forward to this year’s conference being held in the Phoenix area. I will likely visit a childhood friend who now resides nearby. I may also make a trip to the Phoenix zoo or the botanical gardens or drive up to Sedona and do a little hiking. I love the Arizona landscape!

Editor’s note: Sarah Goodman, MBA, CHCAF, COC, CCP, FCS, is president/CEO and principal consultant for SLG, Inc., in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a nationally known speaker and author on the charge description master (CDM), outpatient facility coding, and billing compliance, and has more than 30 years’ experience in the healthcare industry.

For additional information, listen to a recording of our Revenue Integrity Symposium Demo and view the corresponding slides. Revenue integrity professionals wishing to earn support from program administrators to attend the 2018 Revenue Integrity Symposium may adapt our justification letter proposal.