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Next Chapter Event:
2012 Healthcare Symposium
Regression or Progression: Your Choice
Norris Conference Center
Town & Country Center
Houston, Texas
Thursday, November 8
7:45 AM to 5:00 PM
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Upcoming Events:
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HFMA Texas State Free Webiner
November 15
12:00 - 1:15 pm
November 16
11:15 am - 1:30 pm
Lessons Learned from Revenue Cycle IT Systems
Speakers: George Conklin, CHRISTUS Health and Myra Davis, Texas Children's Hospital
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GET CERTIFIED!!!
CHFP Certification 
FHFMA Certification  | | |
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hfm Magazine |  |
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Gulf Coast Lines 
October 2012 |
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President's Message 
By Mark D. Evard
The Texas Gulf Coast Chapter continues to be blessed with talented leaders and outstanding members who volunteer their time and talent to make our chapter a leader within HFMA National. As mentioned in my fist message, our National Chair, Ralph Lawson chose the theme "Leadership Matters." During his address to our chapter last May, Ralph conveyed the idea that "we are all accountable to the fulfillment of our organizations' missions. In today's challenging healthcare environment, all stakeholders should take the initiative to help lead our industry toward a better future." I find this to be true within our chapter. We are not just members, but healthcare finance professional that are leading the way. It takes each one of us to lead and each of us to play an important role within our chapter. We all have the opportunity to make a positive difference when we assume a leadership role in any aspect of our lives.
Natasha Mehta and I were able to attend the Region 9 Fall President's meeting in the Dominican Republic this past September. We were able to share many of our best practices with the other chapters in our region (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and the other two Texas Chapters) and discuss the directions of national, regional, and chapter HFMA. We are very fortunate to be part of such a great region. Our Regional Executive, David Butler, did a great job keeping us on task during our twelve hour meeting marathon. Roger Mattke also attended the meeting as the Regional Executive Elect. Roger did an excellent job representing our region and we look forward his new role as Regional Executive starting in June 2013.
Click here to read more. |
  The Aftermath of the ACA Supreme Court Decision
By Susan Feigin Harris
Introduction.
In an opinion that will continue to have far-reaching impact for years to come, the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012, opined on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the "ACA"). The decision, formally referred to as NFIB v. Sebelius[1] did not disappoint in terms of complexity, as a deeply divided Court considered several issues associated with the ACA: 1) whether a court was by the Anti-Injunction Act from hearing the case until the penalty for failure to purchase insurance under the individual mandate had been imposed; 2) whether the individual mandate overstepped federal authority under the Constitution by violating the Commerce and Necessary and Proper Clause; 3) whether the individual mandate itself was severable from the rest of the ACA ; and 4) whether the states were coerced to expand their Medicaid programs in violation of the Spending Clause of the Constitution by virtue of the imposition of the penalty which would withhold all federal Medicaid matching funds. Majorities were reached only by parsing through the majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions, to reach the conclusions on the mandate and the Medicaid expansion.
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HFMA Webinars
HFMA's webinars offer you an easy way to get the information you need on pressing healthcare finance topics. From the comfort of your office, you can participate in a webinar and find the strategies and tools you need to help your organization achieve success. Click here for a complete list |
 Member SpotlightDena Regas McNeil
Director, PWC
Please tell us a little about your professional background and what is now your area of expertise professionally in your organization?
I am a Client Relationship Executive for PwC or PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Greater Houston Market. My job is to ensure our healthcare providers get connected with the PwC Subject Matter Specialists. In other words, I help connect the dots for my clients when they need assistance in solving complex issues. We have a dedicated Health Research Institute and my goal is to personally deliver publications to my clients that contain timely and relevant data. For instance, when the Supreme Court Ruling came out on the legality of requiring most of the US population to have health insurance or pay a fine, we had a full blown report out the same day.
My specialty is and has always been building deep relationships at every level within the organizations assigned to me. It is an extremely rewarding position and one that I enjoy very much.
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Managed Care Revenue Recovery: Get the Dollars You are Owed
Megan M. Iemma, MBA
Senior Consultant, Blue and Co., LLC
With changes to Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement looming on the horizon, providers are challenged with finding resources devoted to chasing down managed care reimbursement. Although payors are generally reimbursing at the correct rates, a comprehensive audit of claims data will reveal an alarming number of claims underpaid by 1-2%. These underpayments add up quickly, totaling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in recoverable revenue for a SINGLE PAYOR!
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Why Join HFMA?
"I joined HFMA because of these programs that covered a wide range of topics. I began participating regularly in HFMA because someone asked me. I participate today because I want to help our chapter membership grow in many ways. By participating, I gained so much more professionally and personally than I could have imagined. I value the friendships and valuable technical skills of our members who have helped me on several occasions."
Melissa Fisher
(Program Co-Chair and Past President) |
Hospitals and Leaders Have Key Roles in Health Care Fix
 Dan Stultz, M.D., FACHE, FACPPresident/CEO, Texas Hospital Assocation
The initial controversies surrounding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are giving way to other issues surrounding its implementation, defining this moment as a key time for Texas leadership to address a new health care economics equation.
In Texas, the immediate concern involves the state Medicaid program. PPACA required states to expand their Medicaid programs to include individuals with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level - approximately $30,657 annually for a family of four. For Texas, this expansion was expected to introduce more than 1.2 million newly eligible enrollees in 2014 alone. While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states have the option to expand their Medicaid programs, there is no enforceable requirement, and Gov. Rick Perry has said Texas will not expand its Medicaid program.
Click here to continue reading. |
Next Newsletter Deadline
- Articles due to the Editor no later than January 2, 2013
- Submit articles (MS Word) or advertising (.jpg or .tif files) to the newsletter editor, Scott Sette: ssette@wittkieffer.com.
- For advertising rates for NON-SPONSOR ads, please contact the newsletter editor at the same e-mail address.
- Gulf Coast Lines is published quarterly by the Texas Gulf Coast chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association as a communication medium to Chapter members. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Gulf Coast chapter or its members.
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