Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has strongly suggested that radiation oncologists will soon be placed in a mandatory APM (Alternative Payment Model). The anticipated implementation date is early 2020, and participation is likely to be mandatory.  This session will include what we know about the APM so far and how we are gearing up for it and this will be essential knowledge for every practicing radiation oncologist.

Learning Objective:

• Describe the fundamental changes in reimbursement for radiation oncologists
• Understand the necessary changes in work flows for many practices
• For each participant to be aware, learn about and know the potential timelines for the RO APM

The session is designed to examine the challenges of proper coding and billing practices for Radiation Oncology. Whether it’s institutional scale or the continuing adoption of newer technologies, our specialty must interpret and adapt to the existing rules and guidelines that do not encompass our current work environment. Compounding our difficulty with maintaining compliance, we have impending major shifts in our field with widespread adoption of hypofractionation and the proposed Alternative Payment Models.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the challenges facing our specialty with adopting new technology and ensuring adequate resources to be able to continue to.
• Identify areas of improvement for their own practices by comparing and contrasting those at larger institutions that have had to confront issues of scale.
• Understand the best practices for many providers in regards to their billing and coding requirements.
• Understanding the operational dynamics and financials with potential APM models