To: Charles Winfrey, Human Services Committee Chairperson
From: Michelle Estell, RS, MSA, Health Officer
title
RE: Overnight Travel to the 2024 American Medical Billing Association Billing and Coding Conference
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval and referral to the Board of Commissioners for travel to the 2024 American Medical Association Billing and Coding Conference in Las Vegas, Navada October 16-19.
BACKGROUND:
The American Medical Billing Association Billing and Coding Conference is an annual conference that focuses on all aspects of billing as well as credentialing providers and payers. This conference provides a valuable platform for networking among billing professionals. There are break-out sessions that specifically benefit the role of a biller at the Genesee County Health Department, which include improving reimbursement rates and identifying underpayments and credentialing errors, evaluation and management documentation requirements and accuracy, important code set updates for 2025, mastering communication with insurance payers for successful claim adjudication to achieve optimal reimbursement, AI in medical practices and how to manage risks, credentialing do’s and don’ts-preventing enrollment and revalidation issues, fight audits and recoupments, and a general overview for medical billers. For details about the breakout sessions, you can view each one here <file:///R:\Groups\Admin\BOH\BOH%202024\July\SPEAKERS-BREAKOUT%20SESSIONS>
DISCUSSION:
This is for our Senior Medical Billing Clerk and Office Manager to attend the 2024 American Medical Billing Association Annual Billing and coding conference in Las Vegas, NV October 16-19. Both staff members are eager to continue learning as well as stay up to date on billing changes, including provider credentialing. There are relevant sessions for the attendees which is related to her job duties and the advancement of health department program’s ability to bring in revenue. At the time of submission of this memo, the approximate cost of attendance is $2,236.76 per staff member. Total not to exceed $5,000. No additional county appropriation is needed.
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
There is no anticipated impact on human resources related to this request.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
The cost of the conference will be covered by a Public Health Infrastructure Grant. These expenditures are budgeted in the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget under training and travel line items. 2210-602.07-913.001: Travel - appx. $4,473.52
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
There is no anticipated impact on facilities related to this request.
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
Staff attending the conference will travel with their work computer devices to be able to conduct County business while offsite. If any technology issues arise while offsite, calls to the technology helpdesk may be made.
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
(1) Contributing to long-term financial stability by staying up to date on the latest billing, coding, and credentialing changes, as well as networking with other billing professionals.
resolut
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
BE IT RESOLVED, by this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, that the request by the Health Officer to authorize travel and overnight lodging for two (2) staff members, Senior Medical Billing Clerk Tera Hooker and Office Manager Tonya Johnson, to attend the 2024 American Medical Billing Association Billing and Coding Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 16 - 19, 2024, at an approximate cost of $4,473.52 to be paid from account 2210-602.07-913.001, with no additional County appropriation required, is approved (a copy of the memorandum request and supporting documents being on file with the official records of the July 17, 2024 meeting of the Human Services Committee of this Board).