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(RIVERWOODS, ILL., April 23, 2003) — The ultimate desk reference for Medicare and Medicaid compliance and reimbursement issues, the Understanding Series provides step-by-step guidance for hospital reimbursement personnel. Published by CCH INCORPORATED (CCH), a leading health care publisher and solutions provider, this new book series presents complex compliance and reimbursement information in an easy-to-understand style, giving hospitals the expert answers they need to receive full reimbursement for their services.

The CCH Understanding Series contains best practices, checklists, flow charts outlining key processes and examples to help clarify more complicated situations, as well as a glossary of key terms and applicable primary source documents. The series is comprised of the following four books:

Understanding Provider-Based Status: An integral guide for parent facilities seeking "provider-based" status for independent entities, such as home health agencies, outpatient clinics and physician groups. This book includes information about the Medicare application process, continuing participation requirements and reimbursement issues for "satellites" of the parent facility.

Understanding Reimbursement for Investigational Drugs and Devices: This guide provides insight into how providers can increase their Medicare reimbursement for new and experimental procedures, drugs, biologicals and devices. The criteria used by CMS to determine whether a given procedure, drug or device is eligible for add-on payments above the PPS rate are explained, along with payment rules and other requirements for organ procurement and transplant.

Understanding the Medicare Claims Appeals Process: This book gives hospital claims processors the essential information they need to appeal Medicare claim denials. It also includes a step-by-step guide to the administrative appeals process from denial by the intermediary or carrier through an administrative law judge hearing and the Medicare Appeals Council to judicial review. The book also discusses CMS’s recently issued proposed rules, which would revise the Medicare claims appeal process.

Understanding the Medicare Cost Report Appeals Process: For cases in which it is necessary to appeal a cost report denial of Medicare payment, this guide walks users through the administrative appeals process from denial by the intermediary through the Provider Reimbursement Review Board (PRRB) and CMS Administrator to judicial review.

"Receiving the full benefit of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement begins with hospital staff understanding the ins and outs of these complicated programs," said Angela Darrow, health care product manager. "CCH’s new Understanding Series is written specifically to equip hands-on reimbursement professionals with the precise tools they need to ensure their hospitals are capturing the reimbursement to which they are entitled."

Each book in the Understanding Series contains 180–220 pages and is available now. For more information or to order, call 1-800-449-9525 or visit the CCH online store at health.cch.com/onlinestore. The cost for the entire series is $399; the single copy price for each book is $129.95. Applicable tax, shipping and handling is in addition. Quantity discounts are available.

CCH INCORPORATED, founded in 1913, has served four generations of business professionals and their clients. The company produces approximately 700 print and electronic products for health care, securities, tax, legal, banking, human resources and small business markets. CCH is a Wolters Kluwer Company. The CCH Web site can be accessed at cch.com. The CCH Health Care Web site can be accessed at health.cch.com.

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