Contact Information

Primary Media Contact
Sheri Cardo - 707-762-0333 x1334, cardos@cch.com

Latest CCH Understanding Books Aim to Ensure Full Medicare Reimbursement

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., JULY 23, 2003) – CCH INCORPORATED (CCH), a leading health care publisher and solutions provider has released two more volumes in its Understanding series: Understanding Medicare Provider Payment Systems and Understanding the History of Provider Reimbursement Manual Policy. The 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. (200 pages and 248 pages, respectively, $129.95 each. For more information or to order, call 1-800- 248-3248 or visit the CCH online store at health.cch.com/onlinestore.)

"Receiving full 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."

Understanding Medicare Provider Payment Systems helps readers gain insight into Medicare systems for long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, psychiatric hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospice and end-stage renal disease facilities. The principles of Medicare reimbursement are covered, including the criteria a facility must meet to be paid under the prospective payment system or reasonable cost method, the patient classification systems, patient evaluations and diagnosis requirements, the methodology used to calculate payment and the exceptions to the rules. Relevant regulations, program memoranda and payment rates for each of the payment systems are included. Each type of facility receives chapter-long treatment.

Understanding the History of Provider Reimbursement Manual Policy provides the history of Medicare policy on prospective payment systems as expressed in the Provider Reimbursement Manual (PRM). The book includes the full text of PRM, Part I, Chapters 28 and 30. Revision numbers and effective dates identify previous versions of these sections. PRM transmittal letters that summarized changes to Chapters 28 and 30 are also included. A "crosswalk" from PRM sections to the current Code of Federal Regulations sections is provided. The crosswalk also covers other PRM sections from Chapter 24 through 27, which relate to provider payments on issues other than prospective payments. In addition, notations at the end of each full text PRM section refer to related Medicare regulations.

About the Understanding Series

Understanding Medicare Provider Payment Systems and Understanding the History of Provider Reimbursement Manual Policy are parts of CCH’s Understanding series--hospital desk references designed to present complicated information regarding reimbursement and compliance issues relative to Medicare and Medicaid programs in a useful, "plain English" format.

Previously published books in the series are Understanding Provider-Based Status, Understanding Reimbursement for Investigational Drugs and Devices, Understanding the Medicare Claims Appeals Process and Understanding the Medicare Cost Report Appeals Process.

Availability and Pricing

For more information or to order, call 1-800-248-3248 or visit the CCH online store at health.cch.com/onlinestore. The single copy price for each book is $129.95. Understanding Medicare Provider Payment Systems and Understanding the History of Provider Reimbursement Manual Policy are available for the combined price of $229; all six books in the Understanding series can be purchased for $549. Applicable tax, shipping and handling is additional. Quantity discounts are available.

About CCH INCORPORATED

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 is at cch.com. The CCH Health Care web site is at health.cch.com.

###

nb-03-75

Editor’s Note: Members of the media who would like complimentary review access to any of the books in the Understanding Series may contact Sheri Cardo at (800) 727-1133, ext. 1334 or cardos@cch.com.