Utilization management ensures services provided are medically necessary and provided at the appropriate and least costly level of care. Utilization Management is an integral part of the US healthcare ecosystem used by health insurers or Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to evaluate the appropriateness, medical necessity, and efficiency of healthcare services rendered to patients. If you were to leave Utilization Management, what would be the reason? That’s a department that, at the front line, they have to work with-work with admissions, work with registration because they are focused on what they’re doing. The Utilization Management department can help with managing the cost and delivery of services. This is what they got approved with insurance. Foundational elements of the Utilization Management department such as medical necessity, resource utilization, Length of Stay (LOS), denials and outcomes all affect reimbursement. New ICD-10 Codes, MS-DRG Assignments for COVID-19 Coming Jan. 1 hubs.ly/H0CkpB90, AHA asks HHS for more COVID-19 flexibilities for providers | Healthcare Finance News hubs.ly/H0C3FnR0, Get weekly Medicare reimbursement insights, ©2020 BESLER. Do we have all the paperwork in place? For healthcare organizations, these are your patients. Are you using the resources that you’re supposed to be doing? Great thoughts here today, Meliza. Do we have all the information we need?â So that’s one. Regulatory agencies such as The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate for Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation (Title 42 CFR), The Social Security Act (Sect 1861 Regulation), and the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) require that hospitals and health systems have an effective utilization review plan in place. Utilization management could be a plan, process or approach used for claims processing, resource utilization, denial prevention, risk management and quality review. Are the necessary payers aware? And some have moved towards maybe working in tangent with revenue cycle, with finance. If you were in charge, what would you do to make Utilization Management a better place to work? In the fast paced, ever-changing healthcare environment hospitals and health systems must be agile to ensure a quality-driven and financially stable operation. Hereâs the front-end. Because the one thing you don’t want to do is not get your revenue. The Utilization Management department should be involved in quality assessment (QA)/Quality Improvement (QI) activities such as evaluating patient care systems that includes standards, protocols, and documentation for efficiency. Did we get certification? So, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services basically have a mandate. People are the greatest asset in the utilization management equation. They need to work in tangent with the finance department. And they can work on that at the beginning, so then when it’s time for discharge, they’re not working on it at the back end, and then you increase the length of stay. Measuring your resource utilization with respect to different metrics helps you get a comprehensive look at the utilization levels you have all across your project management cycle. And itâs certainly also a very important area of the hospital and any operations. Sometimes they call it quality improvement; sometimes, they call it quality assessment. Originally, utilization management in healthcare started with a narrow focus. So that’s another area that utilization management can work with that department. While Utilization Management departments are typically focused on cost management and Case Management looks after continuum of care transitions, both departments have overlapping responsibilities and must work together. Healthcare leaders are positioning their utilization management teams and structures to deliver on two goals: responding and adapting to changing market forces and regulations, and transforming UM from simply an operational requirement to a strategic driver of compliance and revenue integrity. How a utilization management department can facilitate and coordinate resources and services in a quality-conscious and cost-effective manner. So they need to have the financial stability to operate that way. And it actually makes sense. So, a good exampleâand we call this a review. Rising medical costs and healthcare reform have increased the need for careful review and management of medical resources. Way back at the beginning, utilization management started actually with the payers and have a very narrow focus. They can work with utilization management as far as standards, protocols, policy, as far as processes involved. So, regulatory agencies are there to make sure that we are doing what we’re supposed to be doing for patients and our customersâand one of which is our lovely CMS. It involves a prospective (review of medical necessity for procedures and services before admission), concurrent (ongoing review of medical necessity for procedures and services during the stay) and retrospective (review after the discharge) reviews. In 2015, the healthcare industry faced a huge change in how reimbursements occurred, shifting from a fee-for-service structure to a value-based one. Answered August 16, 2017. So, the first being regulatory compliance. Utilization management concerns the strategies and policies that healthcare organizations--such as hospitals, medical labs and clinics--put into place to improve operating activities and ensure that patients receive an excellent quality of care, according to Paramount Health Care, … The role merges several functions once handled by social workers, discharge planners or the physician. Asked March 1, 2017. Learn about interview questions and interview process for 69 companies. View our policies by clicking here. And so, you need some sort of a guideline. So, we’re not saying not to do the test. As far as denials, they can work on making sure that everything that’s a required part of the contract is documented. So, when discharge planning occurs, sometimes the focus is just the patient was here, let’s just make sure the patient goes home, when are they supposed to go home. A lot of people use the word siloed. And we’re seeing more alignment within the revenue cycle, for instance. And so, it will affect coding, and it will affect the reimbursement. For example, one value-based goal is zero healthcare-related infections. And if you REALLY want to make your utilization job much easier, call us at 1-800-220-4274 and visit our website to see for yourself how our new Utilizer® Dashboard (all-in-one utilization management system) can help you reach new savings heights. Utilization review (UR) nurses work behind the scenes to maximize the quality and cost efficiency of health care services. The only way to do that is you have utilization management in place. Structure also plays a major role: many organizations are transitioning to centralized utilization management functions, in part to create consistency by standardizing processes. Apply to Utilization Review Nurse, Payment Posting Representative, Associate Director and more! Mike: Right! And they’re getting discharged to a long-term facility. *HFMA staff and volunteers determined that Transfer DRG Revenue Recovery Service and Easy Work Papers have met certain criteria developed under the HFMA Peer Review Process. All Rights Reserved. And welcome back to the Hospital Finance Podcast®. 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So, talk to us about some of the collaboration that does occur between utilization management departments and other areas of the hospital and perhaps where you see the future of that department landing. Utilization management helps ensure that patients have the proper care and the required services without overusing resources. Is it the appropriate time to do the test? Hospitals spend millions of dollars each year ensuring they are paid accurately for services rendered. History of Utilization Review Are you actually doing what you’re supposed to be doing? Utilization management helps to make sure that you are getting the right drugs -- all while helping to make medicine more affordable. Insurers are increasingly contracting with third-party vendors of utilization management programs, or "UM," to administer the rehabilitation benefit. And since you’re going to be doing this test two months later, it has nothing to do with what you can. Utilization management have their knowledge as far as payer requirements, guidelines, and clinicalâwhich is the most important thing, not to lose focus on the clinical aspectâthat they can put it together and bridge that gap that usually occurs between clinical and finance. Appropriate communication and documentation of patient status (inpatient, observation, outpatient) and discharge dispositions helps to ensure accurate coding, thus reducing denials and improving reimbursement potential. Best Cities for Jobs 2020 NEW! The Utilization Management department typically interacts with all, if not most, hospital operation services. New technology promises to expand the impact and efficacy of utilization management experts, helping providers offer not only the highest quality of care and patient satisfaction, but maintain levels of compliance that exceed industry norms. Meliza Weiner: Right! So, they can decrease the length of stay by working on discharge planning as soon as the patient comes in. Transcript for “The Importance of Utilization Management in Healthcare”: Mike Passanante: Hi, this is Mike Passanante. I want to work for Humana due to their star ratings in their market with their members and CMS and they are on the stock market. Utilization management involves taking a look at both inpatient and outpatient services to make sure that all of the benefits provided by an insurer are being used properly and in an optimal fashion. Over the past several years, Iâve seen a dramatic shift in the way hospitals and health systems approach the discipline. Education is crucial for effective utilization management: keeping staff up to date on the latest regulations, trends, and best practices ensures they are well equipped to make the right utilization decisions. We just talked about discharge planning. When they come in, they can actually see the patient, and they can say, âWe’re going to need maybe respiratory services to help, maybe we need physical therapy.â They can work in tandem with case management. Learn how to listen to The Hospital Finance Podcast® on your mobile device. The integration of the Utilization Management department and its processes within hospital operations can increase care efficiency and decrease revenue loss. Utilization review can expand to case management responsibilities...discharge planning is a big issue, placement, cost, and doing your best to prevent re-hospitalization of the inpatients such as arranging for DME, home care, and other resources that are available out in the community. Howard L. Bailit and Cary Sennett the contract is documented revenue cycleâ to. Can decrease the length of stay by working with the finance department utilization management come in and help support admission... 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