The Health Care Reimbursement Committee’s [HCRC] Anthology was developed to allow IPA members to access our database from multiple years of the HCRC’s popular Practice/Billing “Tip of the Month,” along with supporting references.

The HCRC’s Tip of the Month first launched in 2011. The Anthology serves as a handy 24/7 accessible resource addressing common practice issues. In effect, it is an electronic library of practice issues affecting psychologists in Illinois. Often the IPA listserv inquiries will begin with: “I know this has been discussed previously, but…”  Rather than wait for an answer, members are encouraged to access this electronic reference library to address many practice reimbursement questions.

During COVID-19, member testimonials noted:

• Wahoo!! You’re my hero, Healthcare Reimbursement Committee!
• Thanks for always making me look like the smart one in the room!
• I don’t even think I can put into words how grateful I am to the whole committee and everything you are doing. I am teary-eyed right now thinking about how lost and how dangerously I could be practicing without your help. People who are not paying to be part of professional groups should really pay attention, because this is serious and important work we need to do.
• Thank you for your persistent and comprehensive work on this issue. I’m not entirely sure what I’d do without this guidance.
• The HCRC always does so much on our behalf, and in this difficult time the committee has carved out a large amount of personal and professional time to give us your expertise and help us immeasurably.
• Ditto! Thank you all for this comprehensive information at WARP speed.
• Thank you all for all that you have done over the years, but especially the last month (Covid)! This committee is the best part of IPA for me and has been so generous with your time and knowledge.

The IPA’s HCRC work has grown exponentially over the years. One long-time IPA member in 2015 wrote: Once again, your intervention on my behalf makes the 25-year membership I have had with IPA and the dues paid worthwhile. Your intervention worked magic. I got a call from “M.” yesterday afternoon, the new Network Coordinator for our area. I guess some of their staff quit and they have been going through transitions (what a story..). We worked together today on resolving the outstanding issue with regards to unprocessed claims. She was pleasant and indicated a strong desire to resolve the problem and get us paid as soon as possible

Currently, a new “Tip” is posted several times each year. The Anthology will be routinely updated. The Health Care Reimbursement Committee members can be reached at their mailbox hcrc@illinoispsychology.org The current HCRC includes:  Lynda Behrendt, PsyD, RN (Chair); Margo Jacquot, PsyD, CSADC,BCETS; Susan O’Grady, PsyD, Theresa M. Schultz, PhD, MBA, Heidi Shikora, PsyD

Some of the most popular Tips include:

• Disputed Claims & 3rd Tier Independent External Reviews
• A Tale of a Telephonic Review
• Audits & Record Keeping
• Billing & Coding Conundrums
• Coaching – The New Frontier
• Telehealth – What is Legal or Not?
• Collections & Risk Management
• Using Social Media & Payors
• Five Ways to Improve Patient Collections
• Medicare as Secondary Payor
• Sample Letter to PCPs
• Risk Adjustment Audits

Members can access the HCRC reimbursement tips here. To access, IPA Members need to login first by clicking on the yellow Member Login button in the sidebar to the left of this page.