The addiction treatment industry as a whole is under a microscope and it's only going to get worse... There's so much confusion about how to bill patients and insurance and comply with often inconsistent regulations. Our goal is to educate the industry...
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) December 13, 2016
The American Addiction Treatment Association (AATA) announces its publication of regulatory guidance and resources for the state of Tennessee to enable members to improve practices and incorporate effective compliance. AATA has previously launched the regulatory compliance resources for six states: California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois. AATA also plans to release Georgia and Michigan regulatory resources by year end.
"Tennessee is an important battleground of the national opioid epidemic and home to leading addiction treatment programs. As the number of addiction treatment programs continues to increase to meet community needs, there must be access to information to provide accurate up-to-date information for professionals that oversee the programs," said Harry Nelson, partner at Nelson Hardiman, LLP and founding board chair of AATA. "The American Addiction Treatment Association fills a void in the industry by providing current state-specific compliance, regulatory, and reimbursement FAQs on a host of confusing issues, as well as educational webinars that are now available on our website to both members and non-members. Our seminars are sold-out, attracting leaders of addiction treatment programs from California to Florida. AATA members are tasked with providing accurate information both in-house and to the public. By keeping our members informed on the changes in regulations, we help those programs remain compliant so they can help more people in need."
With news from the Palm Beach Post about recent arrests for patient brokering and investigations into fraud in the addiction treatment industry around the country, the challenge of regulatory and reimbursement compliance is already significant and only expected to worsen.
"The addiction treatment industry as a whole is under a microscope and it's expected to get worse. For example, according to the Palm Beach Post and Sun-Sentinel, the Sober House Task Force in Florida is actively raiding and arresting people for patient brokering and insurance fraud. While some of the issues around kickbacks are black and white, there's a significant amount of gray area where we try to fill the void. There's so much confusion about how to bill patients and insurance and comply with often inconsistent regulations. There are so many issues that program professionals are facing. Our goal is to educate the industry and help develop standards for commercially reasonable best practices," Nelson said. "That's why we are launching state-by-state details on regulatory compliance questions to meet an ongoing need for programs to remain compliant and stay out of the headlines."
AATA is also launching a series of and webinars, events, forms and checklists to train addiction treatment professionals. The issue of when waiving, discounting, or writing off unpaid deductibles, copayments, and co-insurance has been a source of confusion, dispute, and allegations of fraud and abuse between insurance companies and providers.
"AATA is offering webinars, forms and checklists on various topics that addiction treatment professionals are facing in today's ever-changing regulatory climate. If a program doesn't remain compliant and keep pace with the system, it could result in an investigation or potential charges. AATA helps members remain compliant." said Gina Meyer, AATA Executive Director.
"WEBINAR: 'Florida Model' in California? The Do's, the Don'ts, and the Other" will be held on December 14, 2016 at 12:00-12:45pm (PDT). The 'Florida Model' is an industry-wide term for a business model of combining outpatient and unlicensed residential resources. Many states prohibit it, in California regulators have asserted that using the 'Florida Model' violates state regulations by circumventing licensure through the combination of unlicensed sober living and outpatient treatment programs (which are not required to be licensed and can only obtain certification). Addiction treatment professionals are invited to join the webinar to learn how this issue is being addressed in California, what changes may be ahead in Florida, and how to operate without running afoul of the law.
As a national trade association, membership will become available in the coming months for Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington, Colorado, Ohio, New Jersey, and Minnesota. AATA plans to offer content to its membership for all 50 states over the next 12-18 months.
AATA Membership offers a variety of benefits and is available to recovery industry professionals, owners, and operators to navigate the evolving clinical and regulatory landscapes. For more information on becoming a member or vendor of the Association, visit http://www.addiction-tx.com, call (888) 958-2282, or email info@addiction-tx.com.