This June, Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration students from the Flint, MI campus of Ross Medical Education Center attended Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s (BCBSM) annual hospital forum in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Students were invited after browsing the educational opportunities found on the BCBSM website. The morning began at the Bavarian Inn with a continental breakfast and information fair during registration.
Following the registration events, there were many classroom-style presentations on a variety of important topics, like web-DENIS, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s electronic provider inquiry system. Many Ross alumni utilize web-DENIS at their offices to verify a patient’s insurance coverage, co-payment amounts, number of authorized visits, etc. BlueCard was also discussed. This is a program that allows the patient to travel anywhere in the United States and receive care through providers and hospitals in their network. Students participated in the updates to Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, which patients can purchase through Blue Cross Blue Shield. Medicare Advantage offers hospital and physician coverage in a managed care plan. This was especially interesting to the morning Medical Insurance Billing students as they are in the module learning about Medicare Part C right now! The final topic was ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10 revision), which students also identified with, because it is another article they are learning about in class. ICD-10 will change how a physician documents in a patient’s electronic health record and how students will choose a more specific diagnosis code based on the physician’s documentation.
The forum concluded at noon and students enjoyed a delicious Frankenmuth lunch. Rebecca Jackson, Medical Insurance Billing and Office Adminstration instructor at the Flint campus, appreciated the opportunity to show students that staying up-to-date on billing issues will be a priority when they are working in the real world. She enthusiastically stated, “We will definitely be returning next year in the spring!”
Thank you to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for inviting Ross Medical Education Center’s Flint campus’ morning Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration students to attend this event.