IC System Attends AAHAM’s Legislative Day

Healthcare is a major issue throughout the country right now, and the 2017 Legislative Day held May 1-2 on Capitol Hill provided a forum to discuss some of the prevalent issues. IC System experts in the healthcare industry, Paul Fitzpatrick and Mary Prendergast, attended the event held at the Hyatt Regency Washington and hosted by the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM).

AAHAM is the premier professional organization in healthcare administrative management. The group provides resources for information, education, and advocacy in the areas of reimbursement, admitting and registration, data management, medical records, patient relations, and more.

“Legislative Day is a great opportunity to help our industry effect legislative changes that concern all of healthcare,” said Fitzpatrick, VP of Business Development. “It is also a fantastic chance to network with colleagues across the country and learn about issues and challenges they face in different regions.”

Every year AAHAM chooses a different topic to address. This year, the topic was the Medicare Observation rule. “People who don’t work directly in a hospital billing office have no idea how this rule directly affects hospitals reimbursement, and also how it affects patients,” Fitzpatrick observed. “Learning about the issues facing our healthcare clients makes us better able to address their needs and provide better services.”

In another respect, the event provided a better understanding of significant decisions that shape the healthcare industry. “I was interested in learning more how our government makes decisions on healthcare,” said Prendergast, VP of Business Development. “What I found very useful was that we, AAHAM, got to lobby and meet with our state senators and representatives to discuss a bill that needs to be passed in healthcare.”

Fitzpatrick noted, “Meeting with Senators and Congressmen and getting their first-hand reaction to our issues is very enlightening. I have attended every one of AAHAM’s Legislative Days. It is a great opportunity to help our industry effect legislative changes that concern all of healthcare.” But it’s not all lobbying. “Equally as enjoyable is seeing longtime friends from the industry and learning about how their facilities cope with different challenges.”

Overall, the experience provided a new and insightful perspective on the legislative discussions taking place on Capitol Hill. “It was probably one of the most enjoyable and best learning experiences of my career,” said Prendergast.

(Pictured above: Mary Prendergast with Virginia’s AAHAM President, David Nicholas.)