Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CMS' PVRP: Managing Feedback and 2007
Physician Reporting Updates

Manasquan, N.J., USA, December 6, 2006 – Physician organizations participating in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) voluntary physician reporting program (PVRP) began receiving feedback on their results this month. Some industry experts are predicting that the PVRP will be tied to physician reimbursement in the near future. Participating physician groups are re-calibrating and preparing for 2007's program updates, while non-participants are considering entering the program or taking note of the measures in relation to their own quality improvement initiatives.

To shed light on the voluntary reporting of quality measures by physician practices to CMS, the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN) is sponsoring “CMS' Voluntary Physician Reporting Program: Preparing for the Feedback and 2007 Updates,” a live interactive audio conference on January 9, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. During this 90-minute audio conference, industry experts will provide lessons learned on participating in the PVRP as well as incorporating the feedback into an overall quality improvement program and looking ahead to what 2007 will bring for PVRP. For more information, please visit the HIN site.

During this 90-minute audio conference, Dr. Bruce Bagley, medical director of quality improvement with the American Academy of Family Physicians, and Dr. Ronald Bangasser, a family practice physician with Beaver Medical Group of Redlands, Calif., will provide an update on CMS' voluntary reporting program and what impact the program revisions will have on physician practices in 2007. You will get details on:

• Evaluating whether your practice should participate or continue to participate in CMS' voluntary program;
• Preparing for participation in the program;
• What data collection efforts your practice should put in place;
• Lessons from organizations already participating in the voluntary reporting program; and
• What 2007 will bring to the program.

To register and obtain additional details about the audio conference, please visit the HIN site.

“The PVRP program is working to acclimate physicians to quality reporting, especially those caring for Medicare beneficiaries,” said Melanie Matthews, HIN executive vice president and chief operating officer. “An understanding of how it's going and where it's headed will be beneficial to participants and non-participants alike, especially as the program expands to include additional measures in 2007.”

The audio conference will be held on January 9, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. The 90-minute live audio conference includes a 30-minute question-and-answer period for participants. A recorded version on CD-ROM with a printed transcript will be available in late January, and an “On-Demand” audio conference re-broadcast can be accessed beginning January 12, 2007. To register and obtain additional details about the audio conference, please visit the HIN site.

This audio conference has been designed to address the interests of CEOs, medical directors, disease management directors, managers and coordinators, health plan executives, care management nurses, business development and strategic planning directors, state Medicare directors and quality improvement executives.

About the Healthcare Intelligence Network – HIN is the premier advisory service for executives seeking high-quality strategic information on the business of healthcare. For more information, contact the Healthcare Intelligence Network, PO Box 1442, Wall Township, NJ 07719-1442, (888) 446-3530, fax (732) 292-3073, e-mail info@hin.com, or visit http://www.hin.com.

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Contact: Anthony Spinelli
Voice: (888) 446-3530
Fax: (732) 292-3073
E-mail: aspinelli@hin.com
Web site: www.hin.com