Formed by Kansas physicians, Kansas Medical Mutual Insurance Company (KaMMCO) has established a reputation of being pro-health care professional in the defense of claims, tireless in its efforts as a health care professional advocacy organization and proactive in developing loss prevention and practice management opportunities and resources.
KaMMCO is a member-directed insurance company providing insurance protection for physicians, hospitals, dentists, medical groups, professional associations and other health care professionals. At KaMMCO we offer members:
Versatile Insurance Products and Services Innovative Loss Prevention Programs Resourceful Practice Management Superior Claims Protection Advocacy - A Matter of Principle
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A Message from KaMMCO President David Ross, MD:
I am proud to announce the release of KaMMCO’s 2008 Annual Report. I’d like to encourage you take the time today to review the report. (2008 Annual Report) Most assuredly you will find 2008 was another wonderfully successful year at KaMMCO.
Have you ever wondered why some medical professional liability cases are won while others are lost? During this program, Mr. David O’Neal, JD, KaMMCO Vice President of Claims and Corporate Counsel; and Ms. Cristy Anderson, JD, KaMMCO Wichita Claims Manager, will explore and analyze many of the complex issues that go into the successful (and sometimes unsuccessful) defense of medical professional liability claims. Using actual KaMMCO files, this program will identify many of the strengths and weaknesses that impact the outcome of claims in Kansas and offer loss prevention and claim tips that can lead to the successful defense of a case. See EVENTS section for full listing of venues.
Ready or Not, Here Come the RACs!The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) declared the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Demonstration Program completed in March of 2008 a success. In fact, the program was so successful in returning dollars to the Medicare Trust Fund that CMS is implementing a permanent program throughout the country no later than January 2010.
Modifier 79 Under Scrutiny
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) CME Transmittal 442, effective March 16, 2009, recently instructed carriers to review claims data for modifier 79 (unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period). Contractors are instructed to perform actions including pre-payment edits, pre- and post-pay reviews, and education for providers.
Traveling western and central Kansas for over 13 years with the purpose of visiting physicians and health care providers has allowed me the pleasure of becoming familiar with many of the talented individuals committed to serving the health care needs in even the most rural parts of the Kansas plains. I was not surprised when the New York Times recently decided to spotlight several of these western Kansas providers in an article on rural health care and the adoption of an electronic medical records (EMR) system.