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Standardizing care
By creating an evidence-based standardized curriculum for asthma education, the Joint Council is hoping to gain Medicare's and third-party payers' approval. They enlisted the expertise of several professional respiratory societies and used a curriculum the American Lung Association developed years ago as a starting point. They conducted a literature review and expert consensus process to update it with current guidelines and standards of practice.
The professional organizations currently are reviewing the completed curriculum and providing final comments and feedback. They hope to submit the curriculum for publication in a journal before the year is out.
Once they get an article written with the curriculum completed and published, then their intention is to ask for a meeting with Medicare.
"If we get a national coverage determination that asthma education should be compensated, then it will encourage private carriers to cover it as well," said Donald W. Aaronson, MD, JD, MPH, executive director of the Joint Council. "We're hopeful that they will see we have really complied with all of the requirements of the code, and that we're providing useful services for which there should be reimbursement."
More money, more applicants
Many asthma educators also believe additional reimbursement will lead to more interest in the field and in asthma educators' professional certification. The NAECB already has seen a spike in numbers since the CPT codes were published, with about 30 to 50 new asthma educators earning certification each month, McCormick said.
"We think asthma education programs are being more successful in getting paid for their services, and as more reimbursement opportunities turn up, you'll start to see our numbers climb even higher," she said.
However, it is not just new test-takers who will be lining up for the exam this year. Asthma educators certified in 2002 will need to recertify before a 2009 expiration date to maintain their AE-C credential. The exam also will undergo some changes this year, with an updated version based on the EPR-3 guidelines slated for release in July, McCormick said.
Many resources can help providers brush up on current practices and guidelines in preparation for the exam. The NAECB offers a free candidate handbook with information about the exam on its website, and several professional organizations provide comprehensive review courses.
Colleen Mullarkey is assistant editor of ADVANCE. She can be reached at cmullarkey@advanceweb.com.
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