Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Celebrates 25th Annual Meeting & Expo in San Diego
Three-day meeting is nation's largest group of managed care pharmacists
ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), a national organization of pharmacists and health care practitioners dedicated to quality health care, kicked off its 25th Annual Meeting & Expo Wednesday at the San Diego Convention Center. This year's meeting commemorates the Academy's 25th anniversary and is expected to bring together more than 3,000 of the industry's leading managed care pharmacists, as well as other members of the healthcare community.
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"Since its inception, AMCP's Annual Meeting & Expo has been a premier event for health care professionals and specialty pharmacists. I'm thrilled AMCP can provide valuable professional knowledge and continue to facilitate discussions around the complex issues facing our industry today," said AMCP Chief Executive Officer Edith A. Rosato, RPh, IOM.
AMCP President Douglas S. Burgoyne added: "Today's health care industry is constantly growing and changing. I'm proud AMCP is able to remain dynamic, ensuring patients receive the kind of care they deserve. I have benefited significantly from my AMCP membership and Annual Meeting attendance, and I know this year's meeting will continue to give members the resources they need to tackle health care's challenges, as it has for 25 years."
This year's event program includes more than 40 AMCP education sessions, symposia, exhibits and product theaters addressing today's issues in managed care pharmacy. Sessions will be led by top pharmacy, policy or regulatory professionals on key topics such as:
- Accountable Care Organizations: This session will provide an introduction to Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), groups of hospitals and health care providers that come together voluntarily to provide coordinated high-quality care to patients and share in any savings that result, transforming the way health care is delivered.
- Preventing and Combating Fraud in Medicare Advantage and Part D: This session will focus on strategies to combat fraud in the Medicare programs, explain the elements of fraud and types of evidence necessary, and offer tips on how to work with law enforcement and prosecutors. It will also describe the relationship between AMCP and the CMS Outreach and Educational Medicare Integrity Contractor (MEDIC).
- Medicare Star Ratings: This session reviews the current Stars program and explains how managed care pharmacists are collaborating with other health care professionals to achieve higher star ratings, which are intended to incent higher quality outcomes by Medicare Advantage programs.
- Specialty Drugs are Forecasted to be 50% of All Drug Expenditures in 2018: This session will address the challenges of managing reimbursement for a drug category that is likely to increase in cost, given a robust pipeline and growing patient need.
- Essential Health Benefits: The Shape of Things to Come: In this session, faculty will update attendees on the latest guidance around essential health benefit coverage and specific state exchange requirements under the Affordable Care Act, and will provide perspective on the implications of CMS requirements on benefit design, formulary coverage, and cost for qualified health plans in the exchanges.
- Town Hall: Pharmacist Provider Status: Some national pharmacy associations are advocating that pharmacists be designated as patient-care providers eligible for reimbursement under Medicare. This would require an act of Congress, and the hope is that private insurers would follow suit. This session will allow attendees the opportunity to discuss this topic in an open forum amongst their colleagues.
In addition to these and many other compelling sessions, this year's General Session will feature Chris Warner, a mountaineer and leadership expert, who will provide insights on creating and leading high performance teams. AMCP will also unveil its Payment and Reimbursement Guide, a comprehensive description and analysis of alternative drug payment methods and payment benchmarks.
Prior to this year's meeting, AMCP and the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) held its inaugural AMCP/NASP Specialty Pharmacy Conference. Highlights from the meeting can be found at www.amcpmeetings.org. For more information about AMCP, its meeting and program, please visit www.amcp.org. Follow the conversation at the Annual Meeting & Expo on Twitter @AMCPOrg or #AMCP.
About AMCP
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is a national professional association of pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners who serve society by the application of sound medication management principles and strategies to improve health care for all. The Academy's nearly 7,000 members develop and provide a diversified range of clinical, educational and business management services and strategies on behalf of the more than 200 million Americans covered by a managed care pharmacy benefit. AMCP will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2013. More news and information about AMCP can be obtained on its website, at www.amcp.org.
SOURCE Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
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