GABRIELLE M. KOTOSKI, RN is president of Medical Communications Management Group, a professional group of contract consultants providing analytical, consulting and educational services for healthcare providers to achieve appropriate coding and reporting for optimal payment and reduced audit liability. She and her associates have worked with physician, facility, payer, legal and corporate clients throughout the mainland United States, Hawaii, and Guam, including solo practices, large multi-specialty clinics and university faculty practice plans as well as IPAs, managed care plans, the Blues, and Medicare. She is recognized nationally for her expertise in claims coding and reporting for optimal results.

Ms. Kotoski is the author of a number of publications, among them "CPT^® CODING MADE EASY: A Technical Guide", an annually updated coding reference for physician and ambulatory surgery billing staff. First published in 1989, it is in its fifth printing with over 13,000 copies in print. Two new books were released in 1994: "Coding Answers for Optimal Physician Payment" and "Physician Documentation for Reimbursement" (coauthor). Ms. Kotoski has served as Consulting Editor for Aspen Publishers, Inc., a member of the world-wide Wolters Kluwer group.

Ms. Kotoski has worked extensively with clients to achieve optimal and appropriate code selection to capture all billable or reportable services for optimum savings while establishing a powerful utilization database for negotiations in contracted payment mechanisms. She has trained physicians and billing staff in key techniques for analysis of documentation to identify all billable services and with physicians to document all rendered services. She has been principal consultant for the past four years to an international firm in their design, development, testing, and marketing of a CD-ROM library containing almost 200,000 pages of all Medicare, Medicaid, CHAMPUS, and HCFA related regulatory documents.

During the past twenty-four years, she has worked for and consulted with a number of reimbursement entities, including Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS, HMOs, and a PRO. During that period, she developed a clinical training program for a Blue Shield plan, was medical policy analyst for an HMO, administered utilization review, medical review and supported systems analysis. She also continued her clinical nursing experience in the operating theatre. Prior to and following the establishment of Medical Communications Management Group, she taught extensively throughout the nation, providing CPT/HCPCS/ICD-9 coding seminars for physician groups and private organizations.

A graduate of St. John's Mercy Hospital, St. Louis University affiliate, Ms. Kotoski is a member of the Association of Operating Room Nurses and the American Health Information Management Association.

For further information contact Gabrielle Kotoski: