ABOUT IPPN
The Independent Pharmacy Provider Network (IPPN) is an Organization for independent Pharmacies across the US that serves communities in delivering healthcare in collaboration with healthcare providers and consumers within their communities. IPPN provides technology and services that enable Independent Pharmacies to increase revenue and expand equity and engagement within their communities.
Problem
Healthcare providers are overworked and limited on how they serve patients effectively in their communities
Pharmacies are limited in the type of servcies they can perform and allowed to bill
There has been limited access to technology from the Independent Pharmacies that serve mostly underserved communities
Equity and Engagement delivered to underserved and smaller communities is lacking, and social determinants of health are generally ignored
We Provide
Solutions
Expand Services
Extend healthcare services through the IPPN
IPPN enables licensed Providers to provide virtual supervision and engagement services that would enable Pharmacies to provide additional healthcare services to their communities
- Provide wellness checks
- Health Risk Assessment
- E-Visit consults- Telehealth and Virtual
- Other licensed Provider Services
Increase revenue
Licensed Provider (Can bill Medicare Part B) will engage Patient on the initial Assessments Processes
Pharmacists can see Patients using the IPPN Application to document the Patient subsequent encounters
Under the incident-to-billing and virtual direct supervision as per the Collaborating provider Agreement the Provider will bill all Payers for the initial and subsequent encounters
IPPN provides the billing and management servcies that will bill for the services on behalf of the billing and rendering providers
Nominal Capital Investment
IPPN will provide:
- Contracting
- Access to collaborating provider
- Billing services
- Application used to document all encounters and tech support
- Custom signage with QR codes for initial and subsequent visits
- Fully managed services for billing and distribution
Support health equity and engagement
Extend services into your communities
Promote community healthcare initiatives
Support Social Initiatives and Access
Our Study
Statistics
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine patient attitudes regarding the role of the pharmacist and interest in expanded pharmacist services.*
The study found that the public generally has a good understanding of what pharmacists do and view pharmacists to be trusted health care professionals. There is a desire to receive expanded pharmacy services, although some services are more highly sought after than others. Frequent users of pharmacy services tended to be more knowledgeable about and more interested in expanded services. This suggests that as people have more interactions with pharmacists, they have a better understanding of our role and are more likely to seek expanded clinical services from their pharmacist.
*Kelly DV, Young S, Phillips L, Clark D. Patient attitudes regarding the role of the pharmacist and interest in expanded pharmacist services. Can Pharm J (Ott). 2014 Jul;147(4):239-47. doi: 10.1177/1715163514535731. PMID: 25360150; PMCID: PMC4212442.
Grow with Us
Opportunity
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) extended virtual direct supervision—i.e., the ability to provide direct supervision through real-time, audio-visual technology (rather than in-person presence) under 42 C.F.R. §§ 410.26, 410.32—through December 31, 2024 and may extend further into the coming years. Part of the CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule, "this extension will allow practitioners to continue using virtual direct supervision while CMS considers the future of virtual direct supervision, a task it frames as balancing patient safety, quality, and program integrity concerns with the interest of supporting expanded access to care and preserving workforce capacity for medical professionals."
This Rule allows for various healthcare Providers utilizing the implementation of a signed collaborative practice agreement (CPA) between the physician that provides the incident-to billing supervision and the pharmacist which provides specific criteria for services provided by the pharmacist and is an established and accepted mechanism to fulfill the intent of the Medicare incident-to billing provision.
Medicare defines incident-to billing as "services that are furnished incident to physician professional services in the physician's office." Further, these "services are billed as Part B services to your carrier as if the physician personally provided them and are paid under the physician fee schedule." Medicare provides these further requirements:
- The services must be part of the patient's normal course of treatment, during which a physician personally performed the initial service and remains actively involved in the course of treatment.
- The supervising physician must provide direct supervision. For group providers, any physician member of the group may be present in the “office” to supervise.
Implementation of a signed IPPN collaborative practice agreement (CPA) between the physician and the pharmacist provides specific criteria for future services provided by the pharmacist and is an established and accepted mechanism to fulfill the intent of the Medicare incident-to billing provision.
CPAs require physicians to direct patient care, including determining which patients are seen by the pharmacist, which conditions, or medications the pharmacist will manage, and what degree of responsibility the pharmacist will have.
- The patient record should document the essential requirements for an incident-to service.
- While most commercial payers follow the same billing rules established by Medicare, they are not required to do so, and one would have to confirm with each individual carrier their specific incident-to billing rules.
- The physician bills Medicare Part B as if they were the one performing the service. It is not the pharmacist who is billing Medicare, but the pharmacist is furnishing the service incident-to the professional service of the physician. Since the pharmacists are performing the clinical service, they are eligible to receive financial credit when the practice submits for reimbursement from Medicare by including the pharmacist as a secondary or rendering provider on the encounter sheet or superbill.
- The physician must have performed the initial patient service before subsequent visits by the pharmacist to be eligible for incident-to billing, which provides the physician an opportunity to establish the diagnosis and develop a treatment plan for the patient (another requirement for incident-to billing). This is done by completing an initial visit utilizing a and e-visit, wellness check or health risk assessment prior to any follow-up by the pharmacist.
start an encounter
QR Codes
Add visit types and encourage your customers to use the enhanced engagement services. These are two examples that lead to increase revenue.
Health Risk Assessment
Sample QR codes for Signage and Display
Each type of Assessment or Encounter can be deployed in any setting for quick access and completion
Use the camera on your iPhone or Android device to start an encounter
