The MSA Education Course has been pre-approved by the Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC) as meeting the educational requirements necessary to sit for the Medicare Set-Aside Consultant Certified (MSCC) exam or receive contact hours for continued MSCC certification. (Scroll down for details.)

In 1980, Congress created the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSP) in an effort to slow the rising cost of Medicare. The MSP prohibited Medicare from paying for medical treatment that was also covered by other insurers (workers' compensation, liability, automobile, no-fault, or employer insurance). In these instances, Medicare becomes the 'secondary payer' for medical care. Between 1991 and 1998, Medicare paid nearly $40 billion for medical care in workers' compensation cases where Medicare was the secondary payer. Medicare demands that their interest be taken into consideration when settling cases where the settlement funds include payment for future medical care. If not, Medicare can take legal action to recover funds and the Medicare benefits can be negatively impacted in the future. In certain cases, Medicare requires that future related Medicare allowable medical care be set-aside from the settlement funds and Medicare must review/approve the adequacy of the amount. This is the conception of a Medicare Set-Aside (MSA). The MSA Allocation is a detailed report which determines future medical care and what is acceptable/covered by Medicare. During the settlement process, it is imperative that you understand when and how the case should be evaluated to assure Medicare's interest has been taken into consideration.

The Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) Education Course is taught from a medical perspective. You will receive an overview of Medicare/Medicaid as well as an understanding of the Medicare Set-Aside process. You will learn how to request, organize and review medical records that are pertinent to the MSA process. You will learn how to effectively communicate with health care providers and determine future medical care to be included in the MSA report. You will learn how to identify Medicare's coverage and the appropriate costs for future medical care. You will learn how to finalize the MSA report and submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for their review/response. These objectives will be taught through independent study, live/interactive webinar courses, and hands-on application through the completion of a MSA Sample report. You will learn practical skills and utilize hands-on teaching techniques to effectively learn the MSA process. Completion of the MSA Education Course allows the designation of MSA Allocator/Consultant and eligibility to obtain credentialing.

The MSA Education Course (30 hours) has been pre-approved by the Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC) as meeting the educational requirements necessary to sit for the Medicare Set-Aside Consultant Certified (MSCC) exam. Also, the MSA Education Course (16 hour webinar) has been pre-approved by CHCC as meeting the educational requirements for 16 contact hours to apply towards the MSCC renewal. The MSA Education Course provides 30 contact hours of education and consists of three components:

1. Pre-webinar home study (4 hours)

The Pre-webinar home study is an independent component of reviewing designated Medicare information (CMS) and answering a questionnaire. The Pre-webinar home study gives a general overview of Medicare, identifies key words/phrases in the MSA process, and prepares you for the MSA education webinar.

2. MSA education webinar (16 hours)

The MSA education webinar component is LIVE and INTERACTIVE with the Instructor through the internet. Rather than sitting in a classroom setting, you have the convenience/comfort of sitting in front of your computer at work or home. A live webinar is cost effective by eliminating airfare, travel, hotel, and meal costs. Expenses related to a classroom setting averages $1,000 - $2,000. A live webinar also reduces time away from work and family. You will log into a website, input a provided password, and view a live Power Point Presentation with audio from the Instructor. You will be able to view/download/print the Power Point Presentation as well as handout materials. You will be able to interact (ask questions and provide comments) with the Instructor during the live webinar.

The MSA education webinar will be taught periodically throughout the year. (See Education Registration form for dates). A live webinar will be held Monday - Thursday, 1:00pm - 4:00pm Eastern Standard Time. An additional 30 minutes will be allowed at the end of the webinar for questions/discussion. You'll also be given a short (30 minutes) homework assignment in preparation for next day's live webinar.

Should you be unable to attend the designated dates/times for the live webinar, you can choose to listen to a recorded presentation at your leisure. You will log into a website, input a provided password, and view a prerecorded Power Point Presentation with audio from the Instructor. You will be able to view/download/print the Power Point Presentation as well as handout materials. You will be able to email the Instructor with questions or comments.

3. Post-webinar home study (10 hours)

The Post-webinar home study is an independent component of answering a questionnaire and completion of an MSA Sample report. A case scenario will be presented in the MSA education webinar and instructions will be provided for completion of the MSA Sample report. The MSA Sample report will be reviewed by an MSA Instructor.

Rather than complete the full MSA Education Course for certification (30 hours), you may choose to only attend the MSA education webinar (16 hours) to gain insight or refresh your learning about the MSA process.

Upon successful completion of the MSA Education Course, you will have earned 30 contact hours. Please visit CHCC’s website for details regarding the Medicare Set-Aside Consultant Certified (MSCC) certification (www.chcc1.com). To become a Medicare Set-Aside Consultant Certified, CHCC requires the submission of a peer reviewed MSA Sample report. The cost is $250 through CHCC. Save time and money by completing an MSA Sample report through this MSA Education Course.

Highlights of MSA Education Course Definitions Medicare Overview CMS memos Protecting Medicare's Interest Conditional Payments MSA Allocation Report Medicare Coverage MSA Funding CMS Submission MSA Administration Case Studies Marketing Preparing for the MSCC Exam