Presented by Isaac Valdez, MS, CMD
Vice President of Clinical Operations and Business Development
Apollo Healthcare

This session will cover the structure of the U.S. Healthcare System and the complexities of navigating health insurance plans in the field of radiation oncology. The session will address insurance fundamentals, government and commercial payers, health plan regulations, comparative planning, appeal structures, and why health insurance literacy is important for dosimetrists.  

Learner Outcomes:

1. Explain the entire patient journey to treatment – this involves the coordination of care, referrals, scheduling, insurance clearance, management of insurance denials, approvals, and claim appeals
2. Summarize the main types of health insurance products and their unique establishments with compliance and liability
3. Facilitate and develop ideas from the point of view of a dosimetrist that translate to improving patient access
4. Discuss the basics of health insurance language and key terms
5. Discuss the value of a dosimetrist in the utilization review process and be equipped to develop synergistic strategies with a business office team.

Presenter:
Isaac Valdez, MS, CMD, serves as the Vice President of Clinical Operations and Business Development at Apollo Healthcare. He is a healthcare leader and subject matter expert in radiation oncology operations and reimbursement models. Isaac is passionate about patient advocacy and innovation for integrative technologies that improve the lives of individuals at scale. His clinical experience comes from spending time at MD Anderson's Proton Therapy Center and the University of New Mexico's Comprehensive Cancer Center. Isaac holds a Master of Science degree in Radiologic Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Dosimetry from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - School of Health Professions, a Bachelor of Applied Mathematics from the University of Houston-Downtown and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Healthcare Management and Health Economics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Isaac's interests regard equitable patient access to care, cancer therapy development, health policy, and leadership development.

Educational Level: Intermediate

ARRT CQR Credit Distribution
There is no credit distribution for this activity.