October 31st, 2025

Note: New Content Noted with Asterisk* and Highlighted

Dear Kids Health First (KHF) Providers and Practice Administrators,

We have some important updates about payor updates, new programs, and upcoming events. There's a lot of information, and we want to keep you informed. Please read through this email carefully and let us know if you have any questions.

Important Updates

Update: APRN Licensure Change in Georgia*

We want to make all practices aware of an important update affecting Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Georgia.

Effective September 2, 2025, APRN authorizations were officially converted to APRN licensure. Each APRN impacted by this change should have received a letter from the Georgia Secretary of State.

As part of this transition, all APRNs with a current National Provider Identifier (NPI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration must update their records with both the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the DEA.

View the full letter here.

Action for Practices:

Confirm that your APRNs have completed these required updates.
Review and update your internal credentialing files.
Verify that renewal reminders and expiration dates are accurate in your tracking system.

Special thanks to the KHF Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Committee for flagging this important update.

For additional details, visit:

Georgia Board of Nursing launches new data system “GOALS” | Georgia Nurses Association | Nursing Network

Reminder: Cracking the Code: Spotting Automated Downcoding - FREE Webinar

Thursday, Nov. 6

Noon to 1 p.m.

Several insurance companies have adopted automated algorithms to evaluate Evaluation and Management (E/M) service levels based on diagnosis codes and claims history. These systems are designed to downcode E/M services—often by one level—when the documentation is deemed insufficient to support medical necessity for the higher level of service.

This webinar will equip attendees with the tools to:

Identify downcoding patterns within claim remittances
Assess practice workflows to determine whether to appeal or provide targeted provider education
Develop effective correspondence to demonstrate compliance and challenge payer algorithms

Join coding and revenue cycle experts Ashley Carson and Mary Suhr to learn how to protect your practice’s revenue, ensure accurate coding, and push back against unjustified payer tactics. Please note there are no CEUs offered for this webinar.

Click here to register.

Reminder: Don't Miss the Coding Webinar

Join us on Thursday, November 20 from 10 am to Noon, as we host a pediatric coding webinar to prepare for 2026 coding updates and guidelines. In this webinar we will focus on:

2026 CPT and Diagnosis Code updates
Understanding best practices in billing and coding to maximize revenue while adhering to coding regulations

The presenter for this event is Mary Suhr, Director, Revenue Cycle Consulting with Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies.

Who can attend?

This webinar is designed for practice administrators, lead physicians, and billing and coding team members, but everyone from your practice is welcome to join.

This event is free to attend but registration is required.

Reminder: Watch this Webinar on Phishing & Protect your Practice

Phishing causes 57% of costly healthcare security incidents and 36% of all data breaches. Watch this brief webinar from Sterling Seacrest Pritchard to learn how to spot and prevent attacks.

Next Steps

Ask all providers and staff to watch the training and document completion to ensure compliance and reduce risk

Watch the webinar now.