Volume 10, Number 44 — June 9, 2021
Dear Healthcare at Home Colleague,
I read a disturbing article in my local paper this weekend. Many veterans are turned away for medical and mental healthcare when they are actually eligible. The "decision maker" who denies care is often the lowest paid staffer, a clerk or receptionist, who has been poorly trained in the rules. Have you heard of your patients running into this problem?
Let's get into this week's news. The American Telemedicine Association has published a report on its legislative efforts on the state level. Following emergency permissions to use virtual visits and other remote patient monitoring technologies during the height of the pandemic, many healthcare providers are pushing to make those permissions permanent. They cite evidence that patients are healthier and costs are lower. The ATA lists many successes in this area, but has also had to write letters in some cases educating legislators about the bad bills they have proposed. We give you links to a map of each state's proposed and already passed laws, as well as to the ATA letters. Scroll down to "ATA is Bullish on State-by-State Legislative Successes."
 |  |  |
This got me thinking. How can any elected official possibly learn enough about all the different industries a lawmaker has to cover. Do they rely on expertise within their staff? Do they take a lobbyist's word? I learned from an Administrative Law Judge of my acquaintance that learning dozens, or hundreds, of different industries' jargon and acronyms is the hardest part of her job. It has to be the same for state legislators. I ruminate on this problem in an opinion piece titled "Some Lawmakers Simply Misunderstand Telehealth." You may laugh, or perhaps cry, at the level of ignorance the ATA tries to correct.
 |  |
Whether your business is Home Health, Home Care, or Hospice, you are always looking for a competitive advantage. If you agree, do not miss our story on a just-released study by Porter Research, sent to us by our friends at Citus Health. Porter's study found one main thing that patients and their families say would make them choose one provider over another. The results were overwhelming, with agreement about that one thing over 90 percent.
In our Vendor Watch column, we report on a new alliance between Homecare Homebase and Corridor. You already know that the longtime consulting group is focused on coding services now. HCHB will be offering that service to its software clients through the new partnership.
Be sure to scroll down beyond this week's headlines to check our updated list of conferences. We are so pleased that some of them will be in person, we are vaccinated and trying to attend as many as we can. We hope to see you in Marco Island, Chicago, Orlando, or New Orleans.
Have a great week. Stay healthy and keep making a difference!
Some Lawmakers Simply Misunderstand Telehealth
Legislators cannot know the details of every industry. The ATA provides a model for how to educate them about our industry without highlighting their ignorance.
ATA is Bullish on State-by-State Legislative Successes
With COVID telehealth expansion proving successful, American Telemedicine Association steps up efforts to make emergency changes permanent.
Homecare Homebase and Corridor Announce Exclusive Partnership
Homecare Homebase℠ and Corridor announce exclusive partnership to provide coding and documentation review services to HCHB customers.
Porter Research Study Finds Patients and Families Prefer Providers Who Communicate
How do you communicate with patients and families? 96 percent of patients and family caregivers say they would choose one Home Health provider over another based on ability to respond in real time.
|
During the 4th Quarter of 2022, web sites of the above advertisers were visited by home care and hospice executives and staff 6586 times. To inquire about placing your message here, contact: Kristin@rowanresources.com As of this date, approximately 41,943,000 Baby Boomers have become Medicare eligible. |
Last Week's Most-Read Stories:
Appriss Health Acquires PatientPing
Four Home Care Agencies Solve Expensive "Bad Hire" Problem
|
2021 Home Care and Hospice Conference and Expo *
National Association for Home Care and Hospice
Date: October 3-5
Venue: New OrleansSadly, this conference has had to be postponed, due to the hurricane in New Orleans and COVID situation in Louisiana.
FREE WEBINAR: Targeted Probe & Educate: Where Do You Stand?
Presented by: Healthcare Synergy
Featuring: Michael Tidd, COS-C, HCS-D, HealthCare Synergy Clinical ManagerDate: Wednesday, November 3
Time: 11:00 am PDT / 2:00 pm EDT
Overview:
Targeted Probe and Educate is a CMS initiative to seek a better understanding of agencies practices in order to protect the Medicare funds. Agencies self-identify themselves and request reviews by their actions and the data they provide to CMS. Are you aware of the signals you might be sending and how to protect yourself?
Objectives:
Speaker:
Michael Tidd has over 19 years of experience in the Home Care Industry and is a frequent speaker at HealthCare Synergy Workshops and Webinars. He is a Software Developer, LVN and Certified in ICD-9/10 Coding and OASIS (COS-C, HCS-D). As the Clinical Manager for HealthCare Synergy, he directs the Outsourced Management Services, assists in directing the development of the Healthcare Assistant Web Edition, oversees the Clinical Documentation Auditing provided to clients and directs the Clinical Form Development for the Healthcare Assistant Web Edition. Michael continues to educate agencies in the ongoing regulations that CMS produces, the proper application of the Medicare Conditions of Participation and completing timely, accurate and defendable clinical documentation to survive in the current Medicare Reimbursement Model.
FREE WEBINAR: Admit more Patients & Stop Nursing Burnout!
Presented by: OperaCare
Date: November 10
Time: 1:00 pm EST; 10:00 PST
The nursing shortage is getting much worse and will most likely impact your business if it has not already.
During this event we will demonstrate how to complete an entire OASIS in approx. 60 minutes or less. This includes ICD-10 coding, entry and revision of medication’s, all the OASIS items, and Quality Assurance while the nurse is with the patient in the home.
The result: Eliminating 100% of after-hours documentation, increasing clinical productivity, and reducing your labor costs.
The Benefit: The ability to significantly increase your recruitment and retention efforts by providing your clinicians with a sane and humane work life balance.
Important Final Rule Discoveries Every Agency Needs to Know: Examining HH PPS for CY2022
Presented by: HealthRevPartners
Featuring: John Reisinger, CPA
DATE: November 18
TIME: 2:00 - 3:00 EST
VENUE: Online
FEE: NONE
One of the major changes in CMS’ final rule for the Home Health Prospective Payment System announced is this — ???2022 will be a "pre-implementation year for the HHVBP, which was originally scheduled to begin in January.
Learn exactly what you need to do in 2022 for HHVBP.
Additionally, we will cover these final rule changes and more:
- Individual payment rate changes ranging from:
- An increase of 35.7%, to
- A decrease of 34.6%
- 2022 will be the last year of the Rural Add-on
- Significant changes with all 432 Case-Mix Weights
And, do you know how much your Medicare revenues are projected to change?
There will be a 3.2% increase ($570 million) in home health spending for CY2022.
FREE WEBINAR: New, Science-Based Methodology Reduces Cost of Recruitment and Retention
Presented by: The Rowan Report
Featuring: Eric Becker, CEO, MiliMatch
Date: Thursday, March 18
Time: 3:00 pm EST; Noon PST
Recorded version available.
Agenda:
Every time a home care agency hires and trains a new caregiver, it invests about $4,500, which is wasted if that new hire does not work out, often before working a first shift. MiliMatch CEO Eric Becker will explain the company's patented product/service, based on the science of Applied Cognitive Linguistics, which has been proven to help home care agencies avoid those costly bad hires.
*The Rowan Report will see you there.
2022 Rocky Mountain Home Care, Home Health & Hospice Conference *Presented by: Home Care Association of Colorado
Dates: May 5-6
Venue: Keystone Resort & Conference Center, Keystone, CO
FREE WEBINAR: Combat the Great Resignation and Reduce Employee Turnover by 40%
Presented by: National Minority Health Association
Date: Tuesday, May 24
Time: 10:00 AM Pacific; 1:00 PM Eastern
Information and Registration
Agenda
As organizations plan for the future, they must cultivate a happier, healthier workforce. Most CEOs, CFOs, HR professionals, and other business leaders are eager to know the true impact of financial wellness. We are gathering to discuss and explore how prioritizing employee financial wellness can help increase caregiver retention and productivity at no cost to your businesses.
Gulf Coast Regional Conference & Exposition
Presented by: Home Care Associations of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama
Date: July 18-20
Venue: Grand Hotel Marriott Resort
Location: Point Clear, Alabama
2022 NAHC Financial Management Conference & Exposition *
Date: July 24-26
Venue: Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas
Register for the in-person conference - starting at $750 for NAHC members or $1,025 for non-members - or for the digital only content - $400 for members and $600 for non-members. If you register for the in-person conference, you'll get access to all of the digital content.
2022 ONC Virtual Tech Forum
Sponsored by: Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT
Location: Online
Dates: September 9, 16, and 23
ONC has posted the high-level agenda and opened up registration for the 2022 ONC Virtual Tech Forum on HealthIT.gov. This year's event takes place during three consecutive Fridays in September (9th, 16th, 23rd). As in years past, the Tech Forum will feature industry perspectives on the progress made in health IT over the past year, and highlight how we can continue to advance health technology to improve patient care, health equity, data exchange, and interoperability.
ARE YOU READY?
2022 Leadership Conference: Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina
Dates: September 25-27
Venue: Hotel Ballast
City: Wilmington
Register: ahhcconferences.com
20 educational sessions led by top industry experts, 30+ high caliber speakers, and over 40 exhibitors, including NAHC's Bill Dombi; David Rendall, Author; NC DHHS's Debra C. Farrington, MSW, LCSW; AHHC of NC Staff and Lobbyists; experts from ACHC; CHAP; Axxess; Wellsky; FORVIS; KATANA Safety; Cone Health; Delta Care Rx; The Joint Commission; Well Care Health; SembraCare, Inc.; SimiTree; LTSS Consulting, Inc.; Healthcare Provider Solutions; CareXM; 3HC and more!
MHCA 52nd Annual Meeting & Expo
Sponsored by: Minnesota Home Care Association
Date: October 12-14
Information and Registration
Venue: Breezy Point Resort
City: Breezy Point, MN
2022 NAHC Annual Meeting & Exposition *
"Connection 4.0: Linkup"
Date: October 23-25
Venue: America's Center Convention Complex
Location: St. Louis, MOThis year, we want to celebrate one of the most meaningful touchstones of our industry — connection. At the Home Care and Hospice Conference and Expo, we'll explore ideas around connection and community to help attendees reach their stakeholders in authentic and meaningful ways.
New technology, workforce developments, and the importance of high standards in quality care continue to push our community of clinicians and providers to revamp their strategies and skill sets. This event is the meeting point for you to uncover groundbreaking ideas, discover new interests, and network with industry pros.
Meet us in St. Louis, Missouri, once known as the "Gateway to the West." So, it is perfectly centered to make those connections even easier for members and attendees from all ends of the U.S. We look forward to linking up with you this October!
2022 Annual Conference
New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice CareDate: November 3
Venue: CNM Workforce Training Center
City: AlbuquerqueFeaturing:
- Lisa McClammy on "Navigating the New World of Home Health Value-Based Purchasing"
- Petria McKelvey on "Medicare Advantage & Third Party Payers: How to Get Paid!"
- Tim Rowan on "Technologies to Improve Staff Recruiting & Retention"
20th Annual Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit
Sponsored by: State Associations of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (HCA), New York (HCP), Rhode Island, VNAs of Vermont
Dates: January 17-19
Venue: Revere Hotel, Boston
FREE WEBINAR: NAHC President Bill Dombi Shares 2023 Industry Outlook
Hosted by Mike Dordick, Netsmart
Date: January 18
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 EST
Details and Registration(Unable to attend? Register anyway to receive the recording.)
Discussion Topics:
- What is changing from a policy and regulatory perspective?
- When to anticipate relief for labor pressures
- What areas to focus on in the new year
Homecare 100 *
Presented by: Lincoln Healthcare Leadership
Date: January 22-25, 2023
Venue: Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes, FL
Registration Information
Your state or national association meeting or webinar not listed? Send the details to Conferences@RowanResources.com using this format:
Conference Title
Sponsoring Association
Date(s)
Hotel or Conference Center, City, State
URL
Did you receive this issue as a forward from a colleague? Would you like to have your own free subscription? Click here.
Home Care Technology Report is published by Rowan Consulting Associations, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. Request reprint permission by writing to editor@homecaretechreport.com.
HCTR is free to subscribers and supported by its generous advertisers. To inquire about presenting your message to our 12,000 subscribers, write to Kristin in our ad sales department, Kristin@RowanResources.com.