Volume 10, Number 44 — September 15, 2021
Dear Healthcare at Home Colleague,
I sat in on a webinar this week that explored the growing rash of ransomware attacks on healthcare. The highlight was a surprising interview by the cyber defense expert from BrightTALK with an actual ransomware attacker in Nigeria. What struck me was how he said he got into the "business" out of desperation. It was his only means of feeding his family. He also said the tools to get into ransoming are readily available online. But wait, there's more. He revealed that many like him have gone beyond trying to get people to click on deceptive links in emails in order to get their malicious software installed on your servers. They actually target certain kinds of employees, call them on the phone, and ask their help to get their ransomware viruses installed, in exchange for a portion of the ransom. The cyber world is becoming as dangerous and unpredictable as the physical world.
Our lead article this week picks up on what I learned from BrightTALK. Guest author Joe Dysart describes the ransomware phenomenon and summarizes the services from five cyber protection companies, complete with their contact information and basic fee structure. Click below on "Ransomware Is Targeting Healthcare - Key Defensive Software Systems to Check Out"
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You may have heard about the whistleblower who filed a qui tam suit against Bayada. No? Well, it happened four years ago and concerned an accusation from three years before that but was not settled until this month. Rather than merely reprint the Department of Justice news release, we spoke with the communications staff at Bayada directly. Our report carries both. See "Bayada Settles Civil Qui Tam Lawsuit; Avoids Expensive Defense."
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There is still time to register at FlexForChecks.com and claim some of the $125 million in federal grant funds for your agency, your staff, and your patients and clients. This is the perfect time to join the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, the Home Care Association of America, several state Home Care Associations, AccentCare, HHAeXchange, Healthcare Synergy, and others who have signed on to support the National Minority Health Association, in charge of administering one of the HRSA grants.
This is an ideal time to jump on board with Flex For Checks. CMS has issued a rule that requires all healthcare workers, including in-home caregivers and clinicians, to be vaccinated. Why not comply with the rule and get paid for it at the same time? Under the program, a caregiver who gets vaccinated can receive one of the grant's cash rewards twice for each shot, once as the employee who arranges the vaccination and once as the vaccinated. Additional rewards come to worker and agency for every shot encouraged and completed.
We are keeping an eye on tech vendors for you. Sandata announced that it has won the contract to provide EVV aggregation services for California. HHAeXchange has won a new round of funding from Hg. NeuroGlee Therapeudics also announced an infusion of $10 million in outside investment. The Boston company provides remote monitoring for Alzheimer's patients in their own homes.
We have been asked to make sure you heard that NAHC decided it just doesn't make sense to ask you to go to New Orleans next month. In a letter expressing great concern for the people of that city battered by two recent hurricanes and by hospitals overflowing with unvaccinated COVID patients, Bill Dombi announced that it may be delayed rather than canceled. We will let you know as soon as we hear about a new date. Read Bill's letter here.
The Ohio Council for Home Care and Hospice will hold its annual conference virtually on September 28-29. Colorado still plans to welcome its members to the Keystone Resort, October 11-12. I will be speaking at both of these events. Scroll down for details. Ankota is offering a free sales training webinar this afternoon at 3:00 EDT, with Steve "The Hurricane" Weiss. Sorry for the late notice, but you can still register and attend if you hurry. Details below.
Have a great week. Get vaccinated and keep making a difference!
CMS News: Get Vaccinated, or Else!
HHS & CMS to expand vaccination requirements for health care settings.
Ransomware Is Targeting Healthcare - Key Defensive Software Systems to Check Out
Ransomware is on the rise. Healthcare businesses are popular targets. Guest author Joe Dysart introduces five companies with strategic defense products and services.
Bayada Settles Civil Qui Tam Lawsuit; Avoids Expensive Defense
Qui tam whistleblower to receive $3 million.
CMS News: Additional COVID Emergency Funds for Healthcare Providers
HHS Announces the Availability of $25.5 Billion in COVID-19 Provider Funding. Combined application for American Rescue Plan rural funding and Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 will open on September 29.
Vendor Watch
— Sandata wins California EVV contract.
— Neuroglee Therapeutics closes Series A Round to advance remote Alzheimer's treatment in the home
— HHAeXchange welcomes new investor, Hg
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During the 4th Quarter of 2021, web sites of the above advertisers were visited by home care and hospice executives and staff 7631 times. To inquire about placing your message here, contact: Kristin@rowanresources.com As of this date, approximately 43,021,000 Baby Boomers have become Medicare eligible. |
Last Week's Most-Read Stories:
New Point-of-Care App Listens, Replaces Typing
Value Based Purchasing to Include All HHAs as of 1/1/22
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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: Vaccine Hesitancy: How Training Can Help
Presented by: Nevvon, Flex For Checks, & Dr. Ian Smith
Date: Monday, October 11
Time: 10:00 AM Pacific; 1:00 PM Eastern
Information and Registration
Featuring:
- Dr. Ian Smith, MD, host of TV's "The Doctors," and NY Times bestselling author
- Burgess Harrision, Executive Director, National Minority Health Association
- James Cohen, CEO, Nevvon Inc.
Who should attend? Caregiver agencies looking for creative ways to alleviate vaccine hesitancy and get more workers and patients protected from the COVID-19 virus.
Agenda:
Learn how training caregivers on vaccines can ensure better compliance, reduce hesitancy and lead to better outcomes. We will share first-hand experience of how the Flex For Checks program has been leading the way in vaccinating caregivers through an amazing and potentially lucrative incentive program.
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.
AHHC 2021 Leadership Conference
Presented by: Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina
Date: November 8-9
Location: Holiday Inn Resort, Wrightsville Beach, NC
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.
*The Rowan Report will see you there.
FREE WEBINARS: "Best of Home Care Heroes" Series
Sponsored by: Ankota
Featuring: Steve "The Hurricane" Weiss, Ophelia Cole, Barbara Gaines, Cheryl Hammons, others
Dates: Ongoing
- How Home Care Thrives in the Post-COVID World (with Steve "the Hurricane" Weiss)
- ADDED THIS WEEK: "Finishing 2021 STRONG!" Wednesday, September 15, 3-4pm EST.
Register HereContact Ankota directly about two special offers: a free trial of a staffed, live-chat solution for your website, and a discount to Steve Weiss' "Mililonaire Bootcamp."
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.
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
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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.
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