Volume 12, Number 25 — July  5, 2023



Dear Healthcare at Home Colleague,

A few months ago, we introduced a new staff writer. No doubt you have been following Heather Thompson's research into Artificial Intelligence and its healthcare applications. This week, we introduce you to her heart. Heather's journey from Home Health leader to Home Health patient and back is both inspiring and wrenching. Often, our focus on provider concerns and technology can objectify our raison d'etre, the patient. When one of our own experiences the patient side, that person's story may help us refocus. We hope Heather's personal story about our less-than-perfect healthcare system, which will unfold episodically over the summer, does just that. Perhaps it will also lay a foundation for understanding her ongoing series about the Agency of the Future. Scroll down to "The Future of Home Care and My Journey through Disability and Healing."

We also have more insights this week from the first annual "Home Care Innovation" conference, where we heard from leaders of the most successful Home Health and Home Care organizations. In "Industry Leaders Offer Solutions to Your Most Nagging Problems," we report on two proven strategies, both related to the widespread problem of turning away new patients and clients. Sometimes you must, sometimes you wish you did not have to, and sometimes you should.

 

 

CMS NEWS

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will have its impact on your patients and clients as early as next year. Medicare has begun to negotiate drug prices for the first time since 2011. The CMS announcement "Medicare Drug Prices Soon to Fall," below, explains that it will take effect gradually by adding more drugs to the negotiation table every year.

 

The Shame of the Sloppy Cost Report

Our friends at BerryDunn analyzed the most recent, publicly available Home Health cost reports. Some of them are obviously thrown together with little effort or thought, which makes it easier for MedPAC to recommend lower and lower reimbursement rates. The entire analysis can be obtained for free, and we summarize a few highlights for your entertainment.

 

Worth the Trip

Scroll down to our Upcoming Conferences section for a list of worthwhile events coming up this summer. We are taking a summer break from travel but hope to see you in one city or another in the fall.

Have a great week. Keep making a difference!

Editor signature
Tim Rowan


The Future of Home Care and My Journey through Disability and Healing
Over the last several months, our readers have gotten to know our brilliant new staff writer, Heather Thompson, through her series about AI and The Agency of the Future. Now it is time to meet her heart as well. In a moment of vulnerability, Heather begins the story of her healthcare experience on the patient side.

Industry Leaders Offer Solutions to Your Most Nagging Problems
Experts offer a few ideas about turning away business. RN retention means you turn away less often. MA low-ball reimbursement means you may want to turn away more often. Here are practical solutions to both.

CMS News: Medicare Drug Prices Soon to Fall
CMS Releases Revised Guidance for New Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program

Accurate Cost Reports Do Matter
Some Medicare cost reports send absurd numbers to CMS.


During the 2nd Quarter of 2023, web sites of the above advertisers were visited by home care and hospice executives and staff 4976 times.

To inquire about placing your message here, contact:

Kristin@rowanresources.com

As of this date, approximately 50,259,000 Baby Boomers have become Medicare eligible.

 

Last Week's Most-Read Stories:

Study Compares Profit vs Non-Profit Hospices
Fewer visits, live discharges, other efforts to maximize profits occur far more often in some agencies.

AI and the Agency of the Future — Opportunities, Threats, and Promising New Efficiencies
AI is already a part of our everyday lives. From art to academics and disease management, continuous advances have already changed the way humans access and utilize information. Recent tests reveal occasional difficulties distinguishing AI responses from human. This article is the first in a series exploring key considerations as artificial intelligence makes its way into home health, hospice and home care .


Upcoming Events

2032 NAHC Financial Management Conference & Exposition

Date: July 16-18
Venue: Hilton Riverside, New Orleans

Information and Registration

 

In addition to NAHC president Bill Dombi, featured speakers will include:


54th Annual Meeting: "Bring Care Home"Presented by: Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice

Dates: August 28-31
Venue: Grand Hyatt Riverwalk
City: San Antonio


Information and Registration


FREE Webinar: "The Role of the Hospice Physician in Organizational Compliance"Presented by: FEMA

Date: September 6

Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, EDT

Register here 

Collaborating with the Administration for Community Living, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Office of Policy, Planning, and Innovation, and the Schoharie County, NY, Area Agency on Aging, the webinar is designed to equip organizations with strategies to ensure seamless service continuity during an emergency. 

 


2023 NAHC Annual Meeting & Exposition *

"One Voice, Many Stories"

Date: October 15-17
Venue: Gaylord 
Location: National Harbor, MD

Information and Registration

Keynote Speakers:


 

Vision – Plan – Succeed: 2023 Leadership Conference

Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina

Dates: October 29-31
Venue: Renaissance Hotel
City: Ashville

Information and Registration 


Featured speakers:

Bill Dombi, Melinda Gaboury, Tim Rogers, Nick Seabrook, Mark Sharp, Robert Markette, Mark Kulik, and more.

 


 

Call for Speaker Proposals

Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina (AHHC) Annual Convention and Expo

Dates: April 7-10, 2024
Venue: Raleigh Convention Center

 

Click this link to learn more and to submit your proposal: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6RRNNY3
The deadline to submit a proposal is November 15, 2023.


Conference Title:                                                   2023 Annual Hybrid Hospice & Palliative Care Conference

Sponsoring Association:                                       Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State
Date(s):                                                                    November 13-14, 2023
Hotel or Conference Center, City, State:            Albany Marriott Hotel, Albany, NY
URL:                                                                          www.hpcanys.org

 

 

?~Kim

Kimberly Ryan ?

Education & Membership 

Hospice & Palliative Care Association of NYS (HPCANYS)

Advance Care Planning Center for Excellence
119 Washington Ave, Suite 302 

Albany NY 12210 

518.446.1483 x 224 |www.hpcanys.org 


 

2023 Virtual Annual Conference
Virginia Association for Homecare and Hospice

Opening Date: November 15

More Information

 


*The Rowan Report will see you there.

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.

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.