The Medicare home health benefit has undergone significant policy changes over the past several years, and the future will be no different as we face the overhaul of the payment methodology system, continued scrutiny by auditors, and more demonstrations. Attend this informative session for a look at how Washington is reforming long-term care and explore myriad legislative and regulatory issues impacting providers, including the Patient- Driven Groupings Model, the Review Choice Demonstration, and more.

Modern software solutions leverage Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to connect data points between each other. This flow of information is meant to provide relevant information to key stakeholders wherever and whenever it is needed. This is similar to a retailer providing the information that a customer needs at the point of purchase, except in a home care environment; the software is providing the necessary information – for example, medical information or scheduling details – at the point of care. So why does this matter? Because clients will travel many different ways across the continuum of care, and their data should do the same. Indeed, in an age where data sharing is important – even vital in the health and home care industries – software solutions need to be seamless. Adrian will educate attendees on what APIs are and how their integration can enhance your business operations.

The home health, private duty, and hospice industries continue to encounter new challenges, including requirements to credential staff members who provide services to patients in assisted living facilities (ALFs), the provision of in-home services by hospitals to discharged patients, patients’ right to freedom of choice, and referrals from hospitals. What are the legal implications of ALFs credentialing requirements? Don’t patients in ALFs have the right to receive services from any provider they choose? What are various requirements for patients’ right to freedom of choice in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and ALFs? Does the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services still honor patients’ right to freedom of choice? The Office of the Inspector General recently said that hospitals can provide services to patients in their homes for up to 60 days post-discharge. Are hospitals allowed to do so under applicable Conditions of Participation and state licensure requirements? Finally, when the Patient-Driven Groupings Model takes effect, there will be even greater competition for referrals from hospitals that will be further heightened by the end of the moratoria on new home health agencies. The pressure will be on to respond to the demands of hospitals, including discharge planners and case managers, in order to get referrals. What can providers do to promote referrals? What is prohibited? Attend this session to hear what the law has to say about these issues and get your questions answered!

This is not a “coding course”! Coders are tasked with assigning correct diagnosis codes based on the available data provided in the patient record. Accurate documentation and detailed assessment OASIS data provided by the home health clinician is essential for compliant diagnosis coding and case mix assignment. Incomplete or unspecified assessment data and diagnosis information is an obstacle to submitting a compliant claim and may affect reimbursement due to missed opportunities for case mix points or non-routine supply points. This presentation is designed to assist clinicians in successfully obtaining the detailed and specific assessment and diagnosis information needed to accurately code and submit a compliant home health claim. In addition, your intake and admission coordinators, home health liaisons and case managers will also benefit from this information. Through use of scenarios, critical thinking, and interactive discussion the participant will learn to ask the right questions, review the medical record for detailed diagnoses, and provide accurate detailed assessment data which unlocks the secret codes!

There’s a growing disconnect between how agencies and caregivers think about work. In myCNAjobs’ latest study, both agencies and caregivers were evaluated to uncover new thinking on how agencies can better align to drive more effective recruitment and improve retention. With 61% of agencies turning down cases within the past 30 days due to lack of staff, we invite you to join us for a data-packed session to learn how managing this disconnect can help you leapfrog your competition.

This presentation will explore commonly asked questions regarding mergers and acquisitions from the prospective seller's standpoint. Our presenter will give real life examples and scenarios that will be thought-provoking to any owner or leader considering divesting their agency.

Medication non-compliance and medication errors play a big part in the decline of the older adults’ health conditions, leading to unnecessary hospital admissions. Research has shown that approximately 20% of patients face an adverse medication effect within three weeks of being discharged and that an average of $412 could be saved for every patient who had a clear understanding of their discharge instructions, including medications. Some of the physical and cognitive limitations of our older adult population make them vulnerable to the effects of medication errors. During this session, you will learn how you can work together with patients and their caregivers to successfully decrease hospital readmissions by as much as 25% in the first 90 days post-discharge and by 24% in the first 180 days.

Although the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) is top of mind for most home care agencies right now, the reality is that even more change is on the way for our industry. Beyond PDGM, agencies must also be prepared for the unified payment system, value-based reimbursement, risk-based contracting, and meaningful participation in population health.

The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) accelerates the turnaround time for signed orders and is critical for Medicare agencies to manage cash flow. Dr. Blackstone will review how signature turnaround time will affect an agency’s financial viability and share strategies that can help you optimize the process as well as how to develop and manage key performance indicators. You will also learn about effective messaging components for the physicians.

This session will explore 2019 issues that you should be preparing for including efforts to unionize caregivers, predictive scheduling challenges, targeting of live-in pay practices, the proposed national domestic worker act legislation, and state law updates likely to lead to future litigation. This session will also discuss the various home care provider coalitions that have formed to defend the industry from these challenges in various jurisdictions. Over the course of the session we will also discuss the latest type of litigation targeting home care providers and their owners and provide specific strategies to minimize the risk to your organization.

Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE) began in 2017 and has been fully implemented across the country. This workshop will allow home health staff members to obtain information in order to evaluate where their agency would stand if TPE comes to their agency today. This medical review probe was implemented to identify agencies that are being inappropriately reimbursed by Medicare. TPE results from the Medicare Administrative Contractors will be shared, which includes some very unnerving statistics. The inner workings of this program and how an agency can survive this level of review will be addressed. Directors, clinicians, and quality review staff will not want to miss this session.

This course will identify key risk areas, review the American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) ethical standards, and discuss best practices for coding compliance and getting it right.

This session will highlight how one home care provider successfully incorporated the use of virtual care technology to conveniently engage at-home patients while reducing staff’s related travel time and transportation costs. As a result, staff converted drive-time to patient-time and have been able to see three patients for every one person at-home visit, thus improving productivity. Trilogy Home Care has also included remote family caregivers into the virtual visits to facilitate a deeper understanding about the patient’s progress. This session will provide you with a greater understanding of how you can use technology to improve patient satisfaction, strengthen referral streams, and proactively address the Patient-Driven Groupings Model.

This session will be directed by two former federal prosecutors who are among the most prominent health care fraud prosecutors in the country. You will hear firsthand as they share their perspectives on federal investigations related to health care fraud and learn about best practices on how to avoid government scrutiny in the home-based setting and how to appropriately handle a government investigation.

The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) represents a wholesale change in how home health agencies will operate in the future. Significant changes will affect all elements of care production and delivery, but there has been little in terms of clinical and operational specifics as to how to manage staff and programs for quality care outcomes. Prepare your agency by attending this progressive presentation which outlines operational and management models to assure PGDM success in value terms.

You could spend a lifetime mastering any one of the changes facing the health care industry today. But don’t. As soon as you master the crises du jour, another one will take its place. Instead, learn how to engage during change so you can effectively lead no matter what challenge and transition you encounter. People look to leaders and others for answers when the ground starts to shake from the latest implementation, funding crisis, or regulatory mandate. Are you prepared to engage yourself − and then others − so you can succeed regardless of any obstacle? Learn key lessons found in positive psychology about how to engage.