Essential Training At Your Finger Tips

In September 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a concerning report. It revealed that among Medicare home health patients who were hospitalized due to falls resulting in major injuries, a staggering 55% of these falls were not properly documented on patient assessments by home health agencies (HHAs) as mandated. Furthermore, the report disclosed that the reporting of falls on the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) was notably deficient among younger home health patients when compared to their older counterparts, as well as among patients who identified as Black, Hispanic, or Asian in comparison to White patients. Additionally, for-profit HHAs displayed lower reporting rates compared to non-profit and government-owned agencies.   With more than half of falls resulting in major injuries and subsequent hospitalizations going unreported, the question arises: will there be heightened reporting requirements imposed on home health providers? This situation calls for agencies to pay close attention, as the OIG perceives it as a significant issue. Now is the opportune moment for agencies to thoroughly assess their fall prevention programs, evaluate best practices, and scrutinize their internal policies pertaining to the correct procedures that their clinicians and caregivers should be adhering to.   This webinar will explore the essential steps that should be taken concerning fall prevention education, documentation, and reporting of falls leading to injuries, whether they result in hospital admission or not. By participating, you can ensure that your agency remains compliant with data submission requirements and proactively works towards enhancing patient outcomes, pre-empting any potential actions by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as recommended by the OIG.   Speaker/Course Author - Apryl Swafford, RN, BSN, COS-C, HCS-D, HCS-H  Read more

Is your agency a box office hit or a flop? The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) summarizes provider-specific Medicare data statistics for target areas often associated with Medicare improper payments due to billing, coding, and admission necessity issues. To improve PEPPER scores, providers must understand how the data is analyzed and consider best practices to avoid medical review audits. This session examines each PEPPER target and discusses how to evaluate your agency's success using data.    Speaker/Course Author - Melinda Gabouy  Read more

With enrollment doubling in the past few years, Medicare Advantage is becoming the coverage of choice for Medicare-eligible people. Because of this growth, Medicare Advantage has become an integral part of home health care. This session aims to provide participants with strategies for overcoming common problems agencies face when working with Medicare Advantage plans, such as missing authorization deadlines, clean claims denials, billing and payment requirements, and reading, negotiating, and enforcing contractual terms with payers. This session will teach participants how to measure their agency's success or failure in serving Medicare Advantage patients.    Speaker/Course Author - Melinda Gaboury & Regina Wild Read more

This session will examine the fast and furious changes occurring in home care and National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) President Bill Dombi's outlook for 2023 and beyond. Find out what he is seeing in terms of national trends and the federal government’s impact on home care operations in Florida. Bill will discuss current federal legislation, the growth of Medicare Advantage, cuts to Medicare, how delivery models continue to morph and adapt, and other issues affecting home care. Don’t find yourself in a multi-car pile-up by missing this expert briefing from HCAF’s favorite Washington insider as his presentation is always a topic of continued conversation throughout HomeCareCon.    Speaker/Course Author - Bill Dombi  Read more

Clinical management of a home health agency has become increasingly complex due to all of the regulatory requirements and payment systems to manage, along with operating in the face of a pandemic. Clinical supervisors must improve their knowledge and skills in order to ensure the success of an agency clinically, operationally, and financially. As part of this workshop, Christina Crumbley, RN, MSN, will outline all the requirements for running a successful agency as well as strategies for excelling at each of them.    Speaker/Course Author - Christina Crumbley & Cara Tomlinson  Read more

Attendees will learn about the latest cybersecurity vulnerabilities, including mobile device threats, public WiFi dangers, identity theft, hacker tools, and others. This is not your typical bullet-point presentation. It is entertaining with jaw-dropping stories that will leave you with a broad knowledge of how hackers compromise businesses and individuals.    Speaker/Course Author - Keith Coker  Read more