National Association for Home Care & Hospice

Session : NAHC1420
601: Hospice Summer Camp 2014
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Faculty: Walter Borginis, CPA, MBA, CFO, Executive Vice President-Finance & Administration, VNA of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA; Pat Laff, CPA, Managing Principal, Laff Associates, Hilton Head Island, SC; Carolyn Flietstra, RN, BSN, V.P. Home & Community Based Services, Holland Home, Grand Rapids, MI; Anne Hochsprung, CPA, CFO, Suncoast Hospice Institute, Clearwater, FL; Thomas Boyd, BA, MBA, CFE, VP, Reimbursable Services, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC, Rohnert Park, CA; Theresa M. Forster, Vice President for Hopsice Policy & Programs, NAHC, Washington, DC

This program provides a thorough overview of the financial aspects of hospice, including discussion of emerging national economic and policy changes which will impact hospice operations, regulatory issues and revenue enhancing strategies. It is structured for intermediate to advanced hospice executives. The Hospice Summer Camp is designed specifically for professionals seeking to sharpen the skills and knowledge needed to improve management of hospice financial operations in this changing environment.

Topics to be addressed include: Health care reform and participating in the changes Hospice staff compensation, strategies for improved productivity and case capacity Palliative Care Services and impact on Hospice Services General Inpatient Services, owned or leasing arrangements, respite and residential services. Financial accounting for all hospice services including bereavement, physician services, volunteers, therapies including music, massage, pet, liaisons or community representatives. Strategies for Revenue Enhancement including public education and marketing methodologies New Hospice Cost Reporting

Objectives: Identify hospice financial management essentials including the accounting, operational and statistical structure for a home health agency. Review crucial reimbursement and revenue strategies to achieve bottom-line success with hospice. Describe health system dynamics that may affect future opportunities for hospice and palliative care services. Explain the intent behind government efforts to increase hospice reporting requirements and modify the hospice cost report. Identify reports required for monitoring financial operations and the specific components used to calculate each indicator. Recognize the expected capabilities of an agencys IT systems and internal/external data sources. Identify compensation strategies to maximize productivity while maintaining quality of performance Identify specific analysis procedures to understand and optimizing financial operations.

Session : NAHC1421
701: Home Health Summer Camp 2014
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Faculty: Melinda Gaboury, COS-C, BBA, Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Provider Solutions, Inc., Nashville, TN; Thomas Boyd, BA, MBA, CFE, VP, Reimbursable Services, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC, Rohnert Park, CA; M. Aaron Little, CPA Director, BKD,LLP, Springfield, MO; Nancy Boyd, BS, Senior Manager, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC., Rohnert Park, CA

Home health personnel new to the industry, new agencies and established agencies will benefit from a detailed understanding of the fundamental financial tools and operational strategies for developing and maintaining positive financial outcomes. It is an updated program designed for beginning to intermediate level financial staff members who have some experience in home care financial management and who wish to expand their knowledge in the diverse world of home care finance.

This pre-conference is focused on current Medicare reimbursement issues faced by home health agencies essential benchmark data needed to manage a home health agency integration of back office and clinical technologies how to best use the Medicare cost report as a management resource tool achieving compliance with reporting responsibilities on organizational change and structure establishing billing oversight processes undertaking a feasibility analysis for instituting new programs, expanding service areas, and creating branch offices

Objectives: Recognize the current Medicare reimbursement issues affecting home health agencies and how to best deal with them. Identify essential benchmark data in home health services, acquisition points, and best practices in managing with the data Interpret the proven techniques for maximizing the Medicare cost report as a financial management tool Identify the requirements for timely reporting of organizational changes through the CMS 855 Develop useful processes for achieving compliance with Medicare coverage and billing requirements

Session : NAHC1422
900: Opening General Session: National Update
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Faculty: Val J. Halamandaris, JD, President, National Association for Home Care & Hospice; William A. Dombi, Esq., Vice President for Law, National Association for Home Care & Hospice; Executive Director, Home Care & Hospice Financial Managers Association, Executive Director, National Council on Medicaid Home Care, Washington, DC

The White House and Congress continue to put health care in the spotlight with deficit reduction debates and care delivery reforms. The upcoming congressional elections are focusing on health care, raising every issue from Obamacare to entitlement reforms. With the full-scale implementation of health care reform under the Affordable Care Act underway in 2014 along with the implementation of many of the ACA reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, 2014 is quickly becoming one of the most important ever in the history of U.S. healthcare. Home Care and Hospice are very well positioned to step forward as prime solutions to what ails our health care system. However, challenges continue to surface on the regulatory front. This opening session brings Washington to the stage with up-to-the-minute details on the legislative and regulatory landscape along with a forecast of the impact of national politics on health care.

Objectives: Identify the crucial health care issues pending before Congress and the Administration. Detail the innovations underway in Medicare and Medicaid creating opportunities for home care. Discuss the potential impact of the 2014 elections on home care and hospice and the balance of power on health care.

Session : NAHC1423
901: HHFMA Leadership Panel - The Future Belongs to Home Care and Hospice
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Moderator: William A. Dombi, Esq., Vice President for Law, National Association for Home Care & Hospice; Executive Director, Home Care & Hospice Financial Managers Association, Executive Director, National Council on Medicaid Home Care, Washington, DC Panelists: William J. Simione, Jr., BS, CPA, FHHA, CGMA, Founder, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC, Hamden, CT, William Bassett, BS, Chief Marketing Officer, Procura, British Columbia, Canada; Arnie Cisneros PT, President, Home Health Strategic Management, Lansing, MI; Dexter Braff, MBA, MS, BS, President, The Braff Group, Pittsburgh, PA ; Marcylle Combs, RN, BS, CHCE, President, Foundation Management Services, Denton, TX

For over a decade, the annual Financial Management Conference has included a General Session where a diverse group of leaders in home care and hospice offer their views and insights on how to succeed in the ever-changing health care world. The HHFMA Leadership Panel returns for 2014. The accelerating changes in health care delivery and financing necessitate a hands-on management by the leaders in home care and hospice companies of all sizes. The HHFMA leadership Panel is the epitome of leadership in that regard and each of the panelists will share their vision of what it takes to adapt and seize the nearly endless opportunities in the evolving world of health care. Whether it is cost efficiency strategies, health care delivery innovations, management modernizations, these leaders are at the top of their games.

Objectives: Identify how and where home care and hospice best fit in transformed health care delivery model and anticipated developments in the future. Describe the advantages and opportunities for home care and hospice to have a commanding role in the new system. Discuss the organizational, technological and financial strategies needed for home care and hospice to address challenges and opportunities in 2014 and beyond.

Session : NAHC1424
902: Healthcare Leadership Panel - The Views of Health Care Stakeholders
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Moderator: Robert J. Simione, BS, Managing Principal, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC, Hamden, CT Panelists: Tami Johnson, BS, MS, Division VP of Case Management Services, Kindred Healthcare-Nursing Care Division; Louisville, KY;Michael Swarzman, MA, MBA, Vice President, Clinical Services and Business Development, Assistant Professor, UIC, Graduate School of Public Health, Chicago, IL;Joel J. Reich, MD, FACEP, MMM, Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs/Chief Medical Officer Eastern Connecticut Health Network, Manchester, CT

One of the obvious developments in the delivery and financing of health is the growing integration of payment and services. This General Session is a second year addition to the Conference lineup, with the focus on the wide range of players in health care. The panelists include leaders from the world of Health Systems, Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Physicians and Managed Care. Each can be a partner or competitor with home care and hospice. Care and payment Integration promises more success with partnership than competition for tightening health care dollars. The leaders from these respective health care sectors will share their view of the future of health care and where home care and hospice fits best.

Objectives: Identify the health care delivery reforms underway in health care systems Understand how health care systems and other provider sectors view home health care and hospice services Recognize the opportunities available to home care in the integration of the health care spectrum

Session : NAHC1425
101: Cost Control Strategies Do You Really Know Your Agency's Cost Structure?
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Faculty: David Berman, CPA, CVA, Principal, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC, Hamden, CT; Andrea L. Devoti, MSN, MBA, CHCE, President & CEO, Neighborhood Health Agencies, West Chester, PA; Rob Simione, BS, CPA, Vice President, Simione Financial Monitor, White Plains, NY

The challenges for home care financial managers in maintaining profitable operations while improving patient outcomes will require an understanding of all costs and how they relate to different reimbursement models. In particular, it is important to be able to calculate your costs of care and understand how these costs relate to payment received. Additionally, non-clinical costs must be measured and managed in accordance with industry benchmarks. This program will equip you to better measure all costs of your operation and compare them to industry benchmarks.

Objectives: Identify direct and indirect costs and understand the relationship of costs to multiple reimbursement models. Gain a better understanding of non-clinical and back-office costs and become able to evaluate operational cost structures compared to industry benchmarks Utilize industry benchmarks to evaluate the operating costs and revenues.

Session : NAHC1426
102: Hospice Payment Refinement -- Where it Stands and How Hospices Can Prepare
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Faculty: Theresa M. Forster, Vice President for Hospice Policy & Programs, NAHC, Washington, DC; Robert J. Simione, BS, Managing Principal, Simione Healthcare Consultants, LLC, Hamden, CT

Since 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been examining hospice payment -- and practice -- with an eye toward revising the payment system for, at a minimum, the routine home care (RHC) level of care. Based on a wide variety of concerns that have arisen as a result of their study, CMS has now determined that a focus on filling data gaps, clarifying the hospice bundle and addressing program integrity concerns must take precedence, and payment reform efforts will follow. What does this mean for hospices over the near term, and how can they prepare now for future payment changes?

Objectives: Identify questionable hospice practices that CMS is focusing on as part of its payment reform study. Describe key elements that CMS has under consideration for inclusion as part of future payment reform changes. Outline steps hospices can take to identify risk areas (including questionable care patterns) and the financial impact of payment changes.

Session : NAHC1427
103: Diversifying Revenue Sources: Bring Balance in Changing Times
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Faculty: Mark Sharp, CPA, Partner, BKD, LLP, Springfield, MO

Are you looking to diversify your revenue? This program will provide insight to strategies associated with diversifying an organization revenue models. There are many things to consider as you evaluate alternative programs from understanding your demographics to the financial feasibility of a particular revenue diversification. There is one thing for sure--- there is no cookie cutter approach to success.

Specific revenue diversification opportunities and models that will be discussed are as follows: Home Care Private duty Services Hospice Palliative Care Tele-Monitoring for non-homebound patients

Objectives: Recognize the importance of revenue diversification in home care and hospice Understand the methods for evaluating the opportunities for revenue diversification Identify the steps needed to plan and implement a diversification into new lins of home care business

Session : NAHC1428
104: Managing within Managed Care: Lessons Learned in Home Care
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Faculty: Mitchel Morel, BA, CPA, CFO, Senior Home Care; Lynne Hebert, RN, Vice President of Clinical Operations, Senior Home Care, affiliate of Kindred at Home, Clearwater, FL

Over the last several years, managed care has become a significant part of life in home care. Medicare Advantage enrollment has increased along with a growing shift to managed Medicaid, particularly Managed Long Term Services and supports. While traditional fee-for-services remains the dominate source of business on home care, working within a managed care system is an essential part of today's operations. This program is a "lessons learned" workshopon managed home care. Led by a distinguished panel of home care executives with extensive experiences in managed care, the program is intended to unveil the secrets to successful management of managed home care.

Objectives: Identify the key issues in managed home care operations. Recognize how managed care organizations perceive and understand home care services. Identify stepsto achieve administrative efficiencies and consistent program operations in managed home care.

Session : NAHC1429
201: Home Health Cost Containment Strategies
Conference : 2014 Annual Financial Management Conference & Exposition
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Faculty: Walter Borginis, CPA, MBA, CFO, Executive Vice President-Finance & Administration, VNA of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA; Rob Simione, BS, CPA, Vice President, Simione Financial Monitor, White Plains, NY; Shawn Ricketts, BBA, MBA, CPA, CFO ,Heritage Home Healthcare & Hospice , Albuquerque, NM

Faced with Medicare rate cuts of 3.5% from rebasing in 2014 with additional cuts scheduled for the next 3 years alongside shifts to a managed care payment model, Home Health agencies need to find new sources of cost savings and operating efficiencies in order to survive. Building upon the recently released HHFMA White Paper on cost containment strategies, this program offers insights and ideas on successful ways to squeeze out even more efficiencies than you thought possible. Everything from back office costs to care utilization must be on the table for consideration.

Objectives: Identify the factors that are driving costs and learn how to better manage them. Recognize methods to accurately calculate costs to deliver care and each element of costs Select the best strategies for cost control and expanded efficiencies in back office staffing, clinical services, operational management, and technological support. Evaluate transportation management opportunities Identify models that utilize technology to reduce operating costs