Medtrade Preview 2005

More than 20,000 home care professionals are expected to head south next month for the HME industry’s largest expo and conference of the year. The 26th annual Medtrade will showcase more than 900 exhibitors and 170 educational sessions at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Oct. 18-20.

With mandatory accreditation for DME suppliers in the works, the subject will be given plenty of attention when Medtrade 2005 opens in Atlanta next month.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is expected to release specific guidelines on supplier standards soon and, by year’s end, the approved accrediting bodies that will enforce them. Providers seeking advice to comply with this mandate can choose from eight different courses on accreditation, performance improvement and related issues.

In fact, the 26th annual trade show and expo, which will be held Oct. 18-20 at the Georgia World Congress Center, will feature more than 170 educational sessions.

Reimbursement is expected to be another hot topic this year, including an all-day conference, “Reimbursement, From Customer Service to Collections,” on Oct. 17 — a day before the show officially begins. In this session, a panel of reimbursement experts will lead attendees through the intake process to qualification, accounts receivable management and audits.

Other educational tracks on the schedule include business operations/customer service; home health/clinical issues; information technology; legislative and legal issues, pharmacy; professional motivation; rehabilitation and assistive technology; and sales and marketing.

Show organizers also will debut three new tracks: mergers and acquisitions, sleep-disordered breathing and oxygen/respiratory issues.

On the trade show floor, more than 900 manufacturers and distributors will showcase more than 250,000 home medical products. The hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 18 and 19, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 20.

After the convention doors close for the evening, a number of special events — for networking and fun — are planned throughout the week. Be sure to join us at the Medtrade Welcome Reception & Awards Ceremony Oct. 18, where HomeCare magazine will present its 2005 HomeCaring Awards.^™

For more information, visit www.medtrade.com or call 800/933-8735.

Schedule At-A-Glance

MONDAY, OCT. 17

8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Continuum of Care Conference

TUESDAY, OCT. 18

7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Registration

7:30 a.m.-8:15 a.m.
Opening Session

8:30 a.m.-Noon
Educational Seminars

10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Exhibit Floor Open

5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
Medtrade Welcome Reception & Awards Ceremony — 2005 HomeCaring Awards^™

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19

7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Registration

7:30 a.m.-8:15 a.m.
Opening Session

8:30 a.m.-Noon
Educational Seminars

10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Exhibit Floor Open

THURSDAY, OCT. 20

7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Registration

8:30 a.m.-Noon
Educational Seminars

10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Exhibit Floor Open

Winning Strategies With HomeCare^®

Don’t miss these special sessions sponsored by HomeCare.

Tuesday, Oct. 18

10:30 A.M-NOON
WINNING STRATEGIES FOR MARKETING WITHIN LEGAL PARAMETERS

In this panel discussion, attorneys Cara Bachenheimer of Invacare Corp., Jeffery Baird of Brown & Fortunato and Asela Cuervo of the Law Offices of Asela Cuervo will focus on steps providers can take to grow their businesses, in addition to the legal parameters that govern marketing, joint ventures and other strategies.

Wednesday, Oct. 19

10:30 A.M.-NOON
WINNING STRATEGIES FOR BENCHMARKING HME

Compare your business costs, revenue and profitability with others in the market in this must-attend session presented by Bruce Brothis of Alternative Billing Solutions, Jack Evans of Global Media Marketing and Wallace Weeks of Weeks Group.

Thursday, Oct. 20

10:30 A.M.-NOON
WINNING STRATEGIES FOR REFERRAL MARKETING

An expert panel of referral sources — including Mary Ellen Conway, Capital Healthcare Group; Tom Coogan, Care Medical; Adrianne Feinberg, Piedmont Hospital; and Roy Jennings, Circle of Life Hospice — will share tips on how to become a preferred provider. Learn how to approach referral sources, educate and sell them in this session moderated by Jack Evans.

Southern Star

Home to CNN, Six Flags Over Georgia, World of Coca-Cola, Stone Mountain Park and the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum, Atlanta is full of attractions and sights to keep you entertained when you’re away from the convention center.

To help you plan your visit, contact the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau at 404/521-6600 or www.atlanta.net.

Session Highlights

Monday, Oct. 17

CONTINUUM OF CARE

REIMBURSEMENT FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE TO COLLECTIONS

LEADING PRACTICES IN HOME HEALTH

Tuesday, Oct. 18

HME MAKEOVER WORKSHOP

TACTICS TO SUCCEED AFTER MMA

OPTIMIZING YOUR MARKET BASE

NCART UPDATE

Wednesday, Oct. 19

THE 411 ON ACCREDITATION

PAOC UPDATE

AAHOMECARE WASHINGTON UPDATE

THE SECRET WORLD OF THE NSC

Thursday, Oct. 20

COMMON DMEPOS COMPLIANCE FAUX PAS

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE

MEDICARE DENIAL THERAPY

Stop by Booth 3129 to say hello and sign up for your FREE HomeCare subscription.