Medtrade Conference & Education Planner

Opening Sessions

Rise and shine each day of Medtrade 2003 with HomeCare! Each morning from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., daily opening sessions sponsored by HomeCare will focus on topics including legislative issues, business forecasting and strategies for professional achievement.

Thursday, Oct. 9: Hear firsthand about current legislative issues facing the industry, and find out what steps you can take to protect your business in AAHomecare’s “Washington Update.”

Friday, Oct. 10: Sharpen your pencils and take notes as Wallace Weeks of The Weeks Group presents the “Outlook for HME: 2004-2008.” Get the forecasting information you need to set business goals and make long-range plans.

Saturday, Oct. 11: Get up and get going with Dr. Timothy Mescon as he presents “Size May Not Matter: Winning in a Challenging, Competitive Market.”

See page 36 in this issue for full opening session descriptions.

Billing Boot Camp

Tuesday, Oct. 7: Jane Bunch of JB&CS will present an all-day, military-style “billing boot camp.” The program will focus on the keys to successful billing and reimbursement, including Medicare participation, patient intake, insurance verification, HIPAA, denials and e-CMNs. Sponsored by The VGM Group, the program will also offer information on setting up a pharmacy for HME and assessing HME patients.

Medtrade Continuum of Care

Wednesday, Oct. 8: Sponsored by AAHomecare, this year’s Continuum of Care has expanded to include clinical and reimbursement content in the areas of home health nursing, rehab/assistive technology and respiratory therapy/sleep-disordered breathing. The one-day workshop will offer continuing education credits and a comprehensive look at the issues and challenges that home health, rehab and respiratory providers face. Network with like-minded practitioners, therapists and clinicians, and measure your practices and services against the cutting edge.

RESNA Fundamentals Course in Assistive Technology

Tuesday-Wednesday, Oct. 7-8: This special two-day course from the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) will provide those who are interested in the field of assistive technology with an overview of its various areas.

Medicare Unrobed: A Look at Your Best Payer’s Expenditures 2000-2002

Thursday, Oct. 9, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Every year, the four DMERCs aggregate claims data that provides the most accurate look at the DME market anywhere. In an analysis of this data for a two-year period, learn how much Medicare has paid for products in the most important categories within the industry. See if these product categories are growing or falling, and find out who the most significant players are in each. Sponsored by HME News.

NRRTS Open Meeting

Friday, Oct. 10, 5:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: The National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers will hold an open meeting.

Referral Source Strategies: How to Become a Preferred Provider

Friday, Oct. 10, Part I 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.; Part II 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Referral sources face enormous challenges as they seek to remain current with new technology and treatment protocols. During this two-part program, learn what referral sources expect from home health care providers and how to approach, educate and sell your services to them. Panel participants will include a case manager, discharge planner, PT/OT, physician, HME manufacturer and long-term care administrator.

Eastern Regional Conference

Friday-Saturday, Oct. 10-11: As a bonus for this year’s Medtrade attendees, the Academy of Certified Case Managers will hold its two-day Eastern Regional Conference with a focus on legal issues in case management and patient safety. Case managers who attend the ACCM conference will have full access to the Medtrade exhibit hall.

Grassroots Central

From position papers and guest speakers on hand to answer questions, find all of the legislative resources you need to make grassroots lobbying easy in this special section on the exhibit show floor. Sponsored by Home Health Care Dealer/Provider, computers will be set up with pre-written letters you can e-mail to your legislators immediately. Plus, catch up on local and national issues with information from various lobbying groups.

New Product Pavilion

With 250,000 products from more than 900 manufacturers and distributors on view at Medtrade, check the latest introductions and the newest innovations in this central location on the show floor. Keep track of the industry’s hottest product trends, and discover merchandising techniques and other practical solutions in the New Product Pavilion.