Medtrade Spring

Legislative, Regulatory Info to Highlight This Year’s Show

Between the “make or break” pressures of competitive bidding, the frantic race for accreditation and the seemingly unending lists of supplier rules and revisions, it’s little wonder that HMEs throughout the U.S. are shaking their heads in frustration.

But there is help.

Medtrade, the HME industry’s largest conference and trade show, will make its return in a few weeks — and it’s bringing with it a host of industry experts to answer your toughest questions.

“Over the past several years, the educational programs at Medtrade have become increasingly important to the attendees. With the regulatory changes that seem to be hitting the HME industry on an almost-daily basis, education is becoming a lifeline for successful HME companies,” says Jeffrey S. Baird, attorney with Amarillo, Texas-based Brown & Fortunato and member of the Medtrade Education Planning Committee.

Some Medtrade Spring educational sessions that will address the impact of competitive bidding include:

• “Competitive Bidding: What Went Wrong in Round One and How HME Providers Can Better Prepare for Round Two” by Mark J. Higley, VGM Group
• AAHomecare’s “Washington Update” by Tyler Wilson and Walt Gorski
• “The Current Status of Legislative Activity” by John Gallagher, VGM Group
• “Accreditation Update: The Latest from CMS” by Mary Ellen Conway, Capital Healthcare Group
• “What if I Don’t Win the Bid … How Do I Keep My Business Going?” by Claudia Amortegui, The Orion Group
• “Joint Ventures and Competitive Bidding Networks for HMEs” by Amy Leoopard, Walter & Haverfield

Medtrade Spring will take place May 6-8 in Long Beach, Calif. For more information about the event, visit www.medtrade.com or call 800/933-8735.

Schedule At-A-Glance

Tuesday, May 6

7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Registration

8:00 am – 12:15 pm
Continuum of Care Conference

8:00 am – 12:00
Reimbursement Conference

1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Medtrade Spring Educational Sessions

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Stand Up For Homecare Reception

Wednesday, May 7

7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Registration

7:30 am – 8:15 am
AAHomecare’s Washington Update

8:30 am- 12:00 pm
Medtrade Spring Educational Sessions

10:00 am- 5:00 pm
Exhibit Hall Hours

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Medtrade Networking Reception

Thursday, May 8

8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Registration

8:30 am-12:00 pm
Medtrade Spring Educational Sessions

10:00 am- 5:00 pm
Exhibit Hall Hours

Session Tracks

• Accreditation
• Business Operations
• Industry Updates
• Information Technology
• Legislative & Regulatory Issues
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Oxygen/Respiratory Issues
• Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology
• Reimbursement
• Sales & Marketing
• Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Accreditation Central

May 7 – 8

Long Beach Convention Center
Long Beach, California

HME providers who want to be considered for contracts in the second round of competitive bidding must be accredited by Oct. 31, 2008. And all providers must be accredited by September 2009 in order to continue doing business with Medicare.

Which accrediting organization is best for your company? What are their distinguishing characteristics? How do you begin the process? How much does it cost?

Find the answers to these and other questions at Medtrade’s Accreditation Central to get the information you need for making decisions and moving forward.

Sponsored by HomeCare, Accreditation Central will feature representatives from many of CMS’ approved accreditation organizations whose representatives will be on hand to talk with you during exhibit hall hours.

• Accreditation Commission for Health Care
• American Board for Certification in Orthotics & Prosthetics
• Community Health Accreditation Program
• Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation
• The Compliance Team
• The Joint Commission

HOURS OF OPERATION

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Thursday, May 8, 2008
10:00 am – 3:00 pm

SCHEDULE OF PRESENTATIONS

Wednesday, May 7

10:30 am – 11:30 am

DMEPOS Accreditation – Where Are We Now?

The DME industry is undergoing significant changes, not the least of which is mandatory accreditation required by many third-party payers. A surge in accreditation of DMEPOS suppliers has already begun with the 2007 competitive bidding requirement, and the accreditors are learning lessons about this new and revitalized industry. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss some of the recent findings while accrediting DMEPOS suppliers new to accreditation, and reveal some best practices observed during the survey process.

Presented by: Bob Floro, RRT, Program Director, The Joint Commission

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

CHAP Cares – Trends of Accreditation

Review of trends identified with implementation of CHAP Cares software of most cited standards and education on improving organizational compliance.

Presented by: Gwen M. Franzgrote, MA, RRT, Director of HME Services, Community Health Accreditation Program

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

HQAA Today

This presentation will familiarize the audience with the unique methodology to accomplishing accreditation. The completely electronic process will be demonstrated and updates on new offerings included.

Presented by: Mary Nicholas, Executive Director, Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation

3:30pm – 4:30pm

Accreditation Made Simple

How to be awarded accreditation for ACHC.

Presented by: Timothy Safley, HME Clinical Advisor, Accreditation Commission for Health Care

Thursday, May 8

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

ABC Accreditation: The Solution for Medicare Providers of O&P and DME Services

With Medicare’s new accreditation regulations for all suppliers of orthotics, prosthetics and durable medical equipment, finding an approved source of affordable accreditation is critical to your business. This session will teach business owners the ins and outs of Medicare’s new regulation and introduce attendees to ABC’s CMS-approved accreditation programs for O&P and DME suppliers. Designed as an affordable option for business owners, ABC’s accreditation standards incorporate aspects of patient safety, quality care outcomes and measures of organizational progress.

Presented by: Scott Williamson, CAE, American Board for Certification in Orthotics & Prosthetics

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Accreditation Simplified

Sandra Canally, RN, founder and resident of The Compliance Team, the CMS-approved accrediting body for all types of DMEPOS providers, will conduct a mini-version of her popular seminar series. Sandy’s stories and anecdotes will provide insights into why her firm is leading the movement to streamline and simplify DMEPOS accreditation by utilizing the industry’s first product-line and service-specific quality standards as the driving force behind a unique patient-centric, measured, continuous quality improvement program that can be made fully operational and lead to the Compliance Team’s Certificate of Accreditation in as little as six weeks.

Presented by: Sandra Canally, President, The Compliance Team