ATLANTA — Keeping up with reimbursement requirements and policy changes is something Kim Brummett does on a daily basis, and she'll share her knowledge with other providers during Medtrade's Pre-Show Conference Nov. 15.
Brummett, vice president for contracting and reimbursement at Greensboro, N.C.-based Advanced Homecare, which provides infusion, DME and home health care in Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, has been attending Medtrade for 15 years. For the last five, she has been working with show organizers to present a pre-show conference on reimbursement. This year's all-day session, which also will include speakers Miriam Lieber of Lieber Consulting and Sarah Hanna of ECS Billing & Consulting, will review business changes over the past year and look ahead to new requirements in the next.
Brummett appreciates the opportunity to educate colleagues on the changing regulations, specifically how to "turn an LCD (local coverage determination) into an operational process," she said. "How do I take the reg and interpret it for my company and implement it? What is the best practice in the industry?" Medtrade offers the opportunity for providers to have candid conversations "without worrying that you are talking to your competitor down the road," she said.
"As an industry, we really try to do the right thing," Brumett believes. "Medtrade is a great place to go and see what others are doing and to see what others are struggling with. I always learn something."
With radical and frequent changes in reimbursement requirements, the show enables providers to stay current, she said. "With the audits we're facing now, it doesn't matter what were best practices last year. With the perfect storm of competitive bidding and audits, I think we all feel we are on the edge of a cliff. It's been a very challenging year for many of us."
Medtrade's 2010 Pre-Show Conference will be held from 8 a.m. — 5 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. For details on the Reimbursement Conference (presented by AAHomecare and sponsored by RemitData) and other pre-show sessions — including presentations from VGM, Pride Mobility Products/Quantum Rehab, Sigvaris, Permobil, Philips Respironics and ResMed — see the schedule at www.medtrade.com.
At the Medtrade conference and Expo Nov. 16-18, see new products and services from more than 550 exhibitors and get the latest on protecting business, serving patients and navigating the regulatory and legislative mandates facing HME at some 140 educational sessions. Plus, check out:
- The Keynote Address, "The Power of Innovation and Creativity in Today's Intense Business Environment: A Roadmap to Success in the HME Industry." 9 - 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16
- AAHomecare's Washington Update, a first look at legislative challenges in the 112th Congress and insights from guest speaker Stan Collender, a Capitol Hill insider and federal budget expert. 1:30 — 3 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 17
- The NextGen Medtrade Accessible Home, a fully functional accessible home built right on the show floor and open for tours on all three Expo days.
- Medtrade Consumer Advocacy Day, designed to assist patients and their caregivers in developing a better understanding of the issues facing the HME industry. Thursday, Nov. 18
For more information and registration, go to www.medtrade.com.
Use Code HOME2000 for a $20 discount off prices for the show conference or Expo, good through Nov. 14. We'll see you there!