Save the Date for Fall 2013 District Meetings

HCAF will host our in-person Fall 2013 District Meetings next month, and home care professionals are encouraged to attend to learn about the PPS Final Rule, companionship exemption and connect with your local home care community. The dates and cities are confirmed and so are most of the locations. The remaining specific locations will be announced soon.  Check our calendar for the latest updates.

• District I (Pensacola) – Nov 25, mid-day
• District II (Tallahassee) – Nov 22, mid-day
• District III (Ocala) – Nov 21, morning
• District IV (Jacksonville) – Nov 12, afternoon
• District V & VI (Tampa) – Nov 18, afternoon
• District VII (Orlando) – Nov 20, morning
• District VIII (Fort Myers) – Nov 19, morning
• District IX (Stuart) – Nov 13, morning
• District X (Fort Lauderdale) – Nov 14, morning
• District XI (Miami) – Nov 15, morning

CMS Fraud Prevention Symposium: Sept 25, 2013

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is hosting a Health Care Fraud Prevention Symposium on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 in the Tampa / St. Petersburg area. Participants will hear from leaders of the CMS Center for Program Integrity about goals for detecting and combatting Medicare and Medicaid fraud. In addition, attendees will learn about the roles played by CMS contractors and the State Medicaid agency including Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs) and the Medicaid Program Integrity Unit. Members of the Office of Inspector General (OIG , the Department ) of Justice (DOJ) and the State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will provide up-to-date information on law enforcement trends in healthcare fraud.

To register for the Tampa / St. Petersburg meeting, go to: http://healthcarefraud-tpa.eventbrite.com

HHQI National Campaign Cardiovascular Kickoff Webinar

The Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) National Campaign aims to improve cardiovascular health in the home health population in support of the Million Hearts® initiative.

Registration for the kick-off webinar focusing on cardiovascular health improvement featuring Million Hearts® Executive Director Dr. Janet Wright, is currently available.

Palmetto GBA Posts Recorded Presentation on Medical Review Denials

Palmetto GBA has posted a recorded webinar designed for home health providers to equip them with the tools they need to be successful with Medicare billing and documentation. This presentation focuses on denials found during the medical review process.

The webinar will be available until August 28, 2013 at 3:00pm ET. Click here to view the presentation.

Available Now: HCAF’s Summer Edition of The Florida Home Care Connection

The Summer 2013 issue of The Florida Home Care Connection, HCAF’s official magazine, is now available online! This issue focuses on renewing yourself for the new age of home care, and features articles from leading industry professionals.

Check out what’s inside:

Compulsive Hoarding Webinar & Other HHQI June Events

The Home Health Quality Improvement National Campaign wants to share the opportunity for providers and your clinicians to register for an exciting upcoming free HHQI Webinar broadcast: Compulsive Hoarding for Case Managers on June 12 from 2:00-4:00pm ET.  You can reserve your spot now by clicking here now.

This two-hour webinar is a joint presentation of the HHQI National Campaign’s Underserved Populations Network and Celtic Healthcare of Mars, Pennsylvania. Celtic Healthcare will be providing free Social Worker continuing education contact hours (NASW approved – 2.0 hours) for attending the live session on June 12 from 2:00-4:00pm ET.

Keynote presenters for the webinar will be Celtic Medical Director Dr. Patricia Nay, and Celtic Eastern Regional VP Tonya Miller. It will be a perfect opportunity for leadership to invite staff, including nursing, therapy, and social workers to come together and participate in the educational session. The presentation will be followed by discussions on how agencies can work as an interdisciplinary team to assist patients who have hoarding tendencies to be safer in their homes.

Test Your Aides on Professional Boundaries with May’s In-Home Aides: Partners in Quality Care

As a benefit of membership, HCAF provides agencies with In-Home Aides: Partners in Quality Care, a monthly publication that addresses relevant topics for home health aides. Topics addressed in In-Home Aides: Partners in Quality Care have included quality, aging, safety, teamwork, falls prevention and more.

The May 2013 edition addresses professional boundaries, about which aides will learn:

Palmetto GBA to Host Home Health Denials Webinar

Palmetto GBA will host a webinar on home health denials webinar on May 30, 2013 from 10:00 to 11:30am ET. Medicare providers are invited to this webinar designed for home health providers to equip them with the tools to be successful with Medicare billing and documentation. This presentation will focus on denials found during the medical review process.

For more information and to register, click here to visit the Palmetto GBA website.

AHCA to Host Webinars on Health Information Exchange

The Agency for Health Care Administration Health Information Exchange (HIE) will present three webinars beginning Friday, April 19 about the benefits of Direct Secure Messaging (DSM) and how your agency can sign up for this free service. DSM is a secure, encrypted email service that enables users to safely send messages and attachments containing protected health information.

Each webinar will take participants on a tour of DSM and will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Florida HIE staff. You are not required to register in advance to participate. Simply follow the instructions below to join the webinar.

Register Now for the Next Members-Only Call with CMS!

HCAF is excited to announce the next members-only Quarterly Provider Call with Medicare officials to discuss your concerns and get answers to your questions!

The next call takes place on Wednesday, May 22 at 1:00pm ET. Click here to register now.