Category: Events

Guest Blog Post: Participate in MeHI’s Health IT Research Study

By Laurance Stuntz, Director at the Massachusetts e-Health Institute (MeHI)

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Care Providers: Make your voice heard!  Participate in MeHI’s Health IT Research Study

Here at the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI), we have been busy traveling across the state to meet with healthcare providers, listen to their concerns, and share many of the programs our organization is undertaking to help with health IT adoption in the Bay State.

Our series of regional meetings have continued this fall, and have been very well attended from many healthcare segments including home care. These events have provided a great forum for providers and their organization’s leaders to ask questions about what’s ahead for health IT and how it will affect their particular area of specialty in the patient care continuum. In addition, we have been speaking at important local home care events including the Home Care Alliance Financial Management Conference.

With all of this activity and interest, we recognize that providers have a wide range of attitudes, opinions and needs regarding health IT adoption. We know there is much more work to be done and we want to partner with you to develop new strategies and programs to support complete EHR and Health Information Exchange adoption across the state, including ongoing improvement of the overall effectiveness of use of EHRs. It’s vital that you and your colleagues have a seat at the table.

This is why MeHI is undertaking a Provider and Consumer Research Study. This effort is aimed at gathering comprehensive information on the use, needs and attitudes toward health IT among both providers and consumers.

The research firm Market Decisions will be contacting thousands of health care providers and hundreds of consumers across Massachusetts to speak with them about health IT. The research will help identify specific challenges with health IT adoption and provide us with valuable insights.

If you are contacted, we encourage you to take 5 to 10 minutes to speak with the Market Decisions representatives to provide your perspective about the use of health IT in Massachusetts, including what you see as the major challenges in adopting these technologies. If you would like to take the survey now, please follow the link below to participate. We want your input!

http://www.research.net/s/MA_Home_Care

We hope that you will take the time to participate in this important survey. We are confident the first-hand perspectives we collect will lead to the development of thoughtful, well-informed strategies for providing the best health IT support and services to providers, as well as an improved healthcare experience for patients.

Laurance Stuntz is a Director at MeHI, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. MeHI was empowered by the Massachusetts legislature to expand the adoption of eHealth technologies and further innovation in health IT across the Commonwealth. Follow Laurance on Twitter at @lstuntz

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org

CMS Presents Jimmo v. Sebelius Manual Update

CMS is conducting a call on program manual updates related to the Jimmo v.Sebelius law suit on the CMS MLN Connects,  Thursday, December 19th at  2-3pm ET.  The program title is Program Manual Updates to Clarify SNF, IRF, HH, and OPT Coverage Pursuant to Jimmo v. Sebelius

To Register: Visit MLN Connects™ Upcoming Calls. Space may be limited, register early.

Agenda

  • Clarification of Medicare’s longstanding policy on coverage for skilled services
  • No “Improvement Standard” is to be applied in determining Medicare coverage for maintenance claims that require skilled care
  • Enhanced guidance on appropriate documentation

On January 24, 2013, the U. S. District Court for the District of Vermont approved a settlement agreement in the case of Jimmo v. Sebelius, involving skilled care for the inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF), skilled nursing facility (SNF), home health (HH), and outpatient therapy (OPT) benefits. “Nothing in this Settlement Agreement modifies, contracts, or expands the existing eligibility requirements for receiving Medicare coverage.”

The goal of this settlement agreement is to ensure that claims are correctly adjudicated in accordance with existing Medicare policy, so that Medicare beneficiaries receive the full coverage to which they are entitled. The settlement agreement sets forth a series of specific steps for CMS to undertake, including issuing clarifications to existing program guidance and new educational material on this subject.

As part of the educational campaign, this MLN Connects™ Call will provide an overview of the clarifications to the Medicare program manuals. These clarifications reflect Medicare’s longstanding policy that when skilled services are required in order to provide reasonable and necessary care to prevent or slow further deterioration, coverage cannot be denied based on the absence of potential for improvement or restoration. In this context, coverage of skilled nursing and skilled therapy services “…does not turn on the presence or absence of a beneficiary’s potential for improvement, but rather on the beneficiary’s need for skilled care.” Portions of the revised manual provisions also include additional material on the role of appropriate documentation in facilitating accurate coverage determinations for claims involving skilled care. Target Audience
Skilled Nursing Facilities; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities; Home Health Agencies; and providers and suppliers of therapy services under the Outpatient Therapy Benefit

ODF on December 11th

Save the Date!

The next Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. If you wish to participate, dial 1-800-837-1935; Conference ID: 70980706.

Tentative Agenda:

I. Announcements & Updates

  • Ordering & Referring Physician
  • HHCAHPS
  • Home Health Rule Publication
  • Q Code Requirement

II. Open Q&A

III. Special Breakout Session with Q & A Hospice Item Set (HIS) and upcoming Training. Session starts promptly at 2:40 p.m.

Visit the Open Door  Forum Website for more information.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

NB: The original post accidentally indicated that the forum was to be on December 11; the post has since been corrected.

Home Health ODF: Ask-the-Contractor Teleconference

National Government Service’s  Home Health Open Door Forum: Ask-the-Contractor Teleconference (ACT) is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, 2013 from 1:30-3:00 pm  This teleconference will provide updates to the home health provider community and a forum for questions and answers. The ACT is an opportunity to speak directly to the contractor, so please have your questions ready for the contractors to answer!

Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Time: 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET

Register for session

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Visit Our New Home Care Month Webpage and Raise Awareness

November is National Home Care and Hospice Month and the Home Care Alliance has put up a special webpage full of resources and information to help agencies and advocates raise awareness.
The website promotes several informational pieces including:

  • “The Agency Advantage,” which lists reasons why people should choose a home care agency over an independent direct-hire individual.
  • “Your Care, Your Choice,” which highlights Medicare rules relative to patient choice.
  • “Keeping It Legal,” which is a resource for home care referral sources about ethical practices under federal regulations.
  • The Caregiver Video Resource Center, and more!

In addition, the website has a sample press release and letter-to-the-editor templates for agencies to send to their local media. Home Care Month is an excellent opportunity to recognize staff and be visible in the community.

Visit www.thinkhomecare.org/homecaremonth to help raise awareness and connect with the Alliance on Facebook and Twitter to let us know how you are celebrating!

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Regional Trainings on MOLST Being Held

For those home health agencies looking to implement or simply learn more about MOLST (Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment), the MOLST outreach and education team is hosting a series of regional meetings detailed below.

The Region 3 meeting will be held on November 18 at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, MA.  Click here to register.  Registration will close on November 13.

The Region 4 meeting will be held on December 6 at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, MA.  Click here to register.  Registration will close on November 29.

The Region 5 meeting will be held on November 13 at New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, MA.  Click here to register.  There are just a few seats left.  Registration will close this Wednesday, November 6.

If you are (or will be) involved in implementing MOLST at your institution, or involved in training others about MOLST, come to these meetings to:

•    Learn more about MOLST
•    Become familiar with the MOLST process in order to communicate and honor your patients’ life-sustaining treatment decisions
•    Understand how to use available MOLST resources for implementation, including across the continuum of care

More information is available on the MOLST website.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

MeHI Hosting Free Regional Health IT Meetings

The Massachusetts e-Health Institute (MeHI) is hosting free regional meetings to help attendees keep up-to-date on how they can gain the benefits of connected EHRs and the Massachusetts programs to support their adoption and use.

The sessions will include information about how MeHI, the Mass HIway and others are helping providers comply with Chapter 224 requirements for physician licensure and Stage 2 Meaningful Use.

The workshop will take place in Worcester on November 4th and will run from 8:00am to 11:30am. The event is free, but registration is required. More information on registration and the agenda for the event are available here.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Join Us For NEHCC 2014 At The Boston Park Plaza

The New England Home Care Conference & Trade Show is pleased to officially announce its 2014 venue and dates:

Park Plaza Lobby
Credit: Boston Park Plaza Hotel

May 28 – May 30, 2014
Boston Park Plaza Hotel
50 Park Plaza at Arlington Street
Boston, MA 02116

Considered one of Boston’s finest hotels since it opened its doors in 1927, The Park Plaza features 8 on-site restaurants, a state of the art Fitness Center, Business Center, and full Concierge Service.  It’s located in Boston’s historic Back Bay, just across the Street from the Public Gardens and Common.

To save the date to your calendar, just click here.

Continue reading “Join Us For NEHCC 2014 At The Boston Park Plaza”

Alzheimer’s Association Holding Training for Direct Care Staff

The Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is hosting a series of educational seminars for direct care staff and the Home Care Alliance encourages those interested to participate.

The format is a train the trainer model created to prepare attendees, already familiar with Alzheimer’s and dementia care, to train direct care staff in a wide array of care settings, including home care.

Here are the details:

Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Habilitation Training Curriculum Date of next Training:

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Alzheimer’s Association, 480 Pleasant Street, Watertown, MA 02472

The curriculum is a train the trainer model created to prepare attendees, already familiar with Alzheimer’s and dementia care, to train direct care staff in a wide array of care settings. The 7 hour training teaches attendees the 13 hour curriculum in best Habilitation Therapy practices. Modules include a PowerPoint presentation, discussion activities, lecture, and demonstration, role-play and group work. Continue reading “Alzheimer’s Association Holding Training for Direct Care Staff”

Today’s ODF Cancelled

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) sent notice yesterday that due to unforeseen circumstances, the June 26, 2013 Home Health, Hospice and DME Open Door Forum (ODF) is postponed until July 9, 2013. A separate notification with a full announcement and agenda will be sent prior to the July 9th call.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.