Educational Conference Planned for Medtrade Spring
Medtrade Spring 2006 is scheduled for March 21-23, 2006 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is designed to give home medical equipment providers educational tools needed for success.
The Medtrade Spring conference program will offer HME providers three days of sessions to assist them in providing cost-effective and quality care to their patients.
"In the HME industry, continuing education is the lifeblood of the provider, particularly in light of the regulatory changes facing HME providers over the next several years," says Jeff Baird, Esq., chairman of Brown & Fortunato, P.C.'s healthcare group, Amarillo, Texas, and a member of the Medtrade Educational Advisory Committee.
Two pre-show conferences sessions will take place Tuesday, March 21. The sixth Continuum of Care conference and The Brutal Facts … What's Real in Reimbursement for 2006 will be presented by the American Association for Homecare and Medtrade. Both conferences will take place from 8 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
- The conference, The Brutal Facts … What's Real in Reimbursement for 2006, will offer providers clear coverage criteria, real-life examples of documentation they should have in their files and techniques for getting reimbursed for common denials.
"Reimbursement is in a state of constant change—it isn't a department that just collects the money, it is about what product lines you choose, what type of order the intake department may need and how to organize it all to get paid. It is a business process," said Kim Brummett, vice president of reimbursement for Advanced Homecare in Greensboro, N.C. and a member of the Medtrade educational advisory committee. "Unfortunately, 2006 is going to be the year of more change than the industry has ever seen and it is important to stay up on the latest information and this seminar is designed to do just that."
The Continuum of Care conference will offer a series of programs in the following four areas:
- Oxygen and Respiratory Issues, sponsored by Respironics
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Re/habilitation and Assistive Technology, sponsored by Mobility Management magazine
- Sleep-Disordered Breathing Therapy sponsored by ResMed
Continuing education credits will be offered by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), the Board of Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC), the National Registry for Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (NRRTS) and the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (RESNA).
The opening session of the educational conference will focus on accreditation, one of the most talked about topics in the industry. An Update on Accreditation will be presented at 1 p.m. and will include a question-and-answer session with representatives of the American Commission for Health Care, the Community Health Accreditation Program and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
"HME providers can no longer succeed despite themselves — attending Medtrade's educational seminars and networking events is vital for their continued survival," says Jack Evans, president of Global Media Marketing and one of the speakers at the event. "The annual growth and profitability of their HME businesses depends upon their knowledgeable understanding of Medicare, our marketplace and the latest business trends."
Visit www.medtradespring.com.
This article originally appeared in the February 2006 issue of HME Business.