ASAP
A Weekly Publication Of HCA Home Care Association of New York State
Legislative Issues Public Policy
News
Volume 20, No. 25 June 26, 2015
F2F Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate This week, Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) introduced the “Home Health Documentation and Program Improvement Act of 2015,” which aims to assist providers coping with the federal Face-to-Face (F2F) mandate by creating a single form for certification purposes. In addition, the legislation addresses past claims denials by requiring the Medicare contractors to re-review claims denied after January 1, 2011. It also waives the F2F mandate for all home health services provided to patients who receive home health immediately upon discharge from a hospital or skilled nursing facility. See F2F p. 4
NY Legislative Session Concludes The regular schedule for the 2015 State Legislative Session concluded late last night with agreements on several major items that consumed the bulk of the final weeks. These major focus items included: extension of New York City (NYC) rent control, mayoral control of NYC schools, extension of the 421-a incentive program, $250 million in new support for nonpublic schools to cover mandated costs, and restructuring the cap on charter schools. As reported last week, HCA was successful this year in gaining passage of critical bills that would mitigate unchecked, massive cuts under the state Department of Health’s rebasing plan for the CHHA Episodic Payment System. See CONCLUDES p. 2
Inside ASAP F2F Legislation introduced in the US Senate.....................................1 NY Legislative Session Concludes......................................................1 Get your Agency Ready for ICD-10 Billing under Managed Care......3 Save the Date for CFO Retreat: September 17 & 18.............................3 Hiring Announcements.....................................................................4,7 Value Based Payment Initiative Proceeds.............................................5 Winthrop Hosts Home Care Visit with Rep. Rice.................................5 ASAP Web Stories on MAC Updates, CMS Forum and More............5 Major Improvements Sought for M.D. Order Regs.............................6 HCA, Partners to Meet with DOH on QIVAPP Issues...........................6 HCA’s Work Continues on Uniform Billing..........................................7 HCA Preps Comments on 2016 Hospice Proposed Rule...................8 HCA Meets with New State Medicaid Inspector General..................8 HCA to Serve on Congressional Veterans Advisory Board................9 Managed Care Update........................................................................9 DSRIP Update.....................................................................................10 Did You Complete the Palliative Care Survey We Sent You?............11 HCA Forum Concentrates on Upstate LHCSA Needs, Issues..........11
Summer ASAP Schedule Beginning this week, HCA will be publishing ASAP every other week for the summer. There will be no ASAP next week – for the July 4 holiday – and our offices will be closed on July 3. We will be sure to alert you of important updates, as needed, by e-mail. The ASAP schedule for the remainder of the summer is as follows: July 10, July 24, August 7, August 21. We will resume weekly ASAP on September 4.
Helping New Yorkers Feel Right At Home
Volume 20, No. 25 June 26, 2015
ASAP – a publication of the Home Care Association of New York State
an advanced home health aide level of care, home care technology investment, quality innovation support, amendments to telehealth coverage, and others.
CONCLUDES from p. 1 This success was due in no small part to the efforts of HCA members who used our Legislative Action Center to send hundreds of e-mails to their elected representatives on this HCA-developed bill. Thank you.
All of these measures, however, remain live in the legislative process and will be the subject of continued HCA focus and advocacy post-session. In addition, HCA raised concerns that helped defer bills that would have represented a major compromise to home care. These bills included legislation that would permit hospitals and clinics to provide services to chronically ill individuals at home (outside of Article 36 licensure) and authorize emergency medical technicians and services to be provided in the home outside of emergencies (and outside of Article 36 licensure).
One other important success was the passage of “essential personnel status” in emergency response and patient access for home care and hospice. HCA will be focusing next on advocating for the Governor’s approval of these bills, and we will be asking for you to weigh in further using our Legislative Action Center and other means. With so much attention on non-health care measures during the last week, the focus of negotiations moved away from many initiatives sought by organizations, like HCA, on a range of issue areas missed from the final agreement. This included several important health-related bills and home care measures, specifically, such as: managed care-home care regulatory relief, home care insurance coverage modernization, payment adequacy, authorization of
HCA will be developing and making available a comprehensive status report on the final session outcome. We appreciate and applaud the strong, proactive participation of the home care community in grassroots advocacy via our new legislative action advocacy system.
ASAP is a weekly publication of the Home Care Association of New York State (HCA). Unless otherwise noted, all articles appearing in ASAP are the property of the Home Care Association of New York State. Reuse of any content within this newsletter requires permission from HCA. President: Editor:
Joanne Cunningham, jcunningham@hcanys.org Roger L. Noyes, Director of Communications, rnoyes@hcanys.org Al Cardillo, Executive Vice President, Policy & Programs, acardillo@hcanys.org Patrick Conole, Vice President, Finance & Management, pconole@hcanys.org Andrew Koski, Vice President, Program Policy and Services, akoski@hcanys.org Laura Constable, Senior Director, Membership & Operations, lconstable@hcanys.org Mercedes Teague, Finance Manager, mteague@hcanys.org Jenny Kerbein, Director of Governance and Special Projects, jkerbein@hcanys.org Billi Hoen, Manager, Meeting and Events, bhoen@hcanys.org Teresa Brown, Administrative Assistant, tbrown@hcanys.org 388 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12207 Tele: 518-426-8764; Fax: 518-426-8788; Website www.hcanys.org
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ASAP – a publication of the Home Care Association of New York State
Get your Agency Ready for ICD10 Billing under Managed Care ICD-10 is coming. And with managed care being a dominant payor in New York home care, you need to make sure that your agency is ready for service billing with your managed care partners by the October 1 implementation date. HCA’s next installment of our Bootcamp series, on July 21, will focus on this hot topic, as you Prepare for the Transition to ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes in Managed Care. Don’t wait until the last minute. Register for this program today for a small member registration fee of $59. A registration form is at the back of this week’s ASAP.
CEOs, CFOs and Other Finance Staff: Save the Date for HCA’s Financial Managers Retreat at the Mohonk on Sept. 17 & 18 HCA’s fall education programming is shaping up, and we wanted you to take note of our next big signature event – the popular Senior and Financial Manager’s Retreat at the scenic Mohonk Mountain House Resort on September 17 and 18. We are putting the finishing touches on the brochure and registration form, so be on the lookout for a notice soon. This program is geared for CEOs, CFOs and financial managers. It will hone in on key Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement updates, benchmarking information, federal and state payment issues, and new growth opportunities across all of your organization’s payor lines, whether you are a CHHA, LTHHCP, LHCSA or MLTC. Save the date: September 17 and 18 at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz.
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Volume 20, No. 25 June 26, 2015
F2F continued from p. 1 This legislation, drafted and promoted by the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA), is part of an intense national and state association effort aimed at mitigating, reducing and eliminating the burden of the F2F requirement. HCA, along with our national partners at VNAA and the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, has a long history of vigorous advocacy on this issue, which resulted in modest F2F changes last year by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In addition, HCA is working with member organizations on a uniform F2F form that providers can use throughout New York. HCA has been working with NAHC on a different and more potent approach to solving the F2F burden. It includes legislative language stating that the physician’s signature on the plan of care, along with the date of the F2F encounter, would be deemed to meet the F2F mandate. HCA will continue our efforts to promote a legislative fix to F2F, and continue our efforts to educate the New York Congressional Delegation on the need for relief from the F2F regulation.
HIRING Hospice and Palliative Care Association of NYS (HPCANYS) Seeks New President & CEO HPCANYS is a not-for-profit organization, located in Albany, NY, representing hospice and palliative care programs, allied organizations and individuals that are interested in the development and growth of quality, comprehensive endof-life services. The President and CEO provides leadership and manages and directs all functional areas of the Association as prescribed by the Board of Directors. The responsibilities and duties of the successful candidate will include, but are not limited to:
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Education/Experience: • Bachelor’s degree required; strong preference for Master’s or other advanced degree (e.g., MPA, MBA, MPH or JD) preferred. • Some meaningful experience in each of the following areas: health care, public policy and notfor-profit or trade association management. • At least five years’ intensive senior-level experience in at least one of: health care, public policy or notfor-profit or trade association management. • Ability and willingness to travel and ability to apply information technology.
Provide leadership, vision, strategic thinking in the development of and strategic execution of the annual strategic blueprint. Lead, develop and manage all aspects of a member organization within the annual budget. Develop and maintain relationships with strategic partners including healthcare, business, media and community stakeholders; and governmental groups within the state and national arena. Coordinate all political action and advocacy activities with the appropriate leadership. Seek external program funding including grants and non-dues revenue. Manage all aspects of the Association’s communication strategies including website, quarterly newsletter, weekly e-news and other related strategies as needed. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Candidates meeting the above qualifications should submit the following for a complete submission: cover letter; current résumé (1-2 pages in length preferred), which includes previous work experience and salary history; recommendation letters (optional, but desired). Please submit to iferrandino@hpcanys.org by close of business, Friday, July 31, 2015. For additional information call 518-446-1483.
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ASAP – a publication of the Home Care Association of New York State
Value Based Payment Initiative Proceeds to Technical Committees
Volume 20, No. 25 June 26, 2015
Winthrop Hosts Home Care Visit with Rep. Rice
The state Value Based Payment (VBP) workgroup, on which HCA is a participant, met this week to discuss the status of the state’s Roadmap and the next phase of VBP development. State Medicaid Director Jason Helgerson and KPMG VBP Project director Mark Berg, MD, reviewed Roadmap comments by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They also shared some proposed state responses and changes. The comments and responses included: Medicaid VBP alignment with Medicare; provisions for regular updates and adjustments to the Roadmap; target goals for percent of payments converted to VBP methods; “off-menu” (i.e., additional and more diverse) options for VBP arrangements; relationship of VBP to the State Health Improvement Plan; VBP methods for preventive services; and payment and cost implications for high VBP performers “topping out” in performance goals. Next up is a subcommittee process to further delve into technical details. The subcommittees will include members of the VBP workgroup as well as provider, health plan and other technical experts. The subcommittees will address technical design, regulation, social determinants of health, community based organizations, advocacy and engagement, and clinical items. The meeting slides, an outline of the subcommittee process, and implementation timetables are at http:// hca-nys.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/ 06/VBPWorkgroupMeeting6slides.pdf. For further information, contact Al Cardillo at acardillo@hcanys.org.
U.S. House Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY-4) recently met with a home care patient in Nassau County to see home care services firsthand. The patient, Mary Anne Elliott, has periodically received home health services from Winthrop University Hospital Home Health Agency from 2006 to present. Initially, Mrs. Elliott had received services on a short term basis but in 2011 she transitioned to Winthrop’s Long Term Home Health Care Program (Lombardi Program). Currently, her services include: Nursing, Physical Therapy, Personal Care Aide and Social Work. Additional services include Telehealth, a Personal Emergency Response System and she uses Oxygen when needed. Winthrop’s Home Health Agency services patients in their place of residence in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties. We thank the Winthrop team for arranging this important visit, with special thanks to HCA Board Member Anne Calvo, Assistant Vice President at Winthrop. We also thank Rep. Rice for taking the time to see home care in action. Shown in the picture are (from left): Rep. Rice, Mary Anne Elliott and her daughter Terry Granados.
Go Online For ASAP Web Exclusives In an effort to keep ASAP concise, HCA is posting some of our stories as online exclusives to our website. We have created a new page called “General News” where you can find updates from NGS, the state’s Medicare Contractor; a major ruling by the Supreme Court on the Affordable Care Act and dial-in information for an upcoming Home Health and Hospice Open Door Forum (July 8). Get these important updates by visiting the HCA website at: http://hca-nys.org/category/general-news. 5
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Major Improvements Sought for M.D. Order Regulations HCA has proposed to state Department of Health (DOH) officials some major regulatory revisions that would more appropriately accommodate timetables for signed physician orders and billing in home care. Existing state regulations for signed orders and billing have been confining, costly and punitive. Under the regulations, home care agencies are bound by strict time limits for signed orders (30 days for new orders, and renewals at least every 60 days). Limits for Medicaid billing (90 days) compound the problem when physician signatures are outstanding, despite the agency’s entitlement to payment for its delivery of medically needed and quality care. These administrative efforts are costly. What’s more, home care agencies ultimately cannot control when physicians will provide signed documentation. In response to appeals by HCA, association partners and the Home and Community Based Care Regulatory Workgroup, DOH recently re-invited our engagement for developing solutions. After studying potential options with partners, HCA proposed an alignment of the state’s requirements with Medicare, which permits up to a year for both signature and billing. If DOH agrees to this proposal, now under consideration, it is expected that revised regulations will have to be published and adopted. Stay tuned for updated reports on this effort. HCA extends thanks to DOH for its invitation to consider these improvements.
HCA, Partners to Meet with DOH on QIVAPP Issues HCA, LeadingAgeNY and the New York State Association of Health Care Providers will be scheduling a meeting with the state Department of Health (DOH) to follow up on a recent exchange of letters regarding the Quality Incentive Vital Access Provider Pool (QIVAPP) program. As mentioned in last week’s ASAP, the associations sent DOH a joint letter taking issue with DOH’s reinterpretation of the health benefit requirement for QIVAPP eligibility. The original requirement stated that an agency must provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to its employees. The revised requirement stated that “a minimum of 30 percent of a provider’s total workforce must be enrolled in the health benefit.” (April 29, 2015 QIVAPP Webinar Frequently Asked Questions). In the letter, we urged DOH to retract its April 29 reinterpretation. DOH responded that, while it understood our concerns about the 30 percent threshold, QIVAPP is intended to “reward plans that invest in their network providers” and “part of the investment is for additional expenses incurred by providers from enrolling employers in a health benefit.” Meanwhile, home care providers are waiting for DOH to decide who will be eligible for the federal portion of QIVAPP based on the information submitted by their plan partners in early May. HCA will keep members updated on any new developments. For more information, contact Andrew Koski at (518) 810-0662 or akoski@hcanys.org.
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Volume 20, No. 25 June 26, 2015
HCA’s Work Continues on Uniform Billing HCA continued its work on establishing uniform/standard billing for managed care/home care services by meeting this week with state Department of Health (DOH) officials to present findings compiled by HCA and other Associations. HCA and allied associations queried our members to help in categorizing services and common codes currently used by managed care plans. Services included personal care, home health aide, Consumer Directed Personal Assistance, nursing, therapy, telehealth, adult day, and those that are part of waiver programs. This information was then discussed at the DOH meeting where staff asked us to revise some of the waiver codes to reflect codes used by plans to report encounter data. Once DOH obtains this updated data, it will review all of the coding information and share it with plan associations for their feedback. Afterwards, DOH will bring together the associations representing home and community based providers to discuss any concerns or recommendations by managed care plans. This work is the result of a provision in the final state budget, long sought by HCA, to simplify the claims processing for both home care agencies and managed care plans. The provision requires standard billing codes for home and community-based services under managed care. HCA thanks those members who gave us coding information and will keep members informed on future developments. For more information, contact Andrew Koski at (518) 810-0662 or akoski@hcanys.org; or Patrick Conole at (518) 810-0661 or pconole@hcanys.org.
HIRING Director of Programs & Services and Compliance Visiting Nurses Home Care is a Licensed Home Care Agency servicing 18 counties in the Capital Region and an affiliate of VNA Home Health, a Certified Home Health Agency certified in 11 counties. We have a full time position open for a Director of Programs & Services and Compliance. This individual will be responsible for the delivery of quality care for all Agency Programs and Services as well as planning, implementing and monitoring the Agency Corporate Compliance Program. This position reports directly to the CEO and is based in the Menands office. Requirements include a B.S.N. in Nursing or Registered Nurse with a Bachelor’s Degree in a related field. Master’s Degree in Nursing or related field preferred. Minimum of three to five years Supervisory/ Management experience in a health care setting, preferably in Home Care or Community-based Services. Must possess a current NYS Driver’s License and Current License & Registration to practice as a Registered Professional Nurse. Please submit Resume to HR@vnhc.com
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ASAP – a publication of the Home Care Association of New York State
HCA Preps Comments on 2016 Hospice Proposed Rule HCA is preparing extensive written comments on the 2016 proposed rule for Medicare hospice payment updates, wage index changes and quality reporting recently posted by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Our comments will be submitted to CMS on Monday. HCA will share these comments with the membership at that time. One concern addressed in our draft comments relates to CMS’s analysis of practice patterns outside of hospice for hospice patients. These patterns are, in part, attributable to outmoded CMS systems which do not properly identify patients who have elected hospice enrollment. As a whole, HCA is urging improvements on CMS’s part for better coordination between hospice provider services and services performed by nonhospice providers for hospice enrollees, especially services unrelated to hospice diagnoses. HCA is also urging CMS to release its 2015 technical report that was supposed to accompany the proposed payment changes for 2016. This data is necessary for the hospice community to understand the rationale for CMS’s proposed payment updates. On the payment side, our comments specifically address several items in the proposed rule, including: revisions to the routine home care rate, the service intensity add-on payment, the inpatient aggregate cap accounting year timeframe, and the wage index which is particularly problematic and in need of revision. We are also preparing item-by-item comments on quality reporting elements of the proposed rule, such as the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) data submission process and future quality measures; the impact of Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey results on 2017 payments (an unfunded mandate in need of reimbursement
support); and the reporting of diagnoses on hospice claims. On the HQRP proposals, specifically, HCA’s draft comments caution against using claims-based measures that should more appropriately be viewed as practice indicators, not as quality indicators, stating that such measures “should not be used in the HQRP unless their direct relationship to hospice quality has been proven.” CMS’s proposed rule also contains a clarification requiring hospices to report all diagnoses on hospice claims when identified at the initial and comprehensive assessment, whether related or unrelated to the terminal illness. This is another area of concern, especially since CMS appears to demand immediate compliance with the requirement. Our draft comments state: “Requiring hospices to ensure inclusion of non-pertinent diagnoses in the medical record and on the claim is not beneficial to the patient and only distracts the hospice interdisciplinary group from providing the care that is necessary for the relevant diagnosis.” For more information, please contact a member of the HCA Policy staff.
HCA Meets with New State Medicaid Inspector General Dennis Rosen This week, HCA met with new State Medicaid Inspector General Dennis Rosen, who succeeded James Cox. Joining Mr. Rosen for the meeting was Deputy Medicaid Inspector General Mark Hennessey. HCA President Joanne Cunningham and Executive Vice President Al Cardillo introduced Mr. Rosen to our association, the home care field, challenges and changes to providers, and many of our proactive quality and program initiatives for patients and services. We specifically shared a computer demonstration of the HCA Quality Measurement and Risk Tool, developed by the HCA Quality Committee and close to being finalized. Alongside this presentation, we discussed opportunities and needs for financial assistance so that 8
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providers can operationalize these quality measurement and risk assessment activities. The meeting also provided an opportunity to share perspectives on care, services, audits and continued effective collaboration between our organizations. Mr. Rosen and OMIG staff will be presenting at HCA’s October 8 Corporate Compliance Symposium. All HCA providers and MLTC members should plan on participating in this important session. For further information, please contact Al Cardillo at acardillo@hcanys.org.
HCA to Serve on Congressional Veterans Advisory Board In response to HCA’s efforts on behalf of veterans’ health care, U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has invited HCA’s Executive Vice President Al Cardillo to serve on his Veterans Advisory Board. HCA has been working with the New York State Health Foundation, providers and others to explore ways of improving veterans’ access to home care services. Among other steps, HCA authored and gained introduction of state legislation to create a Veterans Home and Community Based Care Program that would pilot test a comprehensive, interdisciplinary model to deliver, coordinate and manage an array of services for veterans. The legislation, S.5780/A.8198, is sponsored by New York’s Senate Veterans Committee Chairman Croci and Assembly Veterans Chairman DenDekker. HCA engaged the Congressman’s office for assistance in obtaining veteran’s home care data from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, which the Congressman enthusiastically supported. Last week, the Congressman’s office asked HCA for a briefing on our state legislative proposal and invited a discussion of further ideas on veterans’ health. For further information, please contact Al Cardillo at acardillo@hcanys.org.
Managed Care Update The latest developments in Medicaid managed care include: the Department of Health’s (DOH’s) enforcement of its live-in policy; updates on the transition to MLTC and Fully Integrated Duals Advantage (FIDA); a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document on the nursing home transition; and a revised managed care timeline. Live-in Cases MLTC Policy 14.08 (http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/mltc_policy_14-08.htm) mandates payment for 13 (instead of 12) hours for live-in cases retroactive to April 1, 2014. Some providers have reported to HCA issues obtaining this level of payment and DOH asked us for information corroborating this issue. While many plans are paying 13 hours, others are not or are paying 13 hours but not retroactive to April 1, 2014. DOH intends to follow up with plans about compliance with this policy. Continued on next page 9
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Continued from p. 9 MLTC Transition The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the last counties in New York to transition to managed care. These include: Allegany, Clinton, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence. The “front door” will close under Medicaid fee-for-service on July 3 for those individuals age 21 and over who need community-based long term care services for more than 120 days. Instead, these individuals will have to undergo an assessment by New York Medicaid Choice to determine their eligibility to receive such services in an MLTC plan. FIDA The state has released an updated Marketing Guidance, final appeal and grievance notices, state-specific reporting requirements, and an outreach CD with materials for plans, providers and advocacy organizations. For more information on this information, contact Fida@health.ny.gov. Nursing Home FAQs Meanwhile, DOH has posted another set of FAQs on the transition of the nursing home benefit and population into MLTC and mainstream managed care plans (http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/ 2015-june_nh_transition_to_mmc_faq.htm). The FAQs cover rates; billing; benefit; enrollment; eligibility; authorizations; discharge and care planning: and other issues. Updated Timeline DOH has also posted an updated timeline for the transition of populations and benefits into mainstream Medicaid managed care at http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/docs/mrt1458_timeline.xls. The timeline reflects the delayed movement into managed care of services under the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion and Traumatic Brain Injury programs to January 1, 2017. (see last week’s ASAP for more information). For more information, contact Andrew Koski at (518) 810-0662 or akoski@hcanys.org.
DSRIP Update Deliverables and resources posted to HCA website On June 1, the Performing Provider Systems (PPSs) under the Delivery Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program submitted Domain 1 Implementation Plans to the state Department of Health (DOH). DOH, other agencies, and the DSRIP Independent Assessor (IA) are currently reviewing these plans. In early June, DOH shared baseline data, additional attribution information, detailed webinars, and guidance with the PPSs. Project Implementation Plans are due from the PPSs by July 31. DOH has also shared with us a list of key deliverables along with resource hyperlinks. HCA has posted this list to our website at http://hca-nys.org/general-news/dsrip-update-2. 10
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Did You Complete the Palliative Care Survey We Sent You? Please respond by July 8 Last week, HCA told you about a palliative care education initiative happening statewide. This week we sent you an alert with a survey link to give the New York State Palliative Care Education and Training Council some baseline feedback to help inform this process. Please be sure to complete the survey as soon as possible and no later than July 8. The brief online survey is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7VHXPL8. As we’ve reported, HCA got legislation passed, and signed by the Governor, to help bolster palliative care training and education. HCA and the Council just need your input to flesh out the precise education and training needs to move forward. The survey will help inform the Council’s recommendations and report. More information and instructions are in the alert sent to you on Wednesday. See http://tinyurl.com/oaywoq9.
HCA Forum Concentrates on Upstate LHCSA Needs, Issues HCA gathered our upstate LHCSA members this week in Utica, on June 24, for our Upstate LHCSA Forum, which adds to the downstate version of the forum that we hold for members in the NYC-metropolitan region. The two regional audiences – upstate and downstate – have distinct needs for their LHCSA operations in the different areas of the state. While many of the payment and regulatory issues cut across all regions, our upstate members were particularly engaged on upstate workforce shortage issues (professional and paraprofessional), transportation costs, and other issues specific to their parts of the state. Any members who participated on Wednesday and have follow-up questions – or special needs that we should address in future forums – can contact any of the HCA Policy staff. LHCSA members who could not attend the Upstate Forum and want to be part of future Forums should contact info@hcanys.org. Given the popularity of the Upstate LHCSA Forum, we will be sure to include future meeting dates in other regions upstate to address LHCSA needs.
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Tuesday, July 21 9:30am – 12:00Noon
Location: Conference Center 130 East 59th Street (near Lexington Ave.) 7th floor New York, NY 10022
Fee: $59 for HCA members; $119 for Non-members
HCA is offering a series of Home Care Survival Bootcamps throughout the coming months to provide tools, tips and strategies that will help home health providers thrive in an increasingly challenging marketplace and regulatory environment. This series focuses on specific issue areas, offering practical ideas and methods for skill building. Part V in this series, on July 21, offers vital information on how to prepare for the transition on October 1, 2015 from ICD-9 to ICD-10 diagnosis codes. This program will focus on what actions various managed care plans are taking to educate their network providers so that claims will continue to be paid after September 30th.
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