Winter 2009 Audio Conference Series

MAJOR REGULATORY CHANGES  will occur in 2009 affecting outcomes, payments, surveys, and operations in home health. Many homecare providers are unaware of these changes or do not understand the implications.

According to a survey conducted by Beacon Health®:

• More than 75 percent of homecare providers have NOT seen the revised OASIS (OASIS-C), the first major revision in nearly a decade. Learn how it will impact your agency.
• More than 90 percent are not concerned about Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs). They should be.
• Nearly half of those surveyed say diagnosis coding is one of their clinicians’ biggest challenges. This audio conference provides helpful tips and insights into proper coding.
• About 1 in 3 expect their staff to be a major source of grief in 2009. Invite your staff, dial in, and ease your burden.

Session 1: Diagnosis Coding Update
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Session Times: 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
2–3 p.m. Eastern • 12–1 p.m. Mountain • 11–12 p.m. Pacific

Every year, the CDC updates the  ICD-9-CM classification. Simply knowing that these changes are effective January 1st is not enough. Clinicians must understand how to use the new and updated codes in documentation or expose their agency to payment denials.

We will explore:

• How the updates will impact home health agencies
• Proper coding strategies for pressure ulcer sites and stages
• Changes in personal history codes as they apply to homecare
• How these changes will affect the case-mix model in the revised Prospective Payment System (PPS)
• Examples of proper documentation

Session 2: Introduction to OASIS-C
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Session Times: 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
2–3 p.m. Eastern • 12–1 p.m. Mountain • 11–12 p.m. Pacific

The CMS plans to implement OASIS-C in January 2010. This will be the first major revision of the data set since its implementation in 1999. Don’t wait until the end of the year or later to review the revised OASIS and it’s impact on your agency. These changes will have significant implications for homecare agencies beyond just mastering the data elements.

We will reveal:

• Why so many changes, now?
• An overview of the revisions
• Updates to specific data elements, such as those on ADL/IADL
• Two big challenge process data elements and best practices
• An action plan for your agency  

Session 3: Get Ready: Here Come the RACs
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Session Times: 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
2–3 p.m. Eastern • 12–1 p.m. Mountain • 11–12 p.m. Pacific

The Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) will soon be “turning the screws” on homecare providers. Because their payment is a percentage of what they recover, scrutiny will be intense. Claims from the year 2007 and beyond will be at risk for denial.

We will examine:

• The RAC program—findings of the demonstration project, its rationale, its structure, and more
• What will be of greatest interest to the RACs
• How to prepare your agency
• The best response to a RAC request
• Two big risks confronting your homecare agency
• Actions to take NOW to minimize your agency’s liability and damages  

Session 4: Diagnosis Coding: Biggest Challenges
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Session Times: 1–2 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)
2–3 p.m. Eastern • 12–1 p.m. Mountain • 11–12 p.m. Pacific

Diagnosis coding is one of an agency’s biggest challenges—so big, in fact, that outsource coding companies are popping up everywhere. Whether you outsource or not, an agency’s clinicians MUST be at the core of any coding process.

We will review:

• Coding challenges in the revised PPS that every clinician faces
• The pros and cons of outsourcing
• Strategies for strengthening the clinician’s coding skills
• Working through actual homecare coding situations
• A quick look at what’s on the horizon—ICD-10 and more

Beacon Health is a Division of HCPro, Inc.

HCPro, Inc. is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation

This educational activity for 1.0 (per session) nursing contact hours is provided by HCPro, Inc.