Thank you to the Academy members whose attendance and participation contributed to the success of the Annual Meeting last week in Seattle!

 

Academy members ranging from solo practitioners, through national practices to academic program leaders told us, as reflected by Academy President Dr. Bruce Leff during his closing comments, that this was the best annual meeting ever. Your Academy membership, meeting attendance despite cost, distance and time, and your enthusiastic participation at the meeting produced the success.

 

Academy staff wants to thank Dr. Steven Landers as chair and all the members of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee whose work and time are most appreciated in developing the successful meeting.

 

We thank Academy member and external speakers for their participation and presentations. Academy appreciation also goes to the exhibits and sponsors who provided the ability to offer thought provoking presentations, breaks and networking opportunities such as the Thursday evening reception that enhanced collegiality, learning from each other and raised the level of the meeting.

 

The content of this year's meeting reflected the challenges, opportunities and the increasing interest in your services and the entire field of home care medicine practice. And yes, we are already using your comments, questions to presenters and networking observations to make sure your 2013 Annual Meeting in Texas is as relevant, beneficial and successful as the just concluded 2012 meeting.

 

 

 

 

The kick-off meeting of the Academy grant funded learning collaborative took place on May 2 prior to the Annual Meeting in Seattle. The Learning Collaborative was attended by those practices just announced as IAH practices, those awaiting selection as consortium practices, and also those practices interested in the model and selection under a hoped for expanded beneficiary and practice opportunity.

 

Constance Row, Academy Executive Director, described the framework and purpose of the learning collaborative and the process of facilitated interactive problem solving that will be followed.

 

Drs. Bayne, Boling, Kinosian and Taler then led attendees through clinical vignettes designed to focus attention on patient care and information considerations for success. These considerations were discussed in terms of anticipation of patient needs, and practice design and redesign. Gary Swartz, Associate Executive Director, followed the practice design and redesign discussion by walking through a theoretical IAH pro-forma (HCC score of 3.00 and 20 percent savings from expected expenditures), to illustrate the benefits of success under the shared savings model.

 

Next Steps - Learning Collaborative attendees who not yet executed the participation agreement may do so through the agreement. IAH practices are encouraged to prepare their questions for the individual calls they will have with RTI as well as for the general CMS-IAH practice call next week. Please let us know your thoughts on the content and responses in these calls as CMS has agreed to support the Academy learning collaborative. And the Academy faculty is working on the educational programming for the next meeting of the Learning Collaborative based on the initial needs identified on May 2. Look for additional information soon.

 

IAH Expansion Efforts Underway

 

Jim Pyles, Esq., noted at the Learning Collaborative and during the Annual Meeting the good news that the initial CMS solicitation for practices received overwhelming response (over 130 applicants), and that this strong response from the homecare medicine field will support efforts already underway to expand IAH with the ultimate goal of IAH benefits being available to all Medicare beneficiaries in need.

 

IAH expansion may also help Part B medicine and beneficiary care overall by producing Medicare program savings that contribute to solution of the Sustainable Growth Rate formula issue. You can help by donating to the Homecare Medicine Action Fund.

 

Again, thank you for your attendance and participation to make the 2012 Annual Meeting the best ever.

 

Please contact Constance Row or Gary Swartz with any questions.

The Academy submitted recommendations to CMS regarding the definition of housecall practices and utilization expectations in response to CMS Medical Director request. The CMS request was based on Academy efforts to reduce audit, pre and post payment medical record requests burden and in anticipation of changes in utilization based on IAH and other new delivery and payment models. A copy of the letter is available  click here.

 

We are working to arrange the opportunity to review the field description discussed in the letter in person. As we pursue the briefing and education of CMS officials and staff on the benefits of housecalls as well as evolving patterns of utilization, we need your help through your submission of practice data to effectively advocate for your practice. Please help us in our advocacy efforts in your behalf by submitting data to the  Practice Survey.

  

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