Grow your Business ...
Get Ready for the Future
In This Issue
Linking up with Provider Sponsored Medicare Advantage Plans
Hospice Use Increasing
New HIPAA Rules Issued by US Dept of HHS
LinkedIn Update
Quick Links
Leading Home Care

Join Our List

Join Our Mailing List
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Academy Logo (r)
February Webinar

"Throw the Rabbit: The Ultimate Approach to Three Dimensional Selling in Private Duty Home Care"
With Joe Bonura and Stephen Tweed

February 28, 2013 4:00 Eastern

 

Research conducted by Leading Home Care shows clearly that the single most effective method for generating new referrals that turn into admissions in private duty home care is to make regular, consistent face to face sales calls on high potential referral sources. The secret to your effectiveness in home care sales is having the knowledge, skills, and motivation to make those regular, consistent sales calls.

 

In this interactive web conference, Stephen Tweed will team up with Joe Bonura, an internationally known expert on sales and customer service to show you how to "Throw the Rabbit" to open the door to those high potential prospects.

Register Today!  
Selling Home Health to Physicians
Dunaway CD Set
Generate more referrals from physicians that turn into admissions.  Master the art and craft of communicating effectively with physicians by applying these words of wisdom from Dr. M. Tray Dunaway.
A Valued Resource
ACHC 120-240 banner

A Valued Resource
Solutions Group 120-240 banner

Issue: #247
February 20, 2013
HHT Banner
Greetings! 

... to this issue of Home Health Care Today, the leading electronic newsletter for home health care and hospice executives who want to grow their business and get ready for the future.

Please enjoy this newsletter, and join our interactive community.


Best regards,

 

Stephen Tweed
CEO
Leading Home Care ... a Tweed Jeffries company 
Linking up with Provider Sponsored Medicare Advantage Plans
By Stephen Tweed

One of the things you may want to consider in growing your home health
SCT Head Photoagency is linking up with provider sponsored Medicare Advantage plans in your local marketplace.  While most home health agencies much prefer traditional Medicare fee for service patients, there are times when it makes sense to develop strategic alliances with Medicare Advantage plans, also know as Medicare Part C.

Medicare Advantage started in 1997 as part of the Balanced  Budget Act, and was known as Medicare+Choice.  The name was changed to Medicare Advantage by the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act. 

Here are some facts about MA plans:
  • In 2012, Medicare Advantage plans covered 13.7 million enrollees, or 27%  of all Medicare beneficiaries.
  • Medicare Advantage plans account for 22% of Medicare Spending.
  • MedPAC estimates that MA plans were paid 7 to 14% more that traditional fee for service. 
  • The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will cut $200 billion from MA plans between 2010 and 2020. 
  • The average MA enrollee paid $35 per month in 2012. 
  • 65% of MA plan beneficiaries are covered by the six largest insurers.  
 Read more... 
Hospice Use Increasing
According to a recent article in USA Today, twice as many people died in hospice care as in a hospital or nursing home compared to a decade ago.  Quoting a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, they found that in 2000, 22% of seniors died in hospice care, and by 2009 that number had increased to 42%.

While more and more people are receiving the benefits of hospice care, the length of stay is still very short.  More than 25% of hospice use in 2009 was for three days or less, and 40% of those late referrals followed a period of intensive care.  For many patients, hospice is an add-on to a very aggressive pattern of care during the last days of life.        
Read more...
New HIPAA Rules Issued by US Dept of HHS
Part I
Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued final rules to:
  • Modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security and Enforcement Rules to implement statutory amendments under the Health Information Technology Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) to strengthen the privacy and security protection for individuals' health information;
  • Modify the rule for Breach Notification for Unsecured Protected Health Information (Breach Notification Rule) under the HITECH Act to address public comments received on the interim final rule;
  • Modify the HIPAA Privacy Rule to strengthen the privacy protections for genetic information by implementing section 105 of Title 1 of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA); and
  • Make other modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Breach Notification and Enforcement Rules to improve their workability and effectiveness and to increase flexibility and to decrease burden on regulated entities.
The final rules will be published in the Federal Register on January 25, 2013, and will be effective on March 26, 2013.  Covered entities and business associates must comply with the final rules by September 23, 2013.

Read more...
LinkedIn Update
Lined In 3D logo  
The Leading Home Care Network discussion group on LinkedIn has just passed 3,400 members.  Check in to see the latest discussions:

The Leading Home Care Network is a closed group, and we limit membership to active owners, CEOs, administrators, and senior staff members in home health, hospice, and private duty home care.  There's no blatant advertising or unrelated posts to waste your time.  Take a look.

Permission to Reproduce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Permission is granted to healthcare publications, associations and companies to reproduce this article in your publication, or to distribute copies to your leaders, on the condition that you reproduce the credits and contact information as follows: "Reprinted with permission from Home Health Care Today. Copyright 2012 Stephen C. Tweed. To receive a FREE subscription to this newsletter, log on to www.leadinghomecare.com"

Strategic Planning for Home Health Care & Hospice
The beginning of the new year is a time when many executive teams in home health care and hospice begin the process of Strategic Planning.  Some agencies have an annual process.  Others have a three year cycle.  The era of five year plans is pretty much gone.

Stephen Tweed, CEO of Leading Home Care, has been facilitating the Strategic Planning process for  home health agencies and hospices for over 25 years.  Using the Storyboarding technique from the Walt Disney organization, Stephen has developed a proven model of strategic thinking, and a highly interactive process for getting your senior leaders, middle managers, and board of directors involved.  He'll lead you through assessing your current reality, setting a direction for the future, defining your competitive advantage,  developing focused action plans, and measuring the success of your agency and your plan.

If you and your leadership team want to have an amazing experience with the planning process, call us to day to set up a conversation with Stephen Tweed to discuss your Strategic Planning process.
Visit our web site for more details