Download the updated 2014 Medicare Congress brochure

IIR’s Medicare Congress 2014 is full-speed ahead! Registrations are pouring in and we’re anticipating a great event taking place February 10-12 in New Orleans, with more unique content than ever before. The broader perspective at the Medicare Congress 2014, now including the D.U.A.L.S. Forum, ensures your entire team will find something relevant and excel in your quest to provide higher quality, cost-efficient care to current and potential members. Your learning and networking experience will be the most productive one yet—be "one and done" with 2014 events and education at the Medicare Congress. 

Here are some highlights of newly added sessions: 

• Insight into Medicare plans & ACOs working together to improve outcomes, presented by Linda Oliver, Director of ACO Implementation, Atrius Health 

• Best practices for leveraging dual eligible special needs plans vs. the financial alignment demonstration, presented by Meryl Price, President, Health Policy Matters 

• Strategies for increasing enrollment by leveraging cloud based technology, presented by Gene Devine, Vice President, Cavulus MedicareCRM; Steven Johns, Manager, Direct to Consumer Sales & Retention, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee; and Kevin McGavick, Regional Vice President, United Healthcare Community & State 

• Plus, new perspectives on improving member outreach and retention, creating healthier happier members, and best practices for benefit design from Florida Blue, CenseoHealth, DMW Worldwide and others. 

To learn more, view our updated agenda. 

As a reader of this blog, you’ll receive 15% off of the standard rate when you use priority code XP1907BLOG to register. If you have any questions about the agenda or event, feel free to email Kate Devery at kdevery@iirusa.com or visit the homepage. We hope to see you, February 10-12 in New Orleans! 

Cheers, 

The Medicare Congress Team 

Opt-in for updates 

Follow us on Twitter

Join our LinkedIn group

Your Complimentary Webinar: Patient-Centered Care

According to predictions earlier this year, 2013 was going to be the year of patient centricity, with payers and providers taking a more holistic approach to care management. Although we have seen changes over the past year, many stakeholders are just beginning to implement more patient-centric programming. 

Innovators such as Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, a Medicare Congress 2014 speaker, are making bold strides to make sure that the patient-centric vision comes to fruition sooner as rather than later. 

In our upcoming webinar, in a preview of his session at Medicare Congress 2014, Dr. Epstein will outline how those changes are being made on a provider level and how you can implement them. 

This webinar will cover: 

• How to design a primary care office in an accountable care delivery system 

• The role of the Specialist 

• How to educate and engage patients in self-care and self-management 

• The triple aim: higher quality care, lower cost care and optimized value. 

• Why systems of the future should be patient-centered and primary care centric. 

About our speaker: 

Dr. Jeffrey Epstein is an experienced healthcare professional focused on developing systems of accountable care. Successful in clinical practice, administration, general management and business development, Dr. Epstein serves as the President and CEO of The Epstein Group, as well as, the President of the National Association of Physician Advisors (NAPA). 

Epstein's past roles include medical director of Stamford Hospital, medical director of Morristown Medical Center, medical director of Epstein Internal Medicine, associate medical director of Independence Blue Cross/AmeriHealth-NJ, physician advisor at Executive Health Resources, and Chief Medical Officer of Conversion Technology International, Inc. Dr. Epstein completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in San Diego, CA. 

Space is limited, reserve your seat today! 

Cheers, 

The Medicare Congress Team 

MAC Homepage

Opt-in for updates 

Follow us on Twitter 

Join our LinkedIn group

P.S. As a reader of this blog, you’ll receive 15% off of the standard rate when you use priority code XP1907BLOG to register for the 2014 Medicare Congress. To learn more about our program, download our agenda.

Register Today for IIR's Government Programs Summit

IIR’s 6th Annual Government Programs Summit is the gold standard of government programs conferences and we will be the first to comprehensively provide you an in-depth review of the Final AMP Rule . We're back to provide concrete information and guidance for navigating what has and has not stuck...in addition to so much more!

Join us March 26-28, 2014 in Virginia, where you'll learn how to properly manage rebates for drugs under all government programs, including:

• The 340B Program and 340B "Mega" Rule
• The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program
• Medicare Part B & D
• The VA and DoD
• TRICARE
• State Supplemental Programs
• Medicaid Managed Care

Don't miss out on this gathering of government officials and pricing professionals adapting to the overhaul of government rebate regulation, perfectly timed after the release of the Final AMP Rule!

Use code XP1951BLOG to register by 12/13 and save $700. If you have any questions about the event, feel free to contact Kate Devery (Kdevery@iirusa.com) For more information visit our homepage. We hope to see this March!

Cheers,
The Government Programs Team

Opt-in for GP updates
GP Twitter
GP LinkedIn

An Invitation from the Medicare Congress Chairperson Deborah Gracey

It’s an exciting time to work in healthcare–especially in the Medicare space!

Innovations abound in care models, financial models, quality and CMS initiatives. Senior citizens are more tech-savvy than ever. All efforts are pointed towards the triple aim: healthy people, a great patient experience and cost containment.

IIR’s Medicare Congress, now including the D.U.A.L.S. Forum, taking place on February 10-12, 2014 in New Orleans, L.A., fully explores your potential of opportunities and valuable approaches to the challenges that we all face each day, with content that relates to your entire team.

• Two important topics will each have a full day of focus—the conversion of Medicare and Medicaid through Dual-Eligibles and star ratings, which is a driving force to the quality and care and revenue.

• The Keynote presentations will give insight into overarching trends and case studies from health plan executives with first-hand experience, featuring Gorman Health Group, Coca-Cola, and Peoples Health.

2014 will be my first opportunity to chair this event. When IIR asked me to participate, I said yes because I was eager to be amongst a group of people who have the most progressive ideas, cutting-edge information and a 360-degree view of Medicare and healthcare as a whole. I'm looking forward to talking with many of you and to hearing the amazing insights that dozens of speakers will discuss with us. I anticipate many inspirational conversations and ideas for action in your own organization. I invite you to visit the website and review the agenda.

I look forward to seeing you this February in New Orleans.

Deborah Gracey Principal, Health Management Associates
Chairperson, 2014 Medicare Congress

P.S. As a reader of this blog, you’ll receive 15% off of the standard rate when you use priority code XP1907BLOG to register. If you have any questions about the agenda or event, feel free to email Kate Devery at kdevery@iirusa.com.

Understanding Accountable Care Organizations (ACO)

Our guest blogger,  Tammy Mahan has worked in the healthcare field for over 20 years. In her free time, she shares her knowledge by writing articles for Healthline.com. 

The Accountable Care Organizations is primarily about doctors and healthcare facilities and their Medicare patients. It is part of the Health Care Reform and it encompasses two things:

“The healthcare reform law established the Medicare Shared Savings Program for ACOs as a key way to accomplish its two core objectives: (1) reduce healthcare costs, while (2) preserving and improving quality. Like most new legislative ideas, the ACO regs raise lots of questions.”

How Does this Affect Medicare Patients?

First, it is important to know that out of all the government funded healthcare programs, doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, and any other health care related person and facility receive the highest payment from the government for Medicare patients.

Medicare patients have to be notified if they are enrolled in an ACO and they have the right to refuse to participate in the program as well as having their medical information shared among the members in the ACO.

The goal for a Medicaid recipient in an ACO is to be provided with the best health care by their primary doctor and specialists. The ACO believes that by having the Medicaid patient in an Accountable Care Organization it will reduce the number of unnecessary tests, repeated tests and procedures, and provide better overall quality of care for the patient. It also ensures that the patients are seen in a timely manner on an inpatient and outpatient basis. It is also said to cut back on hospital admissions which of course saves thousands of dollars in patient care and prevents the patient from getting sicker in the hospital setting.

How ACO’s affects Doctors and Healthcare

Facilities Doctors and healthcare facilities must enroll in the program and agree to be a member for at least three years. In addition to caring for 5000 Medicaid patients during that time, the doctor of health care facility must agree to have no less than 75% of the ACO’s governing body.

In the event of a financial loss, the members must be willing to repay shared losses and is willing to agree to “substantial monitoring and reporting requirements, including public reporting of quality data to ensure transparency.”

Ideal Candidates for an ACO

● Doctors who work with several other doctors under one roof or are connected as one entity but spread out across rural and urban areas.
● Networks of doctors that practice different types of medicine but are all connected through a network.
● Hospitals that have doctors on staff
● Partnerships between doctors and hospitals
● Partnership between staff doctors and nursing homes Who is Not Eligible to participate in an ACO
● Nursing homes who do not staff doctors (but have one or two who come in and over-see all of the patients’ healthcare needs)
● Children’s Hospitals (most are non-profit)
● Psychiatric hospitals (Generally only have a few staff doctors and most patients are covered by Medicare or private insurance)
● Federally funded hospitals (Veterans)
● Long-term Care hospitals (usually patients are hospice and treatment is limited to comfort care)

Although this article briefly scratched the surface of Accountable Care Organizations, I hope it provided enough information so you have a better understanding of what an ACO is all about.

Want to learn more about ACOs? Join us February 10-12 in New Orleans, LA for IIR's 2014 Medicare Congress. For more information visit our website.

Save the Date for IIR's Government Programs Summit

The Final AMP Rule is scheduled for release at the end of January at earliest, and the most comprehensive Government Programs event is back to provide concrete information and guidance for navigating what has and has not stuck...in addition to so much more!

Join us March 26-28, 2014 in Virginia for IIR's 6th Annual Government Pricing Programs Summit. You'll learn how to properly manage rebates for drugs under all government programs, including:

• The 340B Program and 340B "Mega" Rule
• The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program
• Medicare Part B & D
• The VA and DoD
• TRICARE
• State Supplemental Programs
• Medicaid Managed Care

Don't miss out on this gathering of government officials and pricing professionals adapting to the overhaul of government rebate regulation, perfectly timed after the release of the Final AMP Rule! Use code XP1951BLOG to register today. If you have any questions about the event, feel free to contact Kate Devery (Kdevery@iirusa.com) For more information visit our homepage.

We hope to see you this March!

Cheers,
The Government Programs Team

Opt-in for updates
Follow us on Twitter
Join our LinkedIn network

Meet the 2014 Keynote Speakers from IIR’s Medicare Congress

Passionate. Innovative. Groundbreaking. These may not be phrases you typically associate with the Medicare industry, but at IIR’s Medicare Congress 2014, you'll hear from keynote speakers who are passionate about their job, innovative in their programing and groundbreaking in their insights.

Join us February 10-12 in New Orleans to hear from the following keynote speakers guaranteed to give you something to think about and work toward in 2014:

The ever-provocative, forward-looking John Gorman of Gorman Health Group shares insight into where we stand with healthcare reform implementation, the continued growth of Medicare Advantage, and what's happening with duals demonstrations. He will speak to what you need to do in order to survive in this challenging environment.

Coca-Cola may not be the first company that comes to mind when you think about Medicare, but Christy Amador, the Global Digital Brand Strategist at Coca-Cola, will provide you with examples of ways she's challenged the status quo and created more engaging marketing campaigns that you can learn from and apply to your unique marketplace challenges. She'll also share lessons learned for participating on social media, since your members are getting more involved on social media channels.

 
Carol Solomon, CEO at Peoples Health, will share her vision on the new way to accomplish optimal health outcomes and financial success, one step at a time. Listen as she shares how Peoples Health has seen big results through innovative models of care.

 Want to learn more about the event? Download our agenda.

As a reader of this blog, you’ll receive 15% off of the standard rate when you use priority code XP1907BLOG to register. If you have any questions about the agenda or event, feel free to email Kate Devery at kdevery@iirusa.com or visit the homepage.

We hope to see you, February 10-12 in New Orleans!

Cheers,
The Medicare Congress Team

Opt-in for updates
Follow us on Twitter
Join the MAC LinkedIn Group