SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HEARTLAND

It is a well-known fact that standing power mobility is an amazing and highly beneficial technology but providing standing power mobility can be a complicated and an overwhelming experience for even the most experienced ATP or clinician.  Many questions arise throughout the process from choosing the right client, to providing documentation and justification, and navigating ongoing denials and appeals.  If you are one of the lucky ones to get standing approved feeling confident with delivering such a complex piece of equipment can also be an undertaking. 

This in-depth course will help you navigate this bumpy but rewarding road in the pursuit of power standing mobility.  We will discuss the latest research and how to utilize the evidence to support your justification and documentation, navigate the denial and appeal process as well as provide the education for  the necessary steps in the evaluation and delivery process to promote great outcomes for your client and patient.

This session will incorporate the uniquely collaborative elements of VGM’s Brick by Brick: Retail Learning Workshops into 2.25 hours of learning and brainstorming. If you have never attended one of these workshops, you can prepare for an engaging and lively environment coupled with attendee participation and active takeaways. What makes this session different is the fresh ingredients delivered by your industry peers. VGM and Essentially Women have found that in-person discussion garnished with expert-led roundtables is the recipe for nutrient-rich learning. After all, it tastes best to learn from the best (i.e., the people who are in the weeds of owning and operating a cash business). As you shuffle through the topics, find yourself sifted into the mix of owners and managers that operate using a variety of business strategies — all-cash models, partial-cash models, and insurance-based models looking to expand with retail.

In this session, gain insight into the practices and trends that have the biggest impact on people leadership and the employee experience. As the labor market is more dynamic than ever, companies are struggling with attracting and retaining talented employees. Organizations that fail to reinvent their people strategy risk turnover, vacancies, and lost opportunities that can negatively affect the bottom line. With nearly 50 years of combined experience in their field, these speakers will showcase VGM's people strategy and offer valuable insights that can be applied to your business.

Patients in your resupply program are positioned to be some of your most enduring, high-value clients, but too often HME/DME companies focus more on new patient intake than the equally crucial goal of patient retention. Due to new, specialized analysis tools and resources, we can now track critical performance details and identified previously hidden gaps in your resupply practices that may be harming both your bottom line and patient outcomes. As patient preferences shift to remote care options, you can make up lost revenue from in-person appointments with innovative solutions - but only if you're carefully monitoring and managing your patient portfolio. In this session, learn how a data-driven approach to resupply can help you increase revenue, identify uncaptured potential in your business, and improve patient retention rates for long-term success.

*Event is not included with registration. To purchase tickets, please log into your attendee portal at vgmheartland.com/portal/login. Space is limited.

Play 18 holes at Waterloo's premier course at this event honoring VGM's founder, Van G. Miller. Shotgun start at 1 p.m.

*This event is not covered by the registration fee.

Embark on a guided journey through VGM's headquarters and fulfillment facility led by our captain, who is sure to tell you how VGM grew into the great business it is today and ways to maximize your membership. See Guest Services to sign up!

Grab a cool beverage and dial in your inner Bob Ross as local artist Hanna Thuesen facilitates painting a beautiful scene, all at the picturesque setting of the VGM Farm.

6365 Ripple Rd
La Porte City, IA 50651

*This event is not covered by the registration fee.

Limited availability.  To purchase tickets, please log into your portal at https://www.vgmheartland.com/portal/login

Roll up your sleeves and milk a cow as you experience life at one f the area’s largest dairy farms. This guided farm tour takes you through the process of getting milk from the cow to your table. Admission includes a trolley ride to the farm, then a tour on foot to pet all of our animals and see our facilities. All participants can feed a calf, milk a cow by hand, pet the kangaroos and goats, make homemade butter, sample Hansen’s products and eat ice cream.

Embark on a guided journey through VGM's headquarters and fulfillment facility led by our captain, who is sure to tell you how VGM grew into the great business it is today and ways to maximize your membership. See Guest Services to sign up!

Perfect for Heartland first-timers to get all of the latest info and tips on how to make the most of this year's VGM Heartland Conference. Meet other newbies and chat over some beverages at this local hotspot.

Kick back and enjoy views of vibrant downtown Waterloo along a picture-perfect stage while feasting on some mouthwatering Iowa pork. It's VGM's famous hog roast! This epic night culminates with a one-of-a-kind fireworks display overlooking the Cedar River - a perfect way to kick off Heartland Conference.

What would you do and who would you be if you believed anything was possible for you? For many people, a once-held vision of unlimited possibility gets small and limited as a result of life's daily stressors, persistent insecurities, self-doubt, isolation and even failure. But what if you could reclaim and even expand your full potential at any time? And what if your truest potential was bigger, richer and more satisfying than you had previously envisioned? Join seasoned speaker and performer Devin Henderson for an unforgettable experience of entertainment meets inspiration. Part magic and mentalism and part inspirational keynote, take a break from the worries of the day while breaking free of your perceived limits as you discover the mindset and practices to realize your greatness like never before.

In the fast-growing home accessibility retail market, you have to set yourself apart from your competition. People will commit to buy today from competent, prepared companies who present quality, the right solution, reasonable pricing, financing options and can produce an agreement during the initial visit. This session will teach your company how to become a quality sales company that closes jobs quickly and professionally during the first visit to the home.

How do compliance and operational efficiencies intersect? Learn how to differentiate between a compliance matter and a business decision, focusing on optimizing people, process and automation. Stay ahead of the game with matters of compliance by promoting internal operational controls and audit preparedness. The takeaway should be that compliance and operations can work in tandem to ensure profitability and mitigate compliance risks.

As an executive, do you find yourself wondering if your teams have the right tools to manage their operations? How about the metrics you should be tracking to optimize your collections? Do you have policies and procedures in place to identify gaps and areas for improvement on a continual basis? Employee engagement is directly proportional to having an energized workforce. In this session, you will learn how to effectively manage your operations while benefiting from improved performance, both operationally and financially. We will cover best practices and lessons learned while noting some key takeaways and actionable plans that you can implement within your organization.

Rehabilitation professionals and CRT companies work hard to fight for the best equipment for consumers. After advocating to provide complex rehab and customized seating for consumers, we need to assure that the equipment continues to meet their needs over the long-term life of the equipment. In the past, CRT teams would see individuals every five years for equipment, and the consumers that took careful care of their equipment may have even surpassed the five-year mark; others count down until the minute they can resubmit for new equipment. Currently, it's not good enough to explain the long timeline and need for replacement as funding wants to see how the equipment has been used and what alternatives have been tried before replacing it. CRT teams put out very expensive and complex equipment to people with a range of disabilities within a complicated infrastructure, but we have no requirements to keep track or manage them. The tools to do allow us to manage and track equipment use are patient-reported outcomes.

OSU has implemented the Functional Mobility Assessment for all clients coming through their Assistive Technology Center. This system has allowed better communication and follow-along of equipment and patients’ needs. This presentation will focus on the importance of using outcome measures meant to track and monitor equipment use. Using this outcome program, OSU has adjusted service delivery strategies to improve longer-term use of equipment. Equipment abandonment patterns have been identified and pulling the consumer back into the team before abandonment happens has been seen. There are case studies of trends in data and examples of program development. With outcome tracking, OSU has a tool to ensure that consumers have the best chance at maximizing the use of the equipment that we fought so hard to get.

This year is shaping up to be the year of clinical outcomes as we reach a tipping point in the home care market. Outcomes can increase sales at a rapid pace, and with the changing landscape, they are becoming the norm instead of the exception. Learn how to win business with outcomes and avoid being left behind in this new value-based health care model.

In most organizations, chances are you need to manage relationships with all levels, including your boss, peers and direct reports. In this workshop, you'll learn to manage relationships up, down and across. You'll learn how to stand out with your boss while also pushing back when needed; how to build productive relationships and credibility with your direct reports; and how to effectively use influence peers and other co-workers to get what you need. This workshop is truly a game-changer.

The rehab industry is complex and cutthroat; small independents are now playing in the same rings as the nationals, and trying to win the business is getting harder than ever. With so many irons in the fire from basic DME to CRT, how can an independent business win? In this panel discussion, we will start conversations on building strength for your business by connecting the dots: understanding manufacturer plans and incentives, building relationships with key clinics or empowering new referrals, and finding the right codes and funding to allow you to compete on this new playing field.

This presentation provides the tools for DMEs to be able to educate skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) on the necessary steps to implement respiratory care programs, which are aimed at increasing census, improving reimbursement, and reducing rehospitalizations.

Knowing that value-based care is our reality, how do we work in tandem with the physician to provide the patient what the payer expects? In this candid discussion, Miriam and Mary will explore the ins and outs of working with the physician community to ensure patient engagement. How HME providers participate in the dialogue with the doctor is the key to success in this reality. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear from experts on the physician side of value-based care, along with provider perspectives.

Times have changed. If you thought you knew what it meant to be in the mastectomy business, join us to see what’s new and how this category can be beneficial to your bottom line and serve the patients in your community.

Is your company in the process of reviewing insurance contracts and considering doing more retail? You may be looking at the fee schedules with these payers noticing little to no margin. Maybe the plan is to submit claims for certain products and the other products are a cash sale. Is this allowed? Or perhaps you are looking at canceling your payer contracts altogether and focusing strictly on retail sales. If you have been in discussions with payers, the conversation can be intimidating. During this session, a panel of industry experts from VGM will have an open conversation with those suppliers, weighing the pros and cons of eliminating commercial plans. 

The HME industry is constantly evolving. In the past decade (and more), we have experienced more than our share of legislative, regulatory and operational challenges. But we have survived; many have thrived. Demand for our products and services is at an all-time high; demographics and other indicators suggest this will continue into the long term. Our panel — each of whom will offer different perspectives — is prepared to assess the “S, W, O and T” of the industry in 2022 and beyond. 

Take a look inside your HME company from the outside. How well is it performing and what does it need to flourish in the future? In this session, we will discuss how to maximize efficiencies in the revenue cycle with a focus on automation initiatives and data analytics. Don’t miss this interactive discussion with Miriam about this year’s best practices and top operational trends among HME providers.

Many consider adjustable wheelchair cushions to be the ultimate solution for clients at high risk of pressure injuries. However, they may not be fully aware of what defines an adjustable wheelchair cushion, how the technology works, and what it should accomplish when properly constructed, adjusted and used. Every interaction between an individual and a different cushion is a unique result of those two specific variables at that point in time. Can you know whether a specific adjustable cushion can be properly adjusted for any individual’s seating needs without trialing it first? Further, can you determine the proper adjustment prior to trial? Over time, will the adjustable characteristics of the cushion be able to accommodate changes in clients’ needs? Should a good adjustable cushion offer the adjustment needed to properly fit at initial issue, as well as the ability to adjust as an individual’s needs change?

The captive audience we have in an in-service often times is wasted. We need to have a more dynamic process for educating the referral community. In-services have been a part of our home medical sales environment for decades. How does the sales professional address this and what does ownership and leadership need to prepare for now? Through this session, we will explore all of the challenges and benefits resulting from both live and virtual in-services. We will address in-service obstacles and provide tools that will help diversify our offerings from the competition and grow our sales with base referrals and prospects.

Teams are the fundamental building blocks of most organizations, and teams that are able to work together with greater cohesion can perform at high levels. Managers who want to lead teams that outperform must factor in trust-building into the equation. Trust is a powerful enabler in cooperation and performance. When team members trust each other to work with integrity, ethics and competence, the project has a much greater chance of success. This workshop will help you improve your trust relationships and gain a deep understanding of trustworthiness. You will also learn which factors are essential for trust and how to use this new capacity to create an environment that brings out the best in people. Finally, you'll learn how to rebuild trust after it's been broken.

Does finding private-pay customers still seem out of reach? Everyone else just opens the door and sells home mods, right? A well-designed showroom in the right location can drive your cash sales to over 50% of your total revenue. In this presentation, I will show you how I did just that when JTEK opened our award-winning Home Access Design Studio in May of 2020.

Embark on a guided journey through VGM's headquarters and fulfillment facility led by our captain, who is sure to tell you how VGM grew into the great business it is today and ways to maximize your membership. See Guest Services to sign up!

Come hear success stories as well as some miscues from your peers who are in the trenches daily working to make their retail business better. You should be able to walk away with some industry best practices.

Panelists: 
Kristin Porrez, Liberty Oxygen & Medical Supply
Julie Mulder, Avera Home Medical Equipment
Todd McLaughlin, Knit-Rite ThuasneUSA

Medtrade attendees raved about the second episode of Forensic Denials so much that the lead investigators are bringing it to Heartland with all new cases to solve. Eagle-eyed reimbursement experts, Ronda B. and Dan F., review some of the most horrific claim denials as they assemble the pieces everyone leaves behind to determine the culprit. They will, along with the witnesses (the attendees), re-create the scene of the claim submission and investigate each one to determine if it was an innocent error, intentional, or something even darker. Come join Ronda and Dan for this interactive journey of some of the most hair-raising denials and uncover what went horribly wrong from the intent of the policy to the processing of the claim. If you have any unsolved cases of your own, bring them to be analyzed by the forensic team (remember no PHI).

This session will provide participants with recent and timely government updates, illustrating how government policies have affected the HME industry. Topics will include the elections and the Congress committee assignments, and federal legislation for HME and state-level reimbursement concerns. John, Cara and Jay will also discuss recently released studies that support the industry’s concerns for declining Medicare reimbursement.

Sometimes it is easy to make yourself believe that everyone around you knows that you care about them and their well-being — I mean, how could they not know? But, here’s the thing. They may not know for sure. You have the ability to create an amazing experience and impact the lives of those that work for and support you, each and every day. Look at how you feel and how you respond when you feel that someone truly cares about you. At the end of each day, folks simply want to know that someone cares, about them, and about what and who they are at that point in time. Your coworkers want to know that someone cares as well. When you dare to care, incredible things can happen — for you and for others. My goal is to dare you to be open and explore new ways of building trust, to dare you to be curious, to dare you to be refined by your past experiences — not defined by them — and to dare you to care about those that need you the most. Dare to care in bold ways in 2022. It may just be your best year ever.

Wounds are not going away which means as a home medical equipment community we need to stay engaged with this area. Determining which wound care category to invest in is an important discussion for each company. Is wound care an opportunity for your service area? Has there been discussion with referral sources while exploring this area? What are the margins for these products? This session will consist of your peers (suppliers in the industry) discussing topics that will include marketing to referral sources and patients, outcomes and best practices.

Panelists:

Whitney Hyde Baker, Director of Operations, Home Medical Products
Kenny Johnston VP of Sales, Vantage Home Medical

In this presentation we discuss how to identify patients that require non-invasive ventilation and high flow oxygen therapy. There will be a basic overview of the patient disease process, and how to treat patients with non-invasive ventilation and high flow oxygen therapy. We will also discuss how utilizing these therapies correctly can improve patient compliance and reduce readmission rates.

Spend some quality time checking out the hottest products and business solutions offered by VGM's participating vendors at the newly renovated convention center, with a delicious appetizer and beverage in hand.

Virtual meetings with legislators in 2021 highlighted the importance of leveraging the Functional Mobility Assessment tool to show the value of appropriate seating and mobility equipment! During those meetings, which took place as part of the Virtual CRT Congressional Fly-in in 2021, legislators asked for “proof” that power standing devices and other complex rehab equipment saves money and benefit patients. That’s a good lead into this outcomes measurement tool that has been around for many years (the FMA). With them asking us for this proof, now is the time for every CRT supplier to participate in contributing data to show the true value of CRT. In this session learn more about the purpose of the FMA and how to implement it within your organization so YOU can be a part of ensuring access to CRT with fair reimbursement in the future. They say the Proof is in the Pudding but we know the Proof in really in the FMA!

Responsibility and accountability are the key words when evaluating staff. How do providers drive those two areas within their organization? Engaging your staff in the "sea of change" which is the HME industry is a must to build emotional attachment to your vision and mission for results that drive your company’s bottom line. In addition to loyalty and “buy-in” by your team, managerial coaching and data analyses are needed to bring about the desired results from team members. This presentation will address various areas to guide your team in becoming accountable for their performance.

Not only is it advisable to have a corporate compliance program, but you are required by law to have one. So, you have taken the first step and implemented your program; but that’s not enough. A corporate compliance program must be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. An effective corporate compliance program will save the company money and frustration. This program will discuss what steps a supplier must take after initial implementation to keep its program effective thereby allowing the supplier to get the most benefit from one.

How many of you have had a patient that clearly requires and qualifies for a wheelchair and you've dotted all the I's and crossed all T's, then you get a denial? You think: is it just me or is this happening to everyone? We've all been in this situation, even a seasoned reimbursement person, so what is happening? Did something change in a policy that I missed? In this session, Ashley, Jim and Dan will review the common and not so common complex rehab denials (and non-affirmations in prior authorization) to determine what happened, how to resolve the current denial and how to avoid these denials in the future. Time has been allocated in this session for attendees to bring their top one or two denials (removing PHI of course) to have the instructor investigate and answer the question: is it just me?

This presentation is designed to introduce the clinician on new and emerging trends in the care, treatment and management of the advancing neuromuscular disease patient including: current diagnosis and treatment protocols, clinical respiratory intervention, and reimbursement opportunities and outcomes.

The world of ePrescribe for HME can be very complex and confusing. What if you could have a toolbox that shows you how to help drive referral sources to a digital experience? This workshop will walk you through that toolbox and show a real-time example of what the digital journey can look like for you and your referral sources. Join us for this workshop to learn how to confidently move your organization forward.

The home access industry has been experiencing challenges with supply chain issues, significant price increases and staffing shortages. Despite that, the industry is experiencing record growth. In this panel discussion, home access company executives will discuss challenges and provide insights and examples on how to rise above amid an unprecedented business climate.

Panelists:

Todd Bick, VP of Sales, Harmar
James Philpot, Regional Manager, Span America-Savaria
Chuck Williams - Executive Vice President, HME Operations, Williams Bros. Health Care Pharmacy

If you daydream during meetings or drive to work on autopilot, this presentation is for you. We live in a busy, stimulating, overwhelming world that can make it difficult to be fully present at times. Learn how practicing mindfulness can improve your ability to be present and mentally well. We'll talk about what mindfulness is and isn't, what the research says about it, and practice mindfulness exercises in session so you have new skills to take home with you.

The ABN (Advance Beneficiary Notice) is nothing new but many suppliers are issuing invalid ABNs which could lead to severe financial loss for the issuing supplier. What is the intent of the ABN, when can it be used and what are the steps necessary for one to be valid? Is an ABN necessary for a non-assigned claim? Is an ABN required for retail transactions? In this session, the instructor will identify all instances of when to use an ABN (required/optional) and to how to compliantly execute one for each scenario.

The next generation of clinical accreditation is here with CRPM. What does it mean for operations and how do you stay relevant? Learn how to streamline accreditation documentation to truly build outcomes and eliminate additional work to align RT workflow.

For years, I have been asserting that inventory is a liability and DME owners and managers need to focus on inventory turns. This pandemic, the recall, and backorders have challenged my assertion. This panel will discuss and share their insight on how they manage inventory, make purchases, and ultimately keep their business cash flow positive. Questions from the audience will be taken throughout the panel discussion.

Panelists:

Joseph Robbins, Integrated Respiratory
John Conyers, NuCara Home Medical
Sid Russell, North Florida Medical
Lonnie Dorsey, Cloud City Medical

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a paradigm shift where more seniors than ever before are wanting to age in place. There is a large opportunity for Home Modification providers to take advantage of this growing trend. During this session, we will discuss how Home Modification providers can turn their business from reactionary into a cash-based business model.

When COVID hit, CMS put a hold on audits. Although COVID still lingers, this reprieve has ended; and suppliers are likely to see audits increase above post-pandemic levels. To provide for continuity of care, CMS relaxed coverage criteria for some products. Anytime you have flexibilities with reduced oversight, there will be suppliers that take advantage of the situation. In order to flush these suppliers out, CMS will need to increase its audit activities which means anyone who has supplied these products can be audited. This presentation will discuss current audit initiatives and documentation pitfalls that should be avoided.

HME businesses are feeling the heat of rising labor rates, overworked employees and reimbursement cuts. These pains can impact one of the most crucial areas: back-office operations. From order confirmation and billing to collections and cash posting, these teams are critical to a company’s overall success. This session will dig deeply into the best practices for managing your back office to encouraging employee engagement, patient satisfaction and company growth. We will explore workflow, technology tools, incentives and key metrics.

Have you found yourself feeling somewhat powerless when discussing the payment terms of your CRT payer contracts? If so, are you tired of being in the dark when it comes to those negotiations? Reaching an agreement with fair reimbursement rates has traditionally been a tedious process that can take an immense amount of time without much data available to assist you. Providers are often at the mercy of payers when it comes to determining a fair reimbursement during those “negotiations” as they often don’t have the same transparency into claims and other types of data that payers have at their disposal. Payers often utilize a “take it or leave it” approach, saying, “This is what we pay everyone else.” This usually leaves providers with nothing to leverage back with — until now, that is. In this session, we will dive into some new tools that providers can utilize as they negotiate new or existing contracts with payers to achieve more long-term stability in their contracts. The instructors will give you some insight into data that can prove extremely helpful in negotiating CRT contracts.

Traditionally, business metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) have been defined as any type of measurement used to gauge some quantifiable component of a company's performance. Examples include: EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciations and amortization); sales versus plan; first pass quality; sales per employee and supplier quality. But do these KPIs engage the head, heart and hands of every employee in the organization? Not usually.

Effective and intentional metrics are intended to not only measure the performance of the business but more impactfully inspire and reward the desired behaviors in the employees. Performance feedback delivers facts. Facts enable decisions. Decisions solve problems. Problem solutions modify processes and behaviors. And modified behaviors improve company performance. This program highlights the critical elements and "must know" concepts for developing and leading effective KPIs where employee engagement and behavior management are the key focuses. Eric will engage and excite the audience by drawing contextual connections between his extreme adventure activities and delivering results through behavior-based approaches. It creates a fun and memorable message for the audience.

Today, 80% of companies allow employees to work from home or in the office. This has created a playground for bad actors to attack businesses. The FBI predicts that over 51% of companies will receive some form of data breach or ransomware attack in 2022. Data breaches have risen nearly every year for the past decade and continue to climb. While health care remains a prime target for hackers, there are measures you can take to prevent malicious activity. Participants of this session will learn seven key takeaways to better protect your business.

Join VGM’s Christa Miehe and 2021 HME Woman of the Year, Katie Stevens of Reliable Medical, for some real world advice for all leaders. Learn real life tips on how, and more importantly why, to embrace your leadership role, and what difference it makes to both you personally and your organization. Receive seven key best practices and become the leader you aspire to be. Actionable tips about employee engagement, building culture, earning trust, exuding confidence and authenticity, how to make good decisions, sharing and receiving feedback and communication dos and don’ts will be shared candidly in this fast-paced session.

This is your last chance to check out the hottest products and business solutions offered by VGM's participating vendors.

A strong front office is the key to a strong back office. Without clean orders that pay the first time a claim is submitted, your back office will struggle to keep up with key metrics and your competitors. Join Ronda Buhrmester, senior director of payer relations and reimbursement at VGM Group, and Joey Graham, executive vice president and general manager at Prochant, for a deep dive into improving intake in your HME front office. From answering phone queues and wrangling faxes to collecting documentation and dispatching orders, Ronda and Joey will explore front-office structure, systems and workflow, including specific examples, common mistakes and audit risks. They will also discuss the questions to ask as you evaluate your intake function.

The COVID public health emergency was unprecedented. In addition to having to manage the safety of their employees and patients, it also led to a whole new litany of potential compliance concerns for suppliers. This includes anything from submitting claims under waivers and relaxed guidelines without much direction from CMS to its contractors accepting, using and properly reporting on PPP loans accepted from the government. Oversight agencies have warned of post-pandemic audits and enforcement actions. This presentation will discuss some of these compliance landmines that suppliers could be facing and discuss how oversight agencies are prioritizing their responses to these unforeseen compliance concerns.

More than 4 million people have left their employers since the start of the worldwide pandemic prompting a nationwide labor shortage. The pathway to hiring and retaining quality employees has changed. Come learn what will actually attract your future workforce. Hint: it isn't just paying them more money.

The HME market is changing. Providers are constantly looking for new growth areas, whether entering new product categories and geographic markets, or expanding their core business. Planning for growth is often a guessing game; how much business is in that new market? Who are my competitors and which payers do they work with? What is reimbursement for the new product focus with private payers? What is my market share in my current markets? Can I expand my cash sales to current patients? This session will explore different ways market intelligence data can help HMEs quantify market expansion opportunities and determine appropriate resource allocation in planning efforts.

This interactive session will provide attendees with the tools and guidance necessary to analyze their readiness for participation in value-based care. Using knowledge management economy and research management strategies, attendees will also learn how to develop appropriate strategies to be recognized as a value-add provider, improving the health outcomes of the communities served.

This course is designed to provide in-depth coverage of advanced airway clearance therapy devices and how they benefit patients. We will discuss symptoms to identify what would indicate a potential need for advanced airway clearance therapy and what to look for in the chart notes of existing patients. We will introduce tools to help DME staff have open conversations with existing patients that enhance communication with clinicians, leading to additional, beneficial therapy. The teachings will create a better understanding of how to provide a continuum of care to respiratory patients and enhance that care.

Embark on a guided journey through VGM's headquarters and fulfillment facility led by our captain, who is sure to tell you how VGM grew into the great business it is today and ways to maximize your membership. See Guest Services to sign up!

A person is typically elevated to a manager role because they are good at what they are doing. Think of the top salesperson, great customer service rep, efficient accounting associate, etc. When we are focused on doing what needs to be done, we are focused on our own production and success. We plan and prepare to ensure a positive outcome, or, not to fail. Rarely is this person focused on others and what they need or how they can be part of the solution.

As a leader and manager, results come from the team — not from you. A manager still has a lot to do: meetings, coaching, financials, training, etc. We never stop doing because there is always something more. We need to realize that we will never be satisfied, we will never accumulate enough, or do enough, or know enough, if we just stay in the loop of doing, doing, doing. We must understand who we are and how we can “be.” And in order to start achieving fulfillment, we should focus on our “being” rather than our “doing.” Leading from a perspective of being with the team, rather than doing for the team will unlock all your managerial potential.

We are often called upon to perform a home assessment or evaluation for an individual that is not present. They may still be in the hospital, rehab, or they may not be able to get into their house without work being completed. This is often the situation for individuals that have sustained injuries because of an accident, a fall, or a medical procedure. This is especially prevalent in Worker’s Compensation files where the insurance or case manager wants the individual to discharge directly home and as quickly as possible. There a numerous challenges in trying to make assumptions of what that individual may need to function safely in their home. The last thing anyone of us wants is to provide goods and services that do not work. Our panel of experts will share their experience in making these types of assessments and how to successfully navigate these tricky situations. 

Panelists: 

• Chris Rollins, President and Owner, BuildSpective Access & Mobility
• Cindi Petito, Director of Clinical Solutions, Paradigm
• Jill Fauver, Homelink

Please join representatives from all four durable medical equipment administrative contractors for the updates you want to hear about Medicare. We will bring you all of the latest news and respond to the questions that are on your mind.

For the first 40 years of its existence, the DME industry focused on billing traditional Medicare and traditional state Medicaid programs. However, over the past decade, the industry has seen the expansion of Medicare Advantage Plans (MAPs) and Medicaid Managed Care Plans (MMCPs) in the DME space. Today, almost 40% of Medicare beneficiaries are covered by MAPs and approximately 70% of state Medicaid beneficiaries are covered by MMCPs. This means that instead of working directly with the Medicare and Medicaid programs, for an increasing number of patients, DME suppliers are being required to work with commercial insurers that own the MAPs and MMCPs.

This has proven to be challenging to suppliers. Specifically, DME suppliers are facing the following scenarios: (1) closed panels; (2) MAPs/MMCPs entering into sole source/preferred supplier contracts with DME suppliers; (3) unacceptably low reimbursement; and (4) MAPs/MMCPs unilaterally changing contract terms. DME suppliers understandably want to know what their legal rights are in addressing these challenges. This program will discuss the federal laws governing MAPs and MMCPs in the following areas: minimum level of service; access to care requirements; and rights of a DME supplier when it concludes that the MAP/MMCP is acting contrary to the contractual and legal obligations imposed on it.

Have you found yourself feeling somewhat powerless when discussing the payment terms of your payer contracts or the amount of business you are receiving from your referral sources? If so, are you tired of being in the dark when it comes to those negotiations? Reaching an agreement with fair reimbursement rates has traditionally been a tedious process that can take an immense amount of time without much data available to assist you. Providers are often at the mercy of payers when it comes to determining a fair reimbursement during those “negotiations,” as providers often don’t have the same transparency into claims and other types of data that payers have at their disposal. Payers often utilize a “take it or leave it” approach, saying, “This is what we pay everyone else.” This usually leaves providers with nothing to leverage back with, until now, that is. In this session, we will dive into some available tools that providers can now utilize as they negotiate new or existing contracts with payers to achieve more long-term stability in their contracts. We will give you some insight into data that can prove extremely helpful in these types of negotiations.

We will look at Respiratory data and how to successfully use in your DME.

The breast pump market has been evolving ever since the ACA passed in 2010. Since that time, we’ve seen reimbursements shrink and the manufacturers expand. We’ll dive into where best opportunities lie when it comes to offering breast pumps and expand your horizons when it comes to additional products to round out your offering and marketing to referral sources.

There are a number of ways to understand what your prospective customers need from your website and from your marketing. You can see the questions they're asking. Finding those questions and answering them on your site gives you a good base for organic traffic, a great place to land Google Ads clicks, and rich social content they'll actually want to consume. In this session, we'll show you a few different ways to see those questions, explain how to use those questions to engage the traffic to your site, and provide examples of how that content can also drive your marketing strategies. It is all simpler than it sounds. Come with questions, and Joshua will help you find solutions.

CRT suppliers are often challenged in providing medically necessary equipment while balancing the patient's health insurance coverage policies and reimbursement rates. In this panel, the moderator will pose some common and not so common scenarios that CRT suppliers encounter, along with the question: what would you do? The panel and attendees have the opportunity to answer these questions to ensure a well-balanced perspective of how these situations are addressed for the best overall outcome.

Panelists:

• Dan Fedor, Director of Reimbursement, U.S. Rehab
• Cindi Petito, Director Clinical Solutions, Paradigm 
• Barb Berenger, Director of Reimbursement, Custom Mobility
• Jim Stephenson, Director of Reimbursement, Permobil

A few of the scenarios that will be discussed include:

• Patient doesn't have a group 3 condition but you want to provide a group 3 power wheelchair base
• Patient wants a titanium manual wheelchair and is willing to pay for the upgrade
• Patient qualifies for the wheelchair but their insurance rates are not acceptable
• Patient doesn't qualify for a skin protection cushion but does qualify for tilt
• Patient has insurance that doesn't pay timely
• Patient can't get in to see their primary care physician for a timely face-to-face
• Supplier is losing referrals to a competitor because their ATP is helping the therapist write the wheelchair evaluation
• Supplier that provided the wheelchair won't repair it (timely or at all)  
• Home health therapist doesn't provide a comprehensive evaluation
• Patient with Medicare needs a wheelchair/wheelchair repair and resides in an SNF with self-pay (not Medicare Part A)
• Patient is on hospice but coming off in order to receive a wheelchair

When the pandemic health emergency (PHE) was initially declared by the federal government, CMS implemented several waivers and flexibilities that allowed health care providers to adequately care for patients amidst a pandemic, including a pause on audit functions. CMS slowly reinstated all audit functions, which now allows audit contractors to include dates of service on or after March 1, 2020, in their post-payment claim reviews. The audit contractors, including MACs, UPICs, RAC and SMRC, are all back in action, and their audit projects lists continue to expand. Prepayment and post-payment audits can have a major impact on your business, including claim denials and overpayments that result in you not receiving reimbursement for the equipment you provided. In this course, Kelly will provide insight and solutions to help you manage your audit response and develop successful appeal strategies. Don’t leave money on the table, let Kelly help you develop appeals arguments to generate results.

At this point, most durable medical equipment providers are aware of the efficiency and cost-reduction benefits tied to using a DME ePrescribe platform. However, referral adoption of these platforms is not increasing fast enough to offset declining reimbursement rates and increases in supply chain costs. In this session, DME providers will learn what a true ePrescribe platform for DME does and the unique challenges encountered when driving adoption of new technology in health care. They will also learn practical strategies to increase adoption of ePrescribe among their referral sources and how to use this platform to differentiate their organization as a health care service provider.

Out with the old and in with the new: we have a new oxygen equipment NCD and LCD. During this session, Ronda will review the updates and any changes with the oxygen medical policy. Does this affect any other policies? Learn how the elimination of the CMN is the biggest change for our industry.

What better way to wrap up a trip to the Heartland Conference than by rounding the bases and joining us for a farewell celebration at VGM's Farm. Surrounded by cornfields, this event is sure to be a GRAND SLAM as you get to experience a setting reminiscent of the famous movie filmed in Iowa - "Field of Dreams." Food, beverages, and transportation from hotels to the farm and back will be provided. Wear your ballpark gear! Batter up!

6365 Ripple Rd
La Porte City, IA 50651