Medtrade kicks off: Conference offers education for 'today and future'

ATLANTA - Ask Medtrade Education Director Jeff Baird how he and his colleagues develop the most relevant education for HME providers at this week's conference and expo, and he'll tell you it comes down to timing.

“The Medtrade Education Advisory Board spends substantial time debating what is relevant to HME providers today and into the future,” he said. “The EAB recognizes that the HME industry today is different from what it was a few years ago, and in a few years it will be different from what it is today. We look at proposals that have been submitted and select those that we believe are most relevant and even then we may ask the speaker to modify the proposed program.”

The education board also develops its own sessions that it believes are relevant to the industry, Baird said.

“In doing so, we reach out to industry experts who we believe are best qualified to present the programs created by the EAB,” he said.

Perhaps the most current topic on the session agenda concerns CMS's recent proposed rule to substantially modify competitive bidding. The proposed rule is “a positive” for providers, Baird said. As a result, the EAB created a new competitive bidding track, consisting of five sessions that discuss all facets and implications of the proposed rule.

e-prescribing is another current topic and a panel presentation will explore its dynamics. On the panel: Wayne van Halem, president of the van Halem Group, and representatives of four e-prescribing companies. Participants will be discussing a recent meeting they had with CMS, Baird said.

When it comes to perspective, Baird says both macro- and micro-level approaches are on tap. On a macro level, AAHomecare will present its legislative and regulatory update on the goings-on at Capitol Hill and at CMS. Other sessions focus on helping decision-makers formulate short- and long-term strategies.

From a micro standpoint, there will be sessions that address operational efficiencies, understanding “Targeted Probe and Educate” reviews, and working with physicians, hospitals and other referral sources, Baird said.