Medtrade preview: New track addresses ‘biggest problem providers have right now’ 

DALLAS – Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care will receive heightened attention at Medtrade this year in a new track of six sessions hosted by AAHomecare and led by members of its Payer Relations Council. 

The association has tapped into the providers on the council, including Chair Cadie McGonagill of Lincare, to provide their on-the-ground experience. 

“You’ll still hear from me, David (Chandler, vice president of payer relations) and other experts, but the feedback we’ve gotten is that attendees want to hear from their peers on what’s going well and what’s not going well,” said Laura Williard, senior vice president of payer relations for AAHomecare. “The Payer Relations Council is excited to jump in.” 

The track, which takes place at various times on Feb. 18-19, is organized into basic and advanced sessions that review everything from building effective relationships with payers to dealing with common challenges to negotiating contracts.  

Williard also hopes to use the materials from the sessions to develop webcasts throughout the year and deepen the resources available on AAHomecare’s website, which already includes a “Market Impact Payer Negotiation Template Presentation.” 

“This is something we’ve been talking about on the council for a couple of years – how we can elevate the education on managed care, which is the biggest problem providers have right now,” she said. “If we can increase everyone’s education, we can increase everyone’s rates. We’re only as good as our lowest rates.” 

Going forward, Williard sees embracing technology as a big way for providers to be in the driver’s seat when managing their managed care business. That’s the topic of another session that includes Ginny Cate of Apria Healthcare. 

“In 2025, we want to break through the technology that is available or that is being built, so that we can improve payer relations by streamlining processes, enhancing accuracy and providing insights,” she said. “This is the way to make sure there’s an opportunity for everyone in our industry to grow.” 

• Related: Kerry Tyler, associate show director, provides a preview of this year's show.