Nueva Hospice Attends 2024 Home, Health & Hospice MAC Summit
The Nueva Hospice team had the incredible opportunity to attend the 2024 Home Health and Hospice Medicare Administrative Collaborative Summit (HHH MAC Summit) and it didn’t disappoint. The event offered informative sessions, meaningful networking, and fresh insights that left us feeling both inspired and equipped with new tools to improve the care we provide to our patients and their families.
An Event of Learning and Connection
The conference itself was well put together, with an organized schedule and all the resources easily accessible on the app. From start to finish, we found the discussions to be relevant - tackling everything from administrative processes to common billing challenges.
One highlight was meeting the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) like National Government Services, Inc., and Palmetto GBA. It’s one thing to read about these resources, but having face-to-face conversations with these representatives made all the difference. Now, we know exactly who to reach out to and where to find the right information.
Charles Canaan, from Palmetto GBA, led a session that really caught our attention. He walked us through the complex Medicare hospice documentation compliance world and gave us practical strategies to stay on track. Cari Meyers, the Director of Medical Review, also had a session that stood out. She explained that Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) are meant to be helpful guidelines rather than strict, one-size-fits-all checklists. This perspective was reassuring because it allows for more flexibility in patient care documentation. Instead of just ticking boxes, we can focus on what truly matters for each patient’s unique needs.
We also enjoyed the session from the Department Of Justice and Office of Inspector General, which covered fraud in hospice and home health care. It made us reflect on how we can further strengthen our processes to protect our patients and maintain the highest standards of care.
Building New Connections
The breaks between sessions were just as valuable as the content. We had time to visit the Exhibit Hall and chat with other hospice and home health agencies nationwide. During the time in between sessions, we had the pleasure of meeting Patrick Harrison, the Senior Director of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). After speaking with him, we’re excited about the possibility of joining the NHPCO and exploring all the resources they offer. Stay tuned for updates!
Looking Forward to Next Year
Overall, we left the HHH MAC Summit feeling more prepared to tackle the challenges of hospice care and, most importantly, better equipped to provide the highest level of care to our patients. We learned more about navigating the Hospice Cap, how RAC reviews are selected, and even how to help protect our patients from scams and fraud. The event provided us with critical updates on CMS regulations and new policies impacting both hospice and home health care. We’re excited to put what we learned into action and continue to enahnce our services at Nueva Hospice.