If you have not already accessed your agency's PPS Impact™ Snapshot report, you must do so now!

This latest Hot Report! is an executive analysis of the key profitability and reimbursement measures for your agency, providing an insightful and objective view of how your organization will be financially impacted by the proposed PPS rule*.

This analysis compares actual data as calculated using the current methodology to the same data calculated using the proposed methodology. It also compares your agency-specific data to national norms.

OCS clients can access their PPS Impact™ Snapshot report by logging into Connection here.

If you are not an OCS client, you can still obtain a PPS Impact™ Snapshot report for your agency, simply send us an email at info@ocsys.com or call us at 888.325.3396 for more information.

Additional PPS Impact™ reports, web conferences and analysis tools will be announced shortly, please continue to look out for updated information.

*The above information is in response to the proposed changes to the current Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) released by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). To view a copy of the full press release click here.

The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) and OCS have formed a strategic alliance to ensure that NAHC has real-time access to OCS' repository of healthcare information, along with consulting support of OCS' health care analytics team. With a multitude of payment reforms and regulatory changes pending, this alliance provides NAHC with the ability to incorporate timely, reliable and objective data to support their legislative initiatives for their home care and hospice members.

Read Full Press Release Here.

OCS has a number of very important conferences and speaking engagements coming up in the month of May. If you happen to be attending one of the shows listed below, please stop by our booth to say "Hi!"

Be sure to make plans to attend one of our presentations, or stop by our booth to learn what's new in the industry, including details on the recently announced HH PPS proposed changes!

For a sneak-peek of what's happening at the shows, please click on the corresponding show link below.

We look forward to seeing you on the road!

AHHC 35th Annual Convention
5/14-5/15 at Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center, Durham, NC

KHHA 2007 Spring Conference & Exhibition
5/14-5/16 at Radisson Plaza Hotel, Lexington, KY

MHHA Annual Conference
5/16-5/18 at DeVos Place Convention Center, Grand Rapids, MI

CAHSAH 2007 Annual Conference & Home Care Expo
5/16-5/18 at Riverside Convention Center, Riverside, CA

The very first QAPI Snapshot reports have been posted putting a new, powerful executive dashboard in the hands of hundreds of hospices. The posted reports are for Q4 2006, including the year's quarterly trends, and for the full fiscal year 2006, including baseline 2005 data. Participants should login online (click the appropriate link below) and click on the report links to download them. Also download the Snapshot Interpretation Guide there, too.

Contact the OCS QAPI Help Desk with any questions. Email QAPI@ocsys.com, or call 603.795.4802

Login for OCS Hospice PeerForum Clients

Login for All other QAPI Snapshot Participants

QAPI Snapshot Report Interpretation Training Web Conferences are scheduled this week
To register, click on the link below the web conference you would like to attend.

Call #1
Tuesday, May 8th
4pm ET/1pm PT
Register for Call #1

Call #2
Thursday, May 10th
10am ET/7am PT
Register for Call #2

Call #3
Monday, May 14th
3pm ET/12noon PT
Register for Call #3

These informative OCS Product Web Conferences also touch on current issues, topics and trends in the Home Health, Hospice and Private Duty industries. Mark your calendars and invite your staff to attend!

Are You Ready For QAPI?
Wednesday, May 9th
Noon PDT/3pm EDT
Enroll Now!

Disease Management
Tuesday, May 15th
10am PDT/1pm EDT
Enroll Now!

Home Health Connection
Thursday, May 17th
10am PDT/1pm EDT
Enroll Now!

On Thursday April 26, 2007, CMS posted a proposed rule with the fiscal year 2008 hospice wage index and a number of regulatory clarifications. The FY2008 wage index will be effective October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008. CMS forecasts that payments under the proposed rule will remain essentially neutral, with certain subgroups of hospices anticipated to increase or decrease by fractions of a percent. View the entire Hospice Proposed Rule. Comments on the proposed rule are due to CMS by 5pm on July 2, 2007.