Agenda Fall 2018

 

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NAACOS conferences deliver valuable policy insights and operational strategies for ALL accountable care organizations. Our upcoming conference on October 4 and 5 will draw more than 650 ACO leaders from across the country and will feature presentations from noted ACO experts and CMS officials, as well as opportunities for networking and peer-to-peer learning. Pre-conference workshops draw more than 150 ACO leaders for a deeper understanding of specific issues.  NAACOS conferences are the only events organized exclusively by ACOs. 

Conference Schedule  
October 3 - Pre-Conference Workshops 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm ET
October 4 - Main Meeting 7:30 am - 6:30 pm ET
October 5 - Main Meeting 7:30 am - 3:00 pm ET

 

Thursday, October 4

7:30 – 8:15

Sponsored Breakfasts

8:30 – 10:00 am

Opening Plenary 
Welcome
Clif Gaus, President and CEO, NAACOS

Opening Keynote:  Adam Boehler from CMMI
Moderator: Alan Weil Health Affairs
Discussants: Rick Gilfillan, TrinityHealth; Thomas Kloos, Atlantic Health MSO; Stephen Nuckolls, Coastal Carolina Quality Care; Katherine Schneider, Delaware Valley ACO

Following opening remarks by CMMI’s Adam Boehler, Mr. Boehler and a panel of ACO leaders will discuss opportunities and challenges to the ACO program, including CMS’s proposed rule, PY17 results, and new research on MSSP savings.

10:00 – 10:30 am

Break

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Regulatory Update: Key Policy Provisions for ACOs in 2018 and Beyond
Moderator: Jennifer Gasperini, NAACOS
Panelist: Allison Brennan, NAACOS 

Description: In this session, NAACOS staff will review key policy provisions affecting ACOs. Staff will discuss MACRA updates for 2018 and 2019, key provisions of the proposed 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and provide an in-depth review of MSSP policy changes for 2019. This session will be repeated on Friday, October 5 at 10:00-11:30 am. 

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Medicare Advantage- Driving MA Success within Your ACO
Moderator: Rob Fields, Mount Sinai
Panelist: Kim Kauffman, Summit Medical Group

Description: Most ACOs already have much of the infrastructure necessary to be successful in Medicare Advantage (MA). This panel will review strategies for success in MA and will include care management, quality reporting, risk adjustment, and other approaches. We will discuss these in the context of comparing and contrasting MA and MSSP and how to approach them differently to succeed.

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

ACO Innovations
Moderator: Debbie Welle-Powell, Essentia Health 
Panelists: Melissa Arana, Baylor Scott and White; Amanda Gerlach, Mission Health Partners; Beth Souder, Delaware Valley ACO

Description: How do ACOs innovate? Learn about award-winning innovations and how you can apply their success to your ACO. This session will feature the winning submissions to NAACOS Call for ACO Innovations. NAACOS is accepting submissions to the call through July 31, 2018.

12:00 – 1:30 pm

Lunch Plenary

The Impact of Health Policy and Politics on Value-based Payment
Moderator: Rob Mechanic, Institute for Accountable Care
Speakers:  Joe Antos, American Enterprise Institute; Kavita Patel, Brookings Institution 

Beginning with an overview of new research on ACOs and their performance, our speakers will discuss the current policy and political environment and its impact on the shift in health care to value-based payment.

1:30  2:00 pm

Break

2:00 – 3:30 pm

Provider Sponsored Health Plans: The Final Frontier
Moderator: Kim Kauffman, Summit Medical Group
Panelists: Cathy Eddy, Health Plan Alliance; Elissa Langley, Triad HealthCare Network; Jonathan Nasser, Crystal Run Health 

Description: Organizations seeking to get closer to the first premium dollar and innovate to better manage financial risk can benefit from the lessons learned by peers. This session will cover Provider Sponsored Health Plans from three different perspectives: physician group, health system and an alliance for provider-sponsored plans. Three experts will share their experiences in setting strategy, achieving operational efficiencies and implementing innovation. Rather than focusing on general concepts, the emphasis will be on steps to create and manage a successful Provider Sponsored Health Plan, to include product lines, growth strategy, governance, customer experience, contracting, risk management, clinical integration, informatics and government oversight.

2:00 – 3:30 pm

Designing Effective Strategies to Improve Care for High-Need, High-Cost Patients
Moderator: Rob Mechanic, Institute for Accountable Care
Panelist: Melinda Abrams, The Commonwealth Fund; Sanjay Doddamani, Geisinger Health System; Wilson Gabbard, UNC Physicians; Amy Russell, Mission Health Partners

Description: ACOs often care for many patients with complex, chronic conditions that can lead to high cost and utilization of care. The panel will discuss how ACOs can design and implement strategies that deliver high-quality, low-cost care for these patients.

2:00 – 3:30 pm

Building a Network of Specialists
Moderator: Tony Reed, Geisinger Health System
Panelists: Lisa Hunt, St. Louis Physician Alliance; Douglas Pogue, BJC Medical Group 

Description: Building a network of specialists who are aligned with your ACO’s goals is essential to providing high quality, cost-effective care for your patient population. Come hear executives from a variety of ACO types discuss strategies they have implemented and the lessons learned.

3:30 – 3:45 pm

Break

3:45 – 4:30 pm

NAACOS Membership Meeting

4:30 – 5:45 pm

Peer to Peer Meet-Ups

Each ACO model has its own set of features, challenges, and strategies for success. Attend a peer exchange exclusively with your ACO peers where you can share your challenges, learn from peers, and hear from experts about the strategies that work for your type of ACO.

Facilitators: 
Next Generation ACOs: Emily Brower , Trinity Health; Kim Kauffman, Summit Medical Group
Track 1+ ACOs: Rob Fields and Denise Prince, Mount Sinai Health System; Stephen Nuckolls, Coastal Carolina Quality Care
Track 1 ACOs: Jen Moore, MaineHealth ACO; Gary Albers, Imperium Health
Private Payer ACOs: Zak Ramadan-Jradi, MultiCare Connected Care
Track 2/3 ACOs: Victoria Farias, RGV ACO; Sandra Van Trease, BJC Healthcare

 5:45 – 6:45 pm

Reception

 

Friday, October 5

7:30 – 8:15  Sponsored Breakfasts

8:30 – 9:30 am

Plenary 

Evaluating the Private Payer ACO Landscape
Moderator: Katherine Schneider, Delaware Valley ACO
Panelists: Julian Harris, President, CareAllies, A CIGNA company; Scott Hewitt, UnitedHealthcare; Danielle Lloyd, SVP, Private Market Innovations & Quality Initiatives AHIP 

Description: Many ACOs have embarked on accountable care contracts beyond Medicare and are increasingly engaging with commercial payers. During this session we will hear from leading national private payers that are collaborating with ACOs to create new ACO opportunities in the commercial market. Another key topic during this discussion will be the variability across local markets and commercial payers and the related opportunities and challenges this presents for ACOs. There will also be ample time for audience engagement so ACOs can ask questions directly of these payers.

9:30 – 10:00 am

Break 

10:00 – 11:30 am

Combating the Opioid Epidemic: Strategies for ACOs
Moderator: Jennifer Stephens, Lehigh Valley Health Network
Presenters: Noah Nesin, Penobscot Community Health Care; Yvonne LeBlanc, NEQCA; Paige Roth, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Description: The country’s opioid epidemic is one that affects every ACO and every market. This session will review key strategies for ACOs to address the opioid crisis. Attendees will hear directly from ACOs who will describe the programs and tactics being deployed to tackle this issue. NAACOS staff will also discuss activities by the NAACOS Opioid Advisory Group to assist members in this area.

10:00 – 11:30 am

It's Negotiable: Contracts beyond Medicare
Moderator: Jeanette Flood, Delaware Valley ACO
Panelist: Vincent Gordon; Bob McMullen

Description: Private payers and health care purchasers have committed to value based care and are searching for bold and innovative approaches to improving population health outcomes, while simultaneously creating a stable and sustainable health care financing environment. This session will explore options for working with private payers, including employers, and the opportunities that exist for ACOs to add value to the communities they serve beyond the Medicare fee for service population.

10:00 – 11:30 am

How to Succeed as a Physician-Led ACO
Moderator: Andrea Cichra, South Bend Clinic
Panelist: Peter Freeman, NC Community Health Center Association; Ahmed Haque, Aledade ACO; Don Klitgaard, MedLink Advantage; Bob Rauner, OneHealth Nebraska

Description: In this session, we will hear from successful Physician-led ACOs about topics that are important to this type of organizational structure. We will explore how these ACOs have found success in accountable care, learn from pitfalls and challenges they have faced, and understand how to achieve operational excellence through Physician engagement and leadership. This session will be valuable to new and experienced Physician-led organizations alike, as well as those who would seek to learn more about the Physician-led model in accountable care.

 10:00 – 11:30 am

Regulatory Update: Key Policy Provisions for ACOs in 2018 and Beyond
Moderator: Jennifer Gasperini, NAACOS
Panelist: Allison Brennan, NAACOS 

Description: In this session, NAACOS staff will review key policy provisions affecting ACOs. Staff will discuss MACRA updates for 2018 and 2019, key provisions of the proposed 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and provide an in-depth review of MSSP policy changes for 2019.  This is a repeat of the session that took place on Thursday, Oct 4 at 10:30 am. 

11:30 – 11:45 am

Break

11:45 am – 1:15 pm

Improving Care and Reducing Cost as Patients Approach the End of Life
Moderator: Richard Feifer, Genesis Healthcare
Panelists: Mark Calderon, Atlantic ACO; Ana Tuya Fulton, Integra Community Care Network; Dana Lustbader, ProHEALTH NY

Description: As patients near the end of life, significant opportunities exist to improve the quality of care while reducing the use of ineffective and potentially harmful healthcare services. Panelists will share successful approaches from various ACO perspectives. Topics covered will include predictive analytics, palliative care, advance care planning, hospice optimization, and reporting.

11:45 am – 1:15 pm

Distributing Shared Savings
Moderator: Tom Kloos, Atlantic Health
Panelists: Gary Albers, Imperium Health; Stephen Nuckolls, Coastal Carolina Healthcare 

Description: This panel features ACOs that have achieved shared savings. Each will describe the methods, impact, feedback from physicians, and the lessons learned. There will be ample time for questions from the audience.

11:45 am – 1:15 pm

Late Breaking Issues
Moderator: Mike Rossi, Lehigh Valley Health Network
Panelists: Debbie Welle-Powell, Essentia Health, Jennifer Stephens, Lehigh Valley Health Network 

Description: Experts will offer solutions to top ACO challenges and engage the audience in a discussion of solutions and barriers to implementation. Don’t miss this chance to learn from the experts and from peers!

1:15 – 3:00 pm

Lunch Plenary 

Open Mic with CMS
Panelists: Amy Bassano, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation; Molly MacHarris, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; John Pilotte, Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Description: This session includes a town hall format and is an important way for ACOs and CMS to have an open dialogue about the Medicare ACO program, including discussion on evolving policies and how ACOs fit into CMS’s overall goal of improving Medicare payment and healthcare delivery. This is an excellent opportunity for ACO executives to pose questions and receive answers directly from CMS leaders and to hear the newest developments straight from the agency.