Kenyon Connects

In a recent post, I talked about the need to complete a community assessment plan before you launch your Private Pay agency. Today, however, I’m all about ways to find the right staff so that can open your doors with confidence.

First of all, you don’t want to set up shop in a community that doesn’t offer a large pool of qualified employees. Before you open your doors, do a quick survey of the educational terrain. Is there a nearby technical or community college that trains in the fields you will be looking for?

Develop a relationship with the college counselors and placement office staff. Post your ads on the school bulletin boards, as well as in local cafés and coffeehouses, or any other places students might congregate. Continue reading “Private Pay Staffing: How to Hire the Best In A Complex World” »

Today, Thursday, September 23, 2010, is a banner day for Americans.  Eight important reforms in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act went into effect.  These reforms give Americans new rights and benefits, effective immediately.  While all provisions of the law will be in place by 2014, today we can all rest a little easier because:

• Lifetime Limits have been abolished: Prohibits insurance companies from imposing lifetime limits on benefits so that Americans with private insurance coverage will never have to worry about their coverage running out.

• Preventive Health Services are now covered:  All new plans must provide FREE coverage for over 100 preventive services, including mammograms for women over age 40, screenings for colorectal cancer for those over age 50, depression, smoking cessation programs, and autism for children age 18 months to 24 months.

• The Appeals Process has been improved: Requires that new group or individual health plans offer an effective process for appealing coverage decisions, such as refusals to cover procedures partially or at all. Consumers first file an internal appeal with their insurers, but if they are not satisfied they can appeal to an impartial reviewer.

• Rescissions are prohibited: Prohibits the abusive practice whereby health insurance companies rescind existing health insurance policies when a person gets sick as a way of avoiding covering the costs of enrollees’ health care needs.

• The ability to choose your own doctor has been enhanced: Expands consumer choice by ending the insurance company practice of limiting a consumer’s ability to choose a doctor in his/her own insurer network.

• Restrictions on Emergency Room care have ended: For new plans, consumers can no longer be charged more for emergency services obtained out-of-network.

• Pre-existing condition exclusions for children has been eliminated: Bars health insurance companies from placing pre-existing condition exclusions on coverage for children through age 18 for any new plans

• Coverage to young adults has been extended: Plans that provide dependent coverage to children must now make that coverage available until the child turns age 26.

We’ll keep a close eye on what’s changing and when.  As for now, the next new round of improvements will take place on January 1, 2011.  What a healthy way to celebrate the New Year! 

Seattle, WA - Ginny Kenyon, Founder and CEO of Kenyon HomeCare Consulting will be a featured presenter on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) 29th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Dallas, Texas.  The theme for Kenyon’s presentation, Creating an Elite Team of Private Pay Caregivers, speaks directly to the emerging need for higher quality caregivers in the Private Pay and Private Duty industries. Attendees will learn how to identify components of an elite caregiver profile, explore the ins and outs of a comprehensive orientation program, and discover the support systems needed to maintain and enhance an elite team of caregivers so their agency can effectively respond to the growing demands of the “Boomer” generation. Kenyon will be joined by Antoinnette Williams, MHA, Director of Care Management, Sound Options, Inc.

In addition, Kenyon will be at the Kenyon HomeCare Consulting booth # 323 throughout the conference from October 2 through October 6, 2010, and will be available to discuss a wide range of issues that are strategic to the growth and fiscal stability of the home health and homecare industries.

I recently received an email from the President’s office that talked about the changes we, as Americans, can expect to see from the healthcare reform legislation signed into law on March 23, 2010. This important legislation, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), not only impacts our options for insurance, these new guidelines go further than ever to support your clients as they strive to receive full coverage – and full payment – from their insurance providers.

I want to share with you some of the important points outlined in the email I received. There are a number of ways PPACA improves how insurance will be delivered in the future, including:

• Insurance companies can no longer cancel your policy if you get sick. Right now, insurance companies can retroactively cancel a policy if you become ill or if you or your employer made an unintentional mistake on your paperwork. The new law puts a stop to this practice. Continue reading “Your Rights Under The New Health Care Reform Law” »

It’s no secret that recruitment and hiring can be expensive. I recently saw data that indicated the upfront cost for hiring an aide can be anywhere from $500 to $3,000, depending on how your recruitment system is designed. If you add in the associated costs of hiring (ads, orientation, etc.), you can put out as much as $2,000 to $5,000 per employee. That’s a lot of money.

If you’re making that kind of commitment, you want to make sure it’s paying off. Over the years, I’ve implemented a range of strategies that help clients minimize the cost of recruitment. The steps are pretty straightforward and anyone can use them to streamline their hiring process. Continue reading “Smarter Recruitment Strategies Boost Home Care Agency Outcomes” »

Starting a new Private Pay Agency from scratch can be exhilarating and exhausting. It is the moment when all your dreams can come true and your worst nightmares can come to fruition. Taking a few basic steps before you start the journey can have a very positive impact on the outcome.

Your first step is to plan, plan, and then plan again. You wouldn’t take a walk in the dark without a flashlight, so don’t step into a new business venture without a plan to light your way. In my role as consultant, I’ve helped many clients successfully launch their new agency. Regardless of the location or size of their agency, once they are committed to the idea of planning, the steps to success come fairly easily. Continue reading “Starting Up: Launching a Private Pay Agency on the Road to Success” »

Imagine you’re driving someplace you’ve never been before.  You don’t have a map or a GPS but you do have a sense of where you are going.  Instinct tells you to turn right and then left and then right again, but you end up miles from where you wanted to be.  Hours later, you arrive at your destination exhausted, frustrated, and unable to enjoy your surroundings.

Running a Home Health or Private Pay agency without some kind of objective indicator to tell you how your business is really doing is a little like driving without a map.  A professionally designed Dashboard (sometimes called a Scorecard) works just like a map and identifies clear signposts that tell you whether or not your agency is on the right track.  A Dashboard helps you make informed decisions, implement course corrections, and gives you the information you need to keep your agency viable, on track, and financially healthy. Continue reading “In Home Health and Private Pay, It’s All About The Numbers.” »

Starting in September 2010, a provision in the new healthcare legislation will make it possible for young adults to remain on or be added to their parent’s health insurance plans until they turn twenty-six.  While this may not directly impact your Home Health and Private Pay clients, it is possible some of your clients may have grandchildren that could be covered by their parents’ insurance.  Additionally, some of your staff may have young adult children that are impacted by this new law as well.

As a courtesy, I recommend you remind anyone involved with your agency about the new law. In a world where so many are uninsured, it is nice to be able to deliver some good news.