Agenda

Gather for a warm welcome from the the Home Health and Skilled Nursing News teams, as they set the stage for the high-impact sessions, networking opportunities and industry insights set to unfold.

As payment models rapidly evolve, post-acute providers are navigating a complex mix of Medicare Advantage growth, value-based care mandates and shifting Medicaid policy. This executive outlook will examine how reimbursement structures are changing across home health and skilled nursing, what insurers, CMS and states are prioritizing, and how providers and payers must adapt to remain viable in a margin-constrained environment.

Take a breather between sessions to mingle with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and build relationships with professionals shaping the future of payer-provider relations.

Provider and payers – as well as lawmakers and regulators – are focused on improving prior authorization practices to address a major point of MA friction. Get the inside perspective on how prior authorization is changing, including through gold card programs, the use of AI, other industry reforms and responses to regulatory pressure.

As CMS continues to push toward population health through new models like TEAM, GUIDE, and LEAD—while repeatedly reshaping existing programs such as ACOs—providers and payers are navigating both opportunity and uncertainty. This panel will explore how organizations are positioning themselves for the next phase of value-based care.

As states rebalance budgets, rethink rate-setting and expand managed care oversight, Medicaid plans and providers are navigating a rapidly shifting financial and regulatory landscape. This panel will explore best practices for how home health and skilled nursing providers can prepare for and succeed in Medicaid managed care, as panelists share what’s sustainable, where pressure is building and how both plans and providers are preparing for what comes next.

Refuel and recharge with home health and skilled nursing leaders by enjoying lunch, where meaningful introductions and collaborative conversations are always on the menu.

HHCN+ members are invited to join a collaborative discussion on the evolving landscape of the payer-provider relationship over an exclusive networking lunch.

MA leaders discuss how they negotiate post-acute agreements, align incentives, and manage performance once the ink is dry. Learn what drives trust, transparency and long-term success—and what tends to derail relationships.

While major insurance companies have been pulling back on their Medicare Advantage offerings, SNPs and hospital-owned MA plans continue to expand and shape how a growing number of people receive post-acute and long-term care. Learn more about the factors driving growth for these plans and how they are impacting care delivery and business strategy for home health and SNF operators.

Fragmentation between Medicare and Medicaid continues to drive cost, complexity and inconsistent outcomes. This panel will explore how D-SNPs, integrated care models and state-federal alignment efforts are evolving—and what they mean for post-acute and long-term care providers. Panelists will discuss where integration is improving care, where gaps remain and how providers can better navigate and participate in these models.

Take a breather between sessions to mingle with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and build relationships with professionals shaping the future of payer-provider relations.

As Medicare Advantage plans intensify utilization management and payment scrutiny, providers are facing rising denials, downcoding and delayed reimbursements. This panel will examine key denial trends, appeals strategies that work and how providers can better protect revenue while maintaining productive payer relationships.

The question of where patients go after hospitalization is becoming more complex—and more consequential. This panel will explore how payers and providers are navigating site-of-care decisions across home health, skilled nursing and emerging alternatives, and what is driving those choices in practice. Panelists will share how clinical, financial and operational factors intersect—and what providers can do to stay competitive in a rapidly shifting landscape.

Unwind after a day of sessions by reconnecting with peers and continuing conversations with payers and providers in home health and skilled nursing.