Educational Conference To Take Top Billing at Medtrade Spring 2006

Atlanta, GA - January 6, 2006

Home healthcare professionals interested in receiving the most up-to-date information on current issues in home care should attend Medtrade Spring 2006 on March 21 - 23, 2006. This year's educational conference is designed to give home medical equipment providers and other home healthcare professionals the tools they need to succeed. Once again, Medtrade Spring will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"The focus of the 2006 spring show is that Medtrade Spring is the home medical equipment industry's "partner for success' and show producers takes that role seriously," says Art Ellis, group vice president for VNU Expositions, producers of Medtrade. "The planning that has gone into the educational programming will be evident as providers come to Las Vegas seeking solutions and go home with concrete ways to increase their success."

The Medtrade Spring conference program will offer HME providers and other home healthcare professionals three days of stimulating sessions to assist them in providing cost-effective and quality care to their patients. The conference program is carefully planned by the Medtrade Educational Advisory Committee.

"In the HME industry, continuing education is the lifeblood of the provider, particularly in light of the regulatory changes facing HME providers over the next several years," says Jeff Baird, Esq., chairman of Brown & Fortunato, P.C.'s healthcare group, Amarillo, Texas, and a member of the Medtrade Educational Advisory Committee. "AAHomecare and the Medtrade Educational Advisory Committee have put in many hours selecting programs and quality speakers that will address the many challenges and opportunities facing providers. This is a responsibility that AAHomecare and the Education Planning Committee do not take lightly."

Two pre-show conferences sessions will take place on Tuesday, March 21. The sixth Continuum of Care conference and The Brutal Facts...What's Real in Reimbursement for 2006 will be presented by the American Association for Homecare and Medtrade. Both conferences will take place from 8:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

The conference, The Brutal Facts...What's Real in Reimbursement for 2006, will offer providers clear coverage criteria, real-life examples of documentation they should have in their files and techniques for getting reimbursed for common denials, say conference organizers.

"Reimbursement is in a state of constant change-it isn't a department that just collects the money, it is about what product lines you choose, what type of order the intake department may need and how to organize it all to get paid. It is a business process," says Kim Brummett, vice president of reimbursement for Advanced Homecare in Greensboro, N.C. and a member of the Medtrade educational advisory committee. "Unfortunately, 2006 is going to be the year of more change than the industry has ever seen and it is important to stay up on the latest information and this seminar is designed to do just that."

The Continuum of Care conference continues to meet a need for specialized educational content on four of the most popular topics in home healthcare. The conference will offer a series of programs in the following four areas:

• Oxygen and Respiratory Issues sponsored by Respironics
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Re/habilitation and Assistive Technology sponsored by Mobility Management magazine
• Sleep-Disordered Breathing Therapy sponsored by ResMed

Continuing education credits will be offered by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), the Board of Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC), the National Registry for Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (NRRTS) and the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (RESNA).

"The Continuum of Care conference is a must for HME providers and their staffs. The expert information that will be given on the wide array of topics is vitally important to remaining successful in today's fast-changing environment," says Kim Kianka Roberti, director of education and meetings for AAHomecare.

The Medtrade Spring educational conference kicks off on Tuesday afternoon. The opening session will focus on accreditation, one of the most talked about topics in the industry. An Update on Accreditation will be presented at 1:00 p.m. and will include a question-and-answer session with representatives of the American Commission for Health Care, the Community Health Accreditation Program and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. Sixteen additional sessions will follow. The conference continues with 55 additional sessions throughout the day on Wednesday and Thursday that will cover the pertinent issues in accreditation, business management, home health, legislative and regulatory issues, mergers and acquisitions, oxygen and respiratory, rehabilitation and assistive technology, reimbursement, sales and marketing, and sleep-disordered breathing.

"HME providers can no longer succeed despite themselves - attending Medtrade's educational seminars and networking events is vital for their continued survival," says Jack Evans, president of Global Media Marketing and one of the speakers at the event. "The annual growth and profitability of their HME businesses depends upon their knowledgeable understanding of Medicare, our marketplace and the latest business trends."

In addition to the educational conference, attendees will have access to over 450 manufacturers of home medical equipment products and technology. The exhibit hall will be open Wednesday, March 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday, March 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Attendees who register for Medtrade Spring by Feb. 13, 2006, can receive special discounts on the conference and exposition. The early bird registration cost is $20 for the exposition and $145 for the educational conference, which includes all sessions and the exposition. Those interested in attending the Continuum of Care Conference and The Brutal Facts...What's Real in Reimbursement for 2006 can also take advantage of an early bird discount of $225 that includes the conference, all Medtrade Spring educational sessions and the exposition.

Medtrade Spring 2006 is being held March 21 - 23, 2006. For more information about the event, please visit www.medtradespring.com or call (800) 933-8735. VNU Expositions' upcoming healthcare events include Medtrade 2006, scheduled for Sept. 19 - 21, 2006, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga., and Medtrade Spring 2007, which will be held April 24 - 26, 2007, in Las Vegas.

VNU Expositions produces more than 50 conferences and trade shows annually for professionals in fields ranging from health care and construction to jewelry and retail merchandising. VNU's expositions and conferences reach thousands of industry leaders each year in collaborative environments designed to inspire, inform and entertain. For more information, please visit www.vnuexpo.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: To obtain additional information regarding the events listed above, please contact Denise McClinton at (254) 772-2941.