It’s a remarkable time to be in health care, especially as a case management professional. Changes are happening at an unprecedented rate, and include far-reaching health care reform efforts aimed at transformational improvements in the quality and efficiency of health care. Many of these innovative changes are well-synchronized with the core values, beliefs, and concepts of case management practice. This session will explore the impact of health care reform on case management, and highlight the key provisions that are providing new avenues of opportunity and demand for case managers. Included will be an overview of how these provisions are being implemented, and the pivotal role case managers can play in effective implementation of these new patient-centered models of health care delivery and reimbursement. No one can deny we work in an industry that is ever-changing and being driven by reform efforts aimed at reducing costs, improving access, and assuring quality. Come to this session to learn why case managers need to be ready, willing, and able to help coordinate patient-centered care and ensure successful outcomes in these reform-driven, health care quality, and practice improvement efforts that are now underway. 

Objectives:

• Review the key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that have a direct impact on case management. 
• Describe how best-practice case management is an essential component in the effective implementation of new patient-centered models of care. 
• Discuss new roles for case managers across the care continuum as a result of health care reform initiatives.