For the second consecutive year, HMA is proud to be a Gold Sponsor at Native Nation Events’ annual Native American Human Resources Conference, which is taking place January 28–30 in Alpine, California. At this year’s eighth annual conference, our focus will be on facilitating stronger relationships between tribal health plans, clinics, and health plan administrators. With strong relationships within that partnership triad, self-funded tribal health plans can take full advantage of a variety of regulations and programs that can improve care for members and also lower costs for administrators.

Joining me for our presenting at the conference will be Carrie Brose, CSFS, Senior Manager – Client Success. The presentation will spotlight the leverage of federal programs and integrating federal rules such as the Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund (CHEF), the 340B program, Medicare-like rates, and Purchased/Referred Care program.

• CHEF was established to help meet the extraordinary medical costs associated with the treatment of victims of disasters or catastrophic illnesses.
• The 340B program is a drug discount program created in 1992. The program requires that drug manufacturers provide outpatient drugs at discounted prices to eligible healthcare organizations.
• The pricing of claims at a Medicare-like rate follows a new rule implemented by the Indian Health Service (IHS). This allows tribal healthcare plans and programs to cap payment rates to doctors, providers, and suppliers who work through the Purchased/Referred Care program.

During the breakout session, we’ll demonstrate how health plan administrators can drive pharmacy spending to in-house clinics and their 340B programs rather than standard pharmacy retailers. We’ll offer best practices for collaborating with clinics and health plan administrators for the most effective management of Medicare-like rates and CHEF filings. We will also arm conference-goers with the best questions to ask when assisting health plan administrators with the establishment of Medicare-like rate pricing, CHEF filings, and tribal clinic coordination.

The three-day conference, held at the Viejas Casino & Resort, will bring together the nation’s top experts in tribal health plan administration, government health regulations, HR, insurance, IT, and third-party administration. All participants share a common goal of finding the most effective ways to manage healthcare plans within their various tribes and enterprises.

At HMA, our expertise in self-funded tribal healthcare plan administration runs deep. Our menu of tribal health plan products has included Purchased/Referred Care pricing and CHEF administration since 2009. When the IHS added the special treatment of professional claims in 2016, we were able to implement Medicare-like rates on those claims the same year.

We’re delighted to offer our expertise and to be part of the exciting discussion that leads to more efficient tribal healthcare administration and higher member satisfaction. If you’re attending as well, please stop by our booth and say hi. And be sure to join us for our breakout session on Tuesday, January 30, at 1:15 p.m., Track B. We look forward to seeing you.