In part three of this blog series, you will learn how to use the second of three benefits of the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HH-CAHPS) to strategically grow your business.
Today’s blog focuses on the benefits of value-based reimbursement, and how HH-CAHPS can help your business grow, even if you’re not in one of the current nine participating states.
Value-Based Reimbursement
CMS recently transitioned home health agencies in nine states (Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee and Washington). from the fee-for-service reimbursement (e.g. Home Health Prospective Payment) system to population-based reimbursements. It will likely roll out the change to more states before the end of the demonstration project in 2020. The new payment system involves a shift from paying simply for providing services, to reimbursing for the quality of care being provided, based on measures of performance and outcomes. The current five-year Home Health Value Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model program[1] includes points based on OASIS quality of care measures, claims data, and HH-CAHPS scores for all home health agencies in these nine states. Although the remaining 41 states are not required to participate at this time, it’s important to closely monitor the progression of the HHVBP, and align goals and processes to what may soon be the universal system. Other payers will adopt this trend, as stakeholders scrutinize agencies’ performance ratings prior to partnering with them, e.g. Home Health Star Ratings.
Strategy
Use the HHVBP Demonstration project as an opportunity to prepare your agency for the changes occurring in the broader health care system. Regardless of whether you practice in a state mandated to participate in HHVBP, use the technical and training resources that CMS and other vendors provide to improve your agency’s HH-CAHPS scores and other quality measures. There will be a lot of education on improving your clinical care and OASIS documentation, as well as focusing on patient engagement and HH-CAHPS scores. It is important that you and your staff take full advantage of these opportunities. The ultimate improvement in your processes and overall scores will ensure that your organization is prepared for present and future growth.
In the next installment on how to use HH-CAHPS to grow your business, we’ll talk about compliance. Stay tuned!
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/HomeHealthPPS/Home-Health-Prospective-Payment-System-Regulations-and-Notices-Items/CMS-1625-F.html
