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 News UpdateAgencies now have access to confidential health equity feedback reports that compare measure outcomes between Medicare-Medicaid dually enrolled patients and non-duals, as well as between non-white and white patients.
Now available in iQIES, the reports include results from home health stays in 2021 and 2022, with agencies receiving a categorization describing how the patient populations performed statistically significantly “better than,” “no different than” or “worse than” the comparison group in terms of discharge to community and Medicare spending per beneficiary.
Source: Greg Hambrik, Oct. 17, 2023
If a patient loses his or her balance while a therapist is performing a therapeutic intervention meant to challenge balance, this would not be considered a fall under M1033 (Risk for hospitalization) response “1 – History of falls” CMS clarifies in response to a question in the October 2023 quarterly OASIS Q&As.
“Falls are not a result of an overwhelming external force (e.g., another person pushes the patient) or an anticipated loss of balance resulting from a supervised therapeutic intervention where the patient’s balance is being intentionally challenged during balance training,” CMS states.
Source: Megan Herr, Oct. 17, 2023
The number of Medicare Advantage plans offering in-home supportive services (IHSS) in 2024 shrunk to its lowest number since 2021, despite the popularity of these supplemental benefits, according to healthcare research firm ATI Advisory.
“In-home support services are down pretty significantly,” Bill Winfrey, a director at research firm ATI Advisory’s Medicare innovation team, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “It dropped down between seven and eight percentage points from last year to this year. So it’s a pretty significant drop in one particular benefit that previously had been very popular and offered pretty commonly across plans.”
Source: Adam Healy, McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse, Oct. 13, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its midway evaluation of Phase II of the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) model. The results reveal significant growth in participation, notable shifts in insurer behavior, and improved quality of care for consumers.
Phase II is slated to run from 2020 to 2024, according to CMS. This most recent report assessed the first half of the phase, ending in 2022. In this time, the number of participating plans grew from 370 in 2021 to 859 in 2022. Participating insurers were more likely to serve poorer communities and regions with greater MA penetration, and VBID plans were more likely to cover dual eligibility special needs and non-white beneficiaries, according to a fact sheet.
Source: Adam Healy, McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse, Oct. 13, 2023
Amid reimbursement uncertainty in Medicare-certified home health, investors are slowly shifting focus to other home-based care types.
This shift, while not a radical departure, is something stakeholders are keeping an eye on heading into 2024.
“I think we’re already seeing a little bit of that,” Rebecca Springer, lead health care analyst at PitchBook, told Home Health Care News. “It’s not a full pivot, but we’ve definitely seen private-duty deals come through. Home- and community-based services deals have had a slow uptick in interest for a little while now. I think that’s because it’s an alternative to home health and hospice, but also because there’s a lot of green space there.”
Source: Patrick Filbin, Home Health Care News, Oct. 11, 2023
Membership NewsWe invite you to serve on one of the Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home's standing Committees. All Standing Committees report to and accept tasks from the Board of Directors and are expected to fulfill the mission of the Association.
Standing Committees are as follows: Business & Finance, Education, Government Relations, Hospice & Palliative Care and Quality Improvement. (See the Petition Form below for more information about each committee.)
If you have an interest in serving on one of our committees or continuing your service, please fill out the 2024 Association Committee Petition and return it to the Association no later than Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. The Association will make every effort to honor your committee preference while still achieving a balance of member representation.
 Welcome the Association's newest member, Right at Home! It doesn’t matter if you are here because you’re looking for help living independently, or if you want to make sure someone you love has the support they need in their home. Right at Home believes there’s more to supporting people than just providing in-home assistance. You deserve a partner that understands the course of your journey and will help navigate the road ahead. Whether it’s preparing a meal or providing 24-hour companionship, they will be there for you.
Exceptional service is something Right at Home never compromises on. With decades of experience in providing integral service in their community, their team will ensure that your safety and well-being come first.
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