HH-CAHPS: Preparing Now for the Long Run
Posted on January 10, 2010 in Coding Education
by Jennifer Warfield, RN, BSN, HCS-D, COSC
Keeping informed is as an important part of my position as informing others. As the Education Director of my company, I am tasked with keeping up with all the updates, changes and news in the home health industry in order provide my colleagues and clients with the latest information. My latest round of education relating to HH-CAHPS (Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System) surveys has led me to ask, "Are all of our home health clients prepared for the HH-CAHPS Surveys? And for that matter, are they even aware of what is required or expected of them?" I am especially concerned with the "small" agencies (i.e. those with less than 100 Medicare or Medicaid eligible patients). At this time, all agencies are facing the same issues, (OASIS-C, proposed MCR budget cuts and National Health Plan, RAC). So, I would not at all be surprised if your agency really has had little or no time to focus on the upcoming HH-CAHPS Survey.
Keep in mind that even though HH-CAHPS Surveys are not required, choosing not to participate could (and very well may) affect your annual payment update in 2012. Some of our clients are asking if they are "required" to do the surveys. Others are concerned or misinformed that they are too small to "even bother" and still others (large and small) are concerned about how HH-CAHPS will affect them financially and how to decide on a survey vendor. For CMS' answers to these and other questions, agencies are encouraged to go to https://homehealthcahps.org/Home.aspx.
In a nutshell, here's what we know: In November, 2009, in order to give agencies additional time to fully implement OAISIS-C, CMS issued an update saying that an agency's participation in HH-CAHPS Surveys will not be linked to its annual payment update until CY 2012. This means that participating agencies will be required to conduct a dry run for at least 1 month in the third quarter of CY 2010 and begin collecting ongoing data in October 2010. Even with this delay, small agencies could still be facing financial chaos. CMS proposes that agencies with fewer than 60 eligible MCR patients per year which meets all other requirements would be exempt from the requirement to collect data for the survey. Agencies still have a few months before we see the first of the surveys but, I would encourage everyone to get started now in order to be prepared in the fall.
September will be here before you know it, so get prepared. Remember, these surveys will reflect the wonderful job that home health clinicians already provide.
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