Home Health & Hospice Week

Medicare is putting its money where its mouth is on hospital readmissions, and home care providers could stand to gain from the move. CMS is putting an additional $500 million into its Community-based Care Transitions Program, which aims to reduce rehospitalizations by improving care during a transition between care settings. The program began in 14 communities in 2009 and included home care and hospice participants (see Eli's HCW, Vol. XVIII, No. 16, p. 125).

CMS is accepting proposals for the Care Transitions funding now. "Today, community-based organizations and acute care hospitals that partner with community-based organizations can begin submitting applications for this funding," CMS instructs. "Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. Awards will be made on an ongoing basis as funding permits."

CMS's new Innovation Center will use another $500 million to fund testing of different models to improve patient care for both hospitalacquired conditions and improving care transitions, the agency adds.

The program, called the Partnership for Patients, could save Medicare $50 billion over the next 10 years, CMS predicts. More information about the bids is at www.cms.gov/DemoProjectsEvalRpts/MD/itemdetail.asp?itemID=CMS1239313.