Home Health & Hospice Week

New measures unchanged from proposed rule.

If you’re wondering how the IMPACT Act affects you, look no further than your four new quality measures finalized in the 2017 HH PPS final rule.

In the rule issued Oct. 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adopts these four measures for the Home Health Quality Reporting Program:

• Potentially Preventable 30-Day Post-Discharge Readmission Measure for Post-Acute Care Home Health Quality Reporting Program;
• Total Medicare Spending per Beneficiary — Post Acute Care Home Health Quality Reporting Program (MSPB-PAC HH QRP);
• Discharge to Community — Post Acute Care Home Health Quality Reporting Program; and
• Drug Regimen Review Conducted with Follow-Up for Identified Issues-Post-Acute Care Home Health Quality Reporting Program.

CMS Deep Sixes 6 Process Measures

CMS also finalizes its plan to drop these six measures from HHQRP:

• Pain Assessment Conducted;
• Pain Interventions Implemented during All Episodes of Care;
• Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Conducted;
• Pressure Ulcer Prevention in Plan of Care;
• Pressure Ulcer Prevention Implemented during All Episodes of Care; and
• Heart Failure Symptoms Addressed during All Episodes of Care.