CMS announced that the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model has been certified for expansion through rulemaking beginning no sooner than Calendar Year 2022. The model, which has been implemented in nine states, has resulted in an average 4.6% improvement in home health agencies’ quality scores as well as average annual savings of $141 million to Medicare. The HHVBP expansion must be implemented through rulemaking and would begin no earlier than January 1, 2022.
CMS implemented the HHVBP Model on January 1, 2016 for nine states. The HHVBP Model adjusts payments to home health agencies on the quality of care provided, rather than the volume of services rendered. These payment adjustments are determined based on a home health agency’s quality performance measures relative to peers in its state. Currently, all Medicare-certified HHAs that provide services in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington participate in the model.
Click here for more information on the HHVBP from CMS.
Click here for a recent report on the financial success of the program from CMS’ Chief Actuary.