Background

Prior to the release of SNF QRP data on Nursing Home Compare, SNFs have the opportunity to review their quality measure results during a 30-day preview period. Providers have until March 4, 2019, to review QRP data prior to the April 2019 Nursing Home Compare site refresh, during which this data will be publicly displayed. SNFs are encouraged to review the SNF Provider Preview Report, issued quarterly by CMS and accessed through the CASPER system. Instructions on how to access these reports are located here.

Corrections to the underlying data will not be permitted during this time, however, providers can request a CMS review of their data during the preview period if they believe the quality measure scores that are displayed within their Preview Reports are inaccurate.

What you need to know

The data contained within the Preview Reports is based on quality data submitted by SNFs during the following quarterly time frames:

• Quarter 3 – 2017 to Quarter 2 – 2018 data

  • Percent of Residents Experiencing One or More Falls with Major Injury (Long Stay)

  • Percent of Residents or Patients with Pressure Ulcers That Are New or Worsened (Short Stay)

  • Percent of Long-Term Care Hospital Patients with an Admission and Discharge Functional Assessment and a Care Plan That Addresses Function

• Quarter 4 – 2016 to Quarter 3 – 2017 data 

  • Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary – Post-Acute Care (PAC) Skilled Nursing Facility Measure

  • Discharge to Community- Post Acute Care (PAC) Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP)

As we stated in our last alert, CMS announced in October 2018 that it will not publish the 6^th previously posted quality measure, Potentially Preventable 30-Day Post-Discharge Readmissions, at this time. According to CMS, additional time will allow for more testing to determine if modifications to the measure and method of displaying it are needed. This additional testing will ensure that the future publicly reported measure is thoroughly evaluated so Nursing Home Compare users have an accurate picture of provider quality. While CMS conducts this additional testing, the agency will not post reportable data for this measure, including each SNF’s performance, as well as the national rate. To view the updated quality data, please visit the Nursing Home Compare website.

Courtesy of NASL

If you have any questions, please contact Maria Maggi, Vice President of Compliance mmaggi@preftherapy.com.