scholarly journals Home Health Agency Ownership and Quality of Care Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 22-22
Author(s):  
Rashmita Basu ◽  
Huabin Luo ◽  
Bei Wu

Abstract Medicare restructured home healthcare reimbursement from a cost-basis to a 60- day risk-based prospective payment system (PPS) in 2000 to implement the value-based payment model for home healthcare services. Currently home healthcare market in the U.S. is dominated by the presence of for-profit (FP) agencies instead of being primarily served by not-for-profit (NFP) agencies. Using data from the 2016-2018 OASIS for beneficiaries participated in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) (N=6,115), the current study examines whether home health agency ownership status is associated with length of stay (LOS) and discharge outcome Medicare home health care patients. Our first outcome variable is discharge status (modeled via ordered probit) with three categories: discharge to the community, inpatient hospital and other long-term care facilities. The second outcome variable is LOS and two dummy variables LOS ≤ 30 days and LOS ≥ 99 days were modeled via binary probit. The key independent variable was the ownership status of the agency (FP vs. NFP). Patient level covariates includes demographics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status), comorbidity index, agency characteristics (metropolitan statistical area, hospital-based). Patients in FP agencies were 5.1% (p<0.01) less likely to discharge to community, 15.3% (p<0.001) less likely to have LOS ≤ 30 days but 7.5% (p<0.001) more likely to have LOS ≥ 99 higher compared to patients from NFP agencies under the PPS. Our results have important implications for clinicians, patients and healthcare professionals to be cognizant about the influence of agency ownership on the delivery of healthcare services in home healthcare sector.

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-57
Author(s):  
Sean Oslin ◽  
Connie Heavey ◽  
Priscilla Horner

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S494-S494
Author(s):  
Chenjuan Ma

Abstract Home healthcare is a critical care source for community-dwelling older adults. As the fastest growing healthcare sector in the US, quality of home healthcare is under increasing scrutiny. The purpose of this study is to examine patterns of performance on quality of care among US home health agencies. This is a 3-year cohort study using 2015-2017 Home Health Compare data and Provider of Services (POS) Files. In the dataset, each HHA was assigned a star rating (1-5) to reflect the overall quality of care. This indicator was calculated based on two process measures (timely initiation of care and drug education) and six outcome measures (e.g., hospitalization). We examined 8,020 HHAs in the US. Over the 3-year period, the number of HHAs receiving a star rating of 4 or 5 increased from 27% in 2015, 31% in 2016, to 32% in 2017. Roughly, 32% of the HHAs received a lower star rating and another 32% received a higher star rating from 2015 to 2016. Similarly, 30% of the HHAs received a lower star rating and 29% of the HHAs received a higher star rating from 2016 to 2017. Hospital-based HHAs were less likely to receive a star rating of 4 or 5. Larger HHAs (OR 1.34; 95% CI, 1.13-1.59) and HHAs with ownership changes (OR, 1.38; 95% CI 1.20-1.59) were more likely to improve their star ratings overtime. Our finding indicates dynamic changes in the quality of care within the US home healthcare sector.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 273-273
Author(s):  
John F. Sandbach ◽  
John Bachelor ◽  
Kimberly Larson ◽  
Denize Jordan ◽  
Janet Mullins ◽  
...  

273 Background: Unplanned hospital admissions or hospital re-admissions in cancer patients after discharge cost in excess of 16 billion dollars. Oncology patients are a very high risk of hospitalization despite the involvement of a home healthcare agency. The 30-day medical oncology re-hospitalization rates are reported to be 21.6%. Unplanned hospitalization rates in selected oncology patients over a 12 month period have been reported to be as high as 58%. Methods: A large home health agency and a community based medical oncology practice created a delivery model referred to as the Advanced Community Care Model (ACCM). We are reporting our initial 14 month experience. The initial pilot involved three of the medical group’s six cancer centers. The ACCM created standing intervention orders regarding hydration, nausea/vomiting, central line management, antiemetic and diarrhea and a continuum of monthly management meetings with the agency and the practice. Navigation services by a designated RN were provided. Enhanced interventions with either telephone communication or home visits took place when deemed appropriate. Results: ACCM impacted 60-day hospitalization rates fell a baseline at 6 months into the program from 43% to 22% by the end of the 18 month pilot. Avoidable hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations related to N/V, pain, SOB and infection were less than 10%. The initial program has involved 310 unique patients. Conclusions: The reduction in the 60 day hospitalization rates and the low hospitalization and re-hospitalization rates related to pain control, infection, SOB and infection were below published national averages. The results were felt to be encouraging and the ACCM will be expanded to involve all 7 cancer centers in the practice.


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