In the April 21, 2016 Federal Register, CMS outlines some of its proposed quality program initiatives, including details on the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program (VBP). The SNF VBP is authorized under the Social Security Act and creates a system where value-based incentive payments are made to SNFs based on their performance. This reflects the emphasis CMS is placing on “quality over quantity” in the services being provided in nursing homes.
The SNF VBP includes a proposed measurement that has been discussed for several years now – a hospital readmissions measure. The measure, SNF 30-Day Potentially Preventable Readmission Measure (SNFPPR) would assess the rate of unplanned, potentially preventable hospital readmission rates for SNF patients within 30 days of discharge to a hospital under the Inpatient PPS.
This measure would reflect readmissions after discharge, and follows the trend of measuring successful discharges and hospitalizations of SNF residents such as those included in the new Nursing Home Compare Quality Measures that were published today.
