HHVBP Jan. 2024 Interim Performance Reports Now Available!

by Elaine Gardner, MS, RN, COS-C, CPHQ, CHPN

Tracking your home health agency’s (HHA’s) performance in the CMS expanded HHVBP Model

The CMS expanded HHVBP Model IPRs for January 2024 were posted in iQIES on Feb. 8, 2024. This confidential report provides feedback to an HHA about their quality measure performance and provides your HHA with the opportunity to assess and track performance relative to your peers in your respective cohort.

This quarterly IPR will include even more data for CY 2023 — the first performance year in the Model and the year upon which the adjusted payment percentage will be based for payment year CY 2025. Your HHA will receive an IPR for the calendar year (CY) 2023 performance year if the HHA:

• Was Medicare-certified prior to January 1, 2022, and
• Meets the minimum threshold of data for at least one (1) quality measure in the quarterly reporting period for the performance year shown in the table below:

Jan. 2024 IPR quality measure performance scores time periods for each measure category

In addition to the interim quality measure performance based on the 12 most recent months of data available, the IPR provides:

• A quarterly update on the HHA’s interim Total Performance Score (TPS)
• Percentile rankings reflecting HHA performance relative to other HHAs in the cohort
• TNC Change Reference tab to identify HHA performance on the 9 individual OASIS items included in the two TNC Change measures
• Scorecard tab to identify how each individual measure contributes to the HHA’s TPS

CMS has noted the performance measure values for the OASIS-based Total Normalized Composite (TNC) Change in Mobility and TNC Change in Self-Care measures are current in this IPR, and the HHVBP file issues identified in the GovDelivery message distributed on January 31st, 2024 have been resolved.  The October 2023 Final IPRs have been redistributed into the HHA Provider Preview Report Folder in iQIES.

What does all of this mean for your HHA?

Data specific to your HHA’s interim performance in the HHVBP Model are available to review, track, and use in refining your HHA’s quality improvement efforts! IPRs are available via iQIES in the “HHA Provider Preview Reports” folder, by the CMS Certification number (CCN) assigned to the HHA. Instructions on how to access the IPRs are available on the Expanded HHVBP Model webpage, under “Model Reports.”

What can our HHA do if we think there is an inaccuracy in the IPR?

The first version of the quarterly IPR is the Preliminary IPR and provides HHAs with the opportunity to submit a recalculation request if the agency believes there is evidence of a discrepancy in the calculation. The final version of the IPR will reflect any changes resulting from an approved recalculation.

To dispute the calculation of the performance scores in the Preliminary IPR, an HHA must submit a recalculation request within 15 calendar days after publication of the Preliminary IPR. Please note, the recalculation request does not apply to errors in data submission since submission requirements for the expanded Model align with the current Confidential Feedback Reports (CFRs).

For the January 2024 IPR, HHAs must submit a recalculation request by February 23, 2024. HHAs may submit requests for recalculation by emailing hhvbp_recalculation_requests@abtassoc.com. Recalculation requests must contain the following:

• The HHA’s name, address associated with the services delivered, and CMS Certification Number (CCN)
• The basis for requesting recalculation to include the specific data the HHA believes to be inaccurate or the calculation the HHA believes to be incorrect
• Contact information for a person at the HHA with whom CMS or its agent can communicate about this request, including name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address
• A copy of any supporting documentation, not containing PHI, the HHA wishes to submit in electronic form

The instructions are also available on the Expanded HHVBP Model webpage, under “Model Reports.”

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