As a means of improving care to residents residing in Medicare/Medicaid nursing facilities, CMS announced on March 15, 2012 an initiative to help reduce avoidable hospitalizations. Organizations interested in participating in this initiative must submit an application to CMS by June 14, 2012.
The goal of the initiative is to improve care for residents of nursing facilities by helping avoid costly and avoidable hospitalizations by funding organizations who would partner with nursing facilities to provide enhanced on-site services to nursing facility residents. CMS will commit up to $128 million to support this initiative. The initiative will be a collaboration between the CMS Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation as created by the Affordable Care Act.
Organizations eligible to participate in the initiative include physician practices, care management organizations, and other public and not-for-profit entities. Eligible organizations will propose its own evidence-based intervention and improvement strategy. The organization will have staff on-site at nursing facilities to provide preventive services and will provide coordination and communication among providers. CMS is hopeful that the initiative will help reduce hospital re-admissions of nursing facility residents. It has been estimated that 45% of hospital admissions of nursing facility residents could have been avoided. It is estimated that 314,000 admissions could have been avoided which cost the Medicare program $2.6 billion in 2005.
More information on how to apply for this initiative can be found here or by searching for CFDA 93.621 at www.Grants.gov . The eligible organizaion must include letters of support from the State Medicaid Director and State Survey and Certification Director, and letters of intent from at least 15 nursing facility partners. Notices of Intent are due by April 30, 2012.
Should you have any questions, please contact:
Todd Selby at 317.977.1440 or tselby@wp.hallrender.com;
Brian Jent at 317.977.1402 or bjent@wp.hallrender.com; or
David Bufford at 502.568.9368 or dbufford@wp.hallrender.com,
or your regular Hall Render attorney.
