How to optimize your clinical data for SNF surveys and PDPM reimbursement

A lot has happened since last summer when CMS issued guidance for surveys and enhanced enforcement around infection control at skilled nursing facilities. The regulatory agency also authorized states to expand survey activities to include more routine surveys upon entering phase 3 of the nursing home reopening guidance or earlier at state discretion.

With the renewed attention on the issues of quality and oversight, most states have now resumed their standard nursing home inspections alongside focused infection control surveys.

From keeping up with regulatory changes and avoiding deficiencies to managing PDPM and Five-Star Ratings, you have a lot on your plate. Without a doubt, survey preparedness and accurate quality data are paramount to compliance and proper reimbursement.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. Inovalon is with you every step of the way! We continuously make software improvements to help post-acute facilities better manage quality and keep up with the latest regulations.

We have integrated some exciting new features into ABILITY CAREWATCH that help SNFs optimize their clinical data for surveys and PDPM reimbursement in a post-COVID world. These enhancements include:

• A built-in PDPM Calculator enables you to ensure proper reimbursement and maximize revenue potential. You can use it to identify the reimbursement and care level of each patient, decide whether to submit an Interim Payment Assessment (IPA), and make strong clinical and financial decisions related to your patient population and potential admissions.

• The Survey Watch page now uses data sourced from Nursing Home Compare (NHC), giving you the most up-to-date survey data to prepare for surveys. NHC data is updated monthly, whereas the previously used OSCAR data is only updated on a quarterly basis.

• The CMS SNF Survey Report has a new user interface that offers data export functionality and allows you to expand and collapse details for different types of surveys to facilitate data comparison and analysis.

• The Focused Survey Report has been updated with the new user interface that features data export functionality. It also allows you to use colored checkmarks to differentiate manual report changes.

With ABILITY CAREWATCH, you always have the right quality management application at the right time!

Discover more about how you can position your facility for PDPM and survey success right here.