November 2016
Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) Changes Published
Have you reviewed your facility's listing?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published changes to DFC, detailed at  https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2016-Fact-sheets-items/2016-10-28.html .  ICH-CAHPS, Standardized BSI Ratio (SIR), and Pediatric PD Kt/V have been added to DFC, but not to the Star Ratings.  
Changes have been made to the way the Star Ratings are calculated, and adjustments have been made to the way the Vascular Access, Kt/V, Standardized Readmission Ratio (SRR), and Hypercalcemia components of the Star Ratings are measured.  All of these changes are included in the October 28, 2016 DFC update.  
Quality Measure Outcomes:
Working with the Network to help to improve facility scores

Network projects and activities are developed to help dialysis facilities improve patient health, quality of life, and to help facility staff accurately report and measure their work and outcomes.

 

Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) is the public website that is part of  the CMS effort to publish data driven, consumer focused databases featuring quality measures for people to find and compare CMS certified providers, including:  


 

In the future, you will see more emphasis placed on transitions of care, working together with all healthcare providers to encourage efficiencies, sharing of information, and engaging patients in navigating the healthcare system. The work and feedback from dialysis patients and professionals is essential to ensuring that these quality programs grow and develop into useful tools for the general public.

Remember that dialysis facility managers can review and comment on their dialysis facility's data at https://www.dialysisdata.org/ BEFORE it is published.

ESRD QIP Final Rule Published: Calendar Year 2017 and Payment Year 2019-20

CMS has published the final version of the QIP for CY2017 and PY2019-20, summarized at https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2016-Fact-sheets-items/2016-10-28-2.html :


* Changes for CY2017 include adjustments to the Outlier Policy, Home/Self-Dialysis Training Add-On Payment, and Acute Kidney Injury provisions.
* For PY2019 two NHSN measures - DE reporting and BSI clinical  will be combined into a new Patient Safety Domain, and there will be substantive changes to the Hypercalcemia clinical measure.
* For PY2020, the Standardized Hospitalization Rate clinical measure and Ultrafiltration Rate reporting measure will be added, and the Mineral Metabolism reporting measure will be replaced by a reporting measure for Serum Phosphorus.
CMS National Call on November 15, 2016: 
MACRA Quality Payment Program
On November 15, 2016 CMS will host a conference call on the MACRA Quality Payment Program.  The call will be held from 1:30 - 3:00 PM Eastern Time.  
Register at  https://blh.ier.intercall.com/details/59b4789fbb3843bb8884c94e085ef128 .
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), as part of the Quality Payment Program, allows clinicians to choose the best way to deliver quality care and to participate based on their practice size, specialty, location, or patient population. During this call, learn about the provisions in the recently released final rule.  Participants should review the rule prior to the call. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.
Target Audience
Medicare Part B Fee-For-Service clinicians, office managers and administrators; state and national associations that represent healthcare providers; and other stakeholders.
Presentation
The call presentation  will be posted at least one day in advance on the MLN Connects National Provider Calls and Events webpage.  The audio recording and written transcript will be posted approximately two weeks after the call.

 
LAST CALL!
Please Complete the 2016 ESRD Network Needs Assessment
"Plan, Do, Study, Act."  Please take the time to complete our 15 question, 2016 ESRD Network Needs Assessment and help us understand how we can better meet the needs of your facility. Your responses will help us develop activities and materials that will best support your needs. We welcome your candid feedback to help us improve.

                         Click here: 2016 Needs Assessment Form
 
The New Emergency Preparedness Rule: Resources

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has created Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE).  CMS and ASPR TRACIE are partnering to provide technical assistance and to share resources and promising practices to help affected providers and suppliers start or update the documents mandated by the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule. 

 

For your ease, ASPR TRACIE developed the CMS EP Rule: Resources at Your Fingertips document to allow access to all related materials with one click.

 

Reminder:  CMS issued the Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers Final Rule to establish consistent emergency preparedness requirements for healthcare providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid, increase patient safety during emergencies, and establish a more coordinated response to natural and human-caused disasters.
 
Mandatory: Posting Nondiscrimination Notices

Section 1557 is the nondiscrimination provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in specified healthcare programs, including Medicare. These requirements are introduced and summarized at http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/index.html .

 

Healthcare facilities receiving funding from Medicare are required to post notices of nondiscrimination and taglines that alert individuals with limited English proficiency about the availability of language assistance services. Samples of these notices and taglines are presented in 64 different languages at http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/translated-resources/index.html .
 

Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15 - December 7
Encourage your patients to review their options 
Helpful resources for your patients:
 
Visit https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan to compare current coverage with all of the options in the area.
   
Review the Medicare & You 2017 handbook at https://www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf .
 
Patients with limited income and resources may be able to get extra help paying prescription drug costs. For more information, visit https://secure.ssa.gov/i1020/start
 
Get one-on-one help from the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Visit https://www.medicare.gov/contacts/
 
In 2017, patients who reach the "donut hole" in Medicare's prescription drug benefit (Part D) can save 60% on covered brand-name drugs and see increased savings on generic drugs while in the donut hole. Visit: https://www.medicare.gov/part-d/

 
HIPAA: Additional Guidance

The Federal Trade Commission has published guidance that goes beyond HIPAA, pointing out that it's also illegal to word your HIPAA statements in ways that could be construed as deceptive. An example would be to say on page one of a disclaimer form that the patient's information will go only to their doctor, but on page three ask them to sign authorization to send their information elsewhere.   For details see https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/sharing-consumer-health-information-look-hipaa-ftc-act

 

HIPAA has also recently added or emphasized new or revised guidance on:

 

* HIPAA and Cloud Computing - http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/cloud-computing/index.html%20

 

          * HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Audits - http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/compliance-enforcement/audit/index.html 
 
Patient Experience of Care: Beyond ICH CAHPS
Three Part Webinar Series with FREE CE
"The Experience of Care: Patients & Providers as Partners."
The National Forum of ESRD Networks is hosting a 3-part webinar series (overview) focusing on improving patient experience of care. 
 
November 9, 2016 - 2:00 pm ET  Register
Patient and Provider Engagement: Forging true partnerships and changing the culture.
*Patient Provider Collaboration: Findings of the University of North Carolina ESRD Patient Engagement Study & Practical Applications Using Peer-to-Peer Mentoring
*Practical Approaches to Identifying Patient Goals & Values

PAST Webinars: Slides, Recording and Q&A Document
         The Patient Perspective: What is the experience of care? Are we asking the right questions?
Patient Engagement, Patient Satisfaction, Patient Experience of Care...What's the difference? 

The Provider Perspective: What do we learn from experience of care surveys? Can we do better?
*Interpreting and Using ICH CAHPS Results 
*Patient Experience of Care Surveys...beyond ICH CAHPS
*Practical Approaches to Improve Communication and Acting on Patient Feedback

 
More information available on the Forum's website.
 
CROWNWeb Training and Town Halls

CROWNWeb has released its November newsletter, which you can find at http://mycrownweb.org/news/newsletters/ .

 

It provides Town Hall and New User Training schedules for the rest of the year:
* November 17, 2016 - Town Hall webinar
* December 13, 2016 - New User Training
* December 15, 2016 - Town Hall webinar

The newsletter also includes information on the CROWNWeb 5.1 Release in December 2016. The new release will include an update to the In-Center Hemodialysis Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (ICH CAHPS) Attestation section which is completed in January of each year. This minor update will feature slight wording changes to the Attestation field which was once labeled with "N/A" that will be changed to "Yes." The "Performance Period" will be re-worded to specify "Eligibility Period".
 

IPRO End-Stage Renal Disease Network of New York, the ESRD Organization for New York state, prepared this material under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. CMS Contract Number: HHSM-500-2016-00020C.

IPRO ESRD Network of New York
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