Medicare Compares Home Health Through Eleven Quality Measures

Article submitted by Kare-in Home Health Service.
For more information, they can be reached at 251-776-6334.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services track eleven quality measures to provide information about how well home health agencies provide care for some of their patients. The home health quality measures come from information collected by Medicare and Medicaid-certified home health agencies. They collect information about Medicare and Medicaid patients who get skilled care. Information is collected about the patients' health; how they function; the skilled care, and social, personal, and support services they need; as well as their living conditions. These quality measures give you information about how well home health agencies provide care for their patients. The measures provide information about patients' physical and mental health, and whether their ability to perform basic daily activities is maintained or improved. While a patient's health condition (such as heart disease or diabetes) may not be expected to improve (get better), the patient can often be expected to improve (get better) in the areas covered by the quality measures. The website offering this information is www.medicare.gov/hhcompare.

The quality measures available include:

• Four measures related to improvement in getting around
• Four measures related to meeting the patient's activities of daily living
• Two measures related to patient medical emergencies
• One measure related to improvement in mental health

Quality information can be used to help you compare home health agencies. Hospital discharge planners, social workers, and doctors often help schedule the home health services you need. As a family member or advisor to a family needing these services, you may need this information to assist in home health decisions. Remember, you have a right to request which agency you use. Sometimes, however, your choices may be limited by agency availability, or by your insurance coverage.