Successful Results Announced for Affordable Care Act Program

The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that the Independence at Home Demonstration continues to successfully provide in-home services for beneficiaries with multiple chronic illnesses. The program was originally authorized for 3 years as a part of the Affordable Care Act, but was extended through September 2017.

It tests whether in-home care could reduce hospitalization rates, and improve patient and caregiver satisfaction while improving outcomes and reducing costs, according to a press release from the CMS. In performance year 2, the CMS discovered the program saved more than $10 million.

There were more than 10,000 beneficiaries, and 15 practices participating in the program. They state they will provide the practices with $5.7 million in incentive payments because they met 3 or more quality measures.

The CMS states that all of the practices involved have improved their quality of care, and have met at least some of the quality measures.

According to the CMS, the quality measures include:

• following-up within 48 hours of hospital admission, discharge, and emergency department visit
• providing in-home medication reconciliation within 48 hours of hospital discharge and emergency department visit
• document patient preferences
• prevent hospital readmissions within 30 days
• prevent hospital admissions other than for ambulatory care sensitive conditions
• prevent emergency department visits other than for ambulatory care sensitive conditions

“The Independence at Home Demonstration is a patient-centered model that supports providers in caring for chronically ill patients in their own homes,” Patrick Conway, MD, CMS acting deputy administrator and chief medical officer said in a press release. “These results continue to support what most patients already want — the ability to have high quality care in the home setting.”