ABT TO ANALYZE PAYMENT SYSTEMS CHANGES IN NEW CONTRACT SUPPORTING HOME HEALTH AND HOSPICE SERVICES

Rockville, Md., Nov. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) continues Abt’s longstanding work helping the agency more efficiently deliver vital home health, hospice and home infusion benefits. The contract, which emphasizes the reform and monitoring of payment systems, has a total value of $4.7 million.

Upcoming work will include analyzing health care providers’ responses to multiple payment system changes that were designed by Abt—in partnership with CMS—and implemented via public rulemaking. These include:

• Overseeing substantial changes to the case-mix system for home health, by which CMS determines payments based on factors such as the need for skilled nursing care, therapy, medical social services and home health aide service.
• Ensuring costs and payments to hospice providers are better aligned, and monitoring how changes to the payment system impact service provision at the end of life.
• Creating a payment system for a new home infusion benefit that covers professional services affiliated with certain drugs and biologicals administered intravenously or subcutaneously in the home, as mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act.

“We’ve been working with CMS on payment issues for home health since the 1990s and on hospice payment since 2001,” said Michael Plotzke, Ph.D., the Principal Investigator for this work. “Under this new contract, we can use our expertise in health policy, payment and claims and other data to continue helping CMS better support beneficiaries who are struggling with serious health challenges.”

###

About Abt Associates

Abt Associates  is an engine for social impact, dedicated to moving people from vulnerability to security.  Harnessing the power of data and our experts’ insights, we provide research, consulting and technical services globally in the areas of health, environmental and social policy, technology and international development. http://www.abtassociates.com