As skilled nursing facilities face increased regulation, it is critical for organizations to learn strategies for capitalizing on new payment incentives. CMS recently announced the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program (SNFVBP) aimed at lowering resident re-hospitalizations during or after a SNF stay. While hospitals have been incentivized to lower readmissions through the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), the SNFVBP is the first to promote skilled nursing facilities’ role in keeping patients out of the hospital for 30-days post-discharge.

Implementing strategies to reduce hospital transfers directly from the SNF back to the hospitals will not be enough. Hospitals are actively applying pressure to their downstream partner SNFs to reduce the rehab length-of-stay, while also referring an overall higher acuity patient. In searching for these partners, hospitals want to work with SNFs who will manage the entire 30-day post acute window.

To succeed under the SNFVBP program, SNFs will need to enhance communication with residents post-discharge to proactively address issues and improve outcomes. One key strategy to reduce avoidable re-hospitalizations is to proactively follow up with residents post-discharge and address potential issues such as following care plans and medication instructions, or scheduling a follow-up appointment.

To learn more about the SNF Value-Based Purchasing program and understand how skilled nursing facilities are using effective methods of follow up to reduce readmissions, contact us today.