HCBS: Essential Features

The Home Health Care Wire 

Your source for CareVoyant and industry news. March 22, 2023

Essential Features for Home and Community Based Services Software

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) allow Medicaid beneficiaries to receive services in their home or community rather than institutions or other isolated settings. These programs serve a variety of targeted population groups, such as people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or mental illnesses. Over 3 million individuals receive HCBS through various Medicaid Waiver programs.

Medicaid beneficiaries are increasingly receiving LTSS through HCBS. In fiscal year (F.Y.) 2016, Medicaid programs spent approximately $94 billion on HCBS. The federal government and the states spent $116 billion on Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) in F.Y. 2020, serving millions of elderly adults and people with disabilities. That is a significant increase in HCBS spending.

Because states can limit enrollment in HCBS waivers, most states report having HCBS waiver waiting lists totaling over 665,000 people nationally. Proposed additional funding for HCBS will enable states to reduce their HCBS waiver waiting lists and add more people to HCBS. The need for HCBS services will continue to grow in the foreseeable future.

Home Health Care Agencies looking for growth and expansion should consider HCBS services as one of the options.

This blog will discuss some of the essential features required in the software to manage HCBS Home Care Agencies efficiently.

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) allow Medicaid beneficiaries to receive services in their home or community rather than institutions or other isolated settings. These programs serve a variety of targeted population groups, such as people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, or mental illnesses. Over 3.5 million individuals receive HCBS through various Medicaid Waiver programs.

Without other viable public or private options to finance current and future LTSS needs for people of all ages, Medicaid will remain the significant financing and delivery system for Home and Community-Based Services for millions of Americans. Addressing provider shortages and streamlining access to community-based care that supports functional independence and enhances the quality of life will remain key objectives of states' rebalancing efforts as the need for Medicaid HCBS grows.

COVID-19 has accelerated providing more HCBS instead of Nursing Homes and other institutional services. Proposed additional funding for HCBS will enable states to reduce their HCBS waiver waiting lists and add more people to HCBS.

Home Care Agencies looking for growth and expansion should consider HCBS services as one of the options.

Effective Intake Process plays an outsized role in Revenue Cycle Management. Collecting timely and accurate information at the point of #referral and intake will help Home Care Agencies to reduce denied claims and improve reimbursement time and cash flow. Home Care Agencies must leverage technology and integrated intelligent automation to improve intake efficiency and enable their staff to do more with less. Improving cash flow will help agencies continue providing quality care and improve patient and employee satisfaction.

In this blog, we will discuss some of the critical features of home care software to improve the intake process and revenue cycle management.

Home Healthcare Industry News

Following 7% Home Health Cut Recommendation, MedPAC Releases Annual Report To Congress

Back in January, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted unanimously to recommend a 7% payment cut for home health agencies in 2024. The commission officially released its report to Congress on Wednesday.

Updated HHVBP FAQs address OASIS-E, performance reports

A new version of the “Expanded HHVBP Model Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” has been released, with new responses on questions about how OASIS-E impacts HHVBP.

The new responses also address the billing process for HHVBP.

ABOUT CAREVOYANT

CareVoyant is a leading provider of cloud-based integrated enterprise-scale home health care software that can support all home-based services under ONE Software, ONE Patient, and ONE Employee, making it a Single System of Record. We support all home based services, including Home Care, Private Duty Nursing, Private Duty Non-Medical, Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), Home Health, Pediatric Home Care, and Outpatient Therapy at Home.

CareVoyant functions – Intake, Authorization Management, Scheduling, Clinical with Mobile options, eMAR/eTAR, Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), Billing/AR, Secure Messaging, Notification, Reporting, and Dashboards – streamline workflow, meet regulatory requirements, improve quality of care, optimize reimbursement, improve operational efficiency and agency bottom line.

For more information, please visit CareVoyant.com or call us at 1-888-463-6797.

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