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| Wilson Backs Nursing Home Betterment |
November 19, 2004 |
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| Cosponsors Bill with Medicare Incentives for Nursing Home Quality
Washington– Congresswoman Heather Wilson is an original cosponsor of a bipartisan bill introduced today that would provide new incentives to improve the quality of nursing home care.
The legislation (H.R. 5393), introduced by Representatives Phil English (R-PA), Earl Pomeroy, (D-ND) and Wilson (R-NM), has the support of the New Mexico Health Care Association. Nationally, the bill also has the support of the AARP, the American Health Care Association and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care.
“We want to be a motivating force for better care, and keep the focus on the person receiving care. This effort helps those who depend on nursing home care by encouraging a higher quality of service,” Wilson said. “And for nursing homes that maintain a high level of care, this legislation also offers an additional revenue source -- a win-win for both patient and provider.”
The legislation would link Medicare payment to nursing home quality measures for the first time, and is the first step toward a “pay for performance” concept focused on improving outcomes.
The bill would establish additional quality measures to those already published by CMS, and provide for nursing homes to voluntarily report on these measures. That reporting data would then be made public.
Nursing homes would be rewarded for full reporting. Facilities in the top 10 percent in quality measures earn a 2 percent bonus, while nursing homes in the top 20 percent would earn a 1 percent bonus. Beginning in the second year, nursing homes that fall into the bottom 20 percent in quality would receive a 1 percent reduction. With that provision, the change is expected to be budget-neutral for Medicare.
Small nursing homes that cannot report in a category due to not having enough patients are not penalized.
The bill would also create a long-term care financing commission to report each year to Congress, and extend Medicare payment increases passed temporarily in previous legislation.
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