On Nov. 25, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released Performance Year (PY) 2022 evaluation findings for the Kidney Care Choices (KCC) voluntary model. The evaluation of the first performance year revealed mixed outcomes.  Kidney Care Choices model evaluation findings for PY 2022  Participation: 30% of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease eligible for the model are aligned with a KCC participating entity.    Encouraging trends: CMS reported , “The KCF model option increased the proportion of patients with ESRD dialyzing at home (20%). Home dialysis training increased in CKCC (32%). Both model options increased peritoneal dialysis, the primary modality for home dialysis (KCF: 26% and CKCC: 8%).”  Stable measures: Most quality measures showed no significant changes.  Financial outcomes: There was no measurable impact on overall Medicare costs, savings or losses.  The road a...

Third quarter 2024 Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data submissions are due. In addition, the third final warning and Statement of Deficiency issue date for Q2 2024 is here. Keep reading for key dates that hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and health systems need to know to remain SPARCS compliant.  [Download our quarterly calendar here]   Key compliance dates for SPARCS data: Q2 and Q3 2024  Q2 2024 SPARCS compliance deadlines  Dec. 15  Final third warning for Q2 2024 data   Hospitals that have not resolved their Q2 2024 data errors after receiving three warnings will be issued an SOD.   Jan. 15  SOD issued for Q2 2024 data   Hospitals will be issued an SOD.  Q3 2024 SPARCS compliance deadlines   Dec. 31  Submission deadline for Q3 2024 data   The deadline for submitting Q3 2024 SPARCS data falls on this date. Ensure your data are accurate and submitted on time to avoid penalties....

On Sept. 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the FFY 2025 IPPS Interim Final Rule with comment period (IFC) , marking a significant shift in how hospitals manage their wage index challenges. Designed to address disparities between low and high wage index hospitals, the rule modifies the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025 hospital inpatient prospective payment system (PPS) low wage index policy.   This blog post will explore the IFC and its implications for the healthcare industry. In addition, we'll provide insights on the IPPS analysis based on the final rule — so you can best navigate these changes with the most up-to-date adoptions.  Key changes in the FFY 2025 IPPS Interim Final Rule  The FFY 2025 IPPS IFC brings several critical changes to the existing structure of hospital reimbursements under Medicare. Initially implemented in FFY 2020, the low wage index policy aimed to adjust hospital reimbursements to bridge the gap between high ...

Health equity remains one of the most pressing challenges in the healthcare industry today. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking a significant step forward with the Making Care Primary (MCP) model to address these disparities.  CMS' MCP model aims to improve care quality and ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, has access to essential health services. Using CMS' goals and perspective, we will explore how the MCP model promotes health equity, its crucial components and its implications for healthcare professionals.  Understanding the Making Care Primary Model  CMS is leveraging the MCP model to transform the delivery of primary care services, using insights from previous models like Primary Care First (PCF). It focuses on supporting healthcare providers in delivering advanced care that meets patients' diverse needs, aiming to create a more equitable healthcare system.  The MCP model is about improving patient outcomes and emp...

Second quarter 2024 Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data submissions are due. To help you keep track of SPARCS deadlines, we put together a downloadable infographic detailing the most important dates for the second quarter of 2024 .    Don’t forget about your Q1 2024 SPARCS data submissions  The third final warning and statement of deficiency issue date for Q1 2024 is here. Don’t forget these Q1 2024 compliance deadlines this quarter:  Sept. 15, 2024: An audit was performed for the final third warning of Q1 2024 data. Facilities that have not resolved their Q1 2024 data errors prior to this date after receiving three warnings will be issued a SOD.  Oct. 15, 2024: Facilities were audited for Q1 2024 data compliance and issued an SOD.  Key Q2 2024 SPARCS data compliance audit dates  Sept. 30  Submission deadline for Q2 2024 data   You avoided penalties if you submitted your Q2 2024 SPARCS data by this date....

Healthcare systems in New York face several challenges in boosting physician loyalty. Physicians' desire for competitive compensation and affiliation with dominant systems influences their decisions. Additionally, physicians' preference for larger, urban settings over smaller, rural areas complicates efforts to distribute medical talent evenly across regions. Addressing these challenges requires tailored strategies to effectively attract and retain physicians.  In this blog post, we’ll look at key physician loyalty trends. We’ll also examine how Sg2’s MarketEdge platform can help identify ways to improve physician loyalty in your organization.   New York healthcare market trends: Research on rural vs. urban physicians In 2012, the Center for Health Workforce Studies, within the University at Albany’s School of Public Health, compared physicians working in New York City to those in rural areas. The study, “ Rural and Urban Physicians in New York ,” found that:  There are ...

Elevate your coding standards with a new automation  In New York state’s intricate health system, it’s crucial to implement effective healthcare data management that meets Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) deadlines. The SPARCS Program requires consistent data submission reports. With the wrong system, SPARCS formatting and submissions can waste precious time and resources for health information management (HIM) coders, SPARCS data analysts and healthcare professionals.  With DataGen's UDS (UIS Data System™) new trending failures feature, you can automate more aspects of your SPARCS data to keep up with the evolving healthcare industry. Continue reading to learn how this functionality allows SPARCS data analysts and administrators to see repeat issues with coded records immediately and save your team precious time.   The cost of correcting records  Submitting records to SPARCS has significant financial implications. Each time a coder touc...