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The October Interim Performance Reports (IPR) were delayed and were eventually published in December 2024. If you have not yet reviewed the most recent IPR reports, they are now available in your iQIES system. 

The January installment of the Interim Performance Reports is scheduled for release on January 23, 2025. These reports will feature OASIS data up to September 2024 and claims and CAHPS data up to June 2024. 

As we begin the new year in 2025, it’s important to note the significant changes in the HH Value-Based Purchasing model. These updates include the addition of GG items as a key component of the Value-Based Purchasing OASIS section, now accounting for 20% of your Total Performance Score (TPS). 

Many have expressed frustration that the Interim Performance Reports released in January only cover part of 2024 and that the first data for 2025 won’t be available until July. However, it’s important to remember that if your software systems are not already calculating Value-Based Purchasing scores in real time—based on the 2024 Interim Performance Reports — you can still focus on improving your score for dyspnea, oral medication, and hospitalization rates. While the acute care hospitalization measure has been updated for 2025, your goal of preventing patient rehospitalizations remains the same, albeit with a different calculation method. Additionally, the HHCAHPS survey protocols remain unchanged for 2025. By monitoring your progress using the 2024 IPR reports or data from them, you can identify and address areas that need improvement. 

Regarding the GG items, it is essential to have invested in thorough education to improve those scores. As you move forward, continued efforts in this area should lead to noticeable improvement in those outcome measures when the 2025 data is released later this year.  HPS offers GG Education as part of the NEW 2025 OASIS-E1 Training Series (5-Part). The OASIS-E1 series is for new and seasoned OASIS clinicians alike and has been updated for 2025! Having a thorough understanding of the OASIS-E1 guidance and conventions as well as the intent for each OASIS item is foundational to the accurate completion of OASIS-E1.

It’s important to note that your payment adjustments for 2025, based on your 2023 performance, have either already started or will begin soon. These adjustments apply to any claim processed and paid in 2025 that includes at least one visit with a 2025 date of service. CMS has confirmed that the Value-Based Purchasing adjustment will not be reported separately on the remittance advice. Additionally, sequestration will be applied after the Value-Based Purchasing adjustment. CMS will calculate your HIPPS code payment, apply your wage index adjustment, then adjust the final payment based on your 2023 Value-Based Purchasing score, either adding to or reducing it. Finally, the 2% sequestration will be deducted from that adjusted amount. 

In January, the public reporting of all 2023 data for all agencies under the Value-Based Purchasing model was released. Healthcare Provider Solutions is available to perform analysis by agency and by state upon request. Please feel free to reach out to us if you would like more information or assistance with analyzing the publicly reported data from 2023. 

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