How Agencies Can Rise to the 5-Star Ratings Challenge

We’re a five star agency.

In the past, home health professionals might have said this casually, to communicate that their agency was best in class. Today, being a five-star agency means something much more specific.

That’s because home health agencies now are being rated on a five-star scale by the federal government, as are skilled nursing facilities and other types of providers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) calculates these ratings and posts them on the Web. The initial star ratings for home health—known officially as the Quality of Patient Care Star Ratings—were first made public on CMS’ Home Health Compare site in July 2015. They immediately became a business-critical concern for providers, as potential clients, referral sources, payor organizations, and other groups now are using the ratings to evaluate and choose among competing agencies.

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While the star ratings have created some controversy and confusion, forward-thinking home health agencies have accepted that they need to fully understand the star ratings system and achieve top marks in order to gain or maintain an edge in the marketplace.

This white paper includes important information on:

  • The basics of five-star ratings
  • How ratings are calculated and what they communicate
  • Leveraging technology
  • And much more

Download your white paper today.

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