QIPP Nursing Home Program: Issues in Texas

In the first installment of this series covering nursing homes in Texas, the history and the basics of the Quality Incentive Payment Program (QIPP) were discussed.

Although, last month, the program was approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to continue for another year - from September 1, 2018 through August 31, 2019 - the program is currently under investigation in Texas.

While specific information regarding the audit of the program in Texas by the Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services is not currently publically available, the Office of Audit Services (OAS) regularly conducts indepenent auits of Health and Human Services (HHS) program and/or grantees and contractors.

According the Office of the Inspector General’s webiste, the OAS’s audits examine the performance of HHS programs in carrying out their reponsibilities and provide independent assessments of HHS programs and operations, which, in turn, help to reduce waste, abuse and mismanagement and promote economy and efficiency. Their main concern: is this program benficial to the nursing homes or is it being misused?

Subsequent articles in this series will focus on the issues that have arisen with the program as the information becomes available.

As previously stated, the Olney-Hamilton Hospital District currently maintains a partnership with three nursing homes as part of the QIPP program: Grace Care Center in Olney, Texhoma Christian Care in Wichita Falls, Texas and Trinity Healthcare Residence in Fort Worth, Texas.

How does this partnership work, especially regarding Medicare and Medicaid services and involvement? The next installment in this series will take an in-depth look into this partnership and its innerworkings specific to nursing homes under the Hamilton Hospital District.