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2021 Special Session I

Budget Amendments - HB1800 (Conference Report)

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Continue Nursing Home Per Diem Payment & Begin Value-based Purchasing Program

Item 313 #27c

Item 313 #27c

First Year - FY2021 Second Year - FY2022
Health and Human Resources
Department of Medical Assistance Services FY2021 $0 FY2022 $46,723,014 GF
FY2021 $0 FY2022 $46,723,014 NGF
FY2021 0.00 FY2022 1.00 FTE

Language
Page 345, line 39, strike "$17,494,923,315" and insert "$17,588,369,343".

Page 380, line 10, after "LLLLL." insert "1."

Page 380, line 11, after "2021", insert:

", and by $15 per day effective July 1, 2021".  

Page 380, after line 17, insert:

“2.a. The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) shall work with appropriate nursing facility (NF) stakeholders and the CCC Plus managed care organizations (MCOs) to develop a unified, value-based purchasing (VBP) program that includes enhanced funding for facilities that meet or exceed performance and/or improvement thresholds as developed, reported, and consistently measured by DMAS in cooperation with participating facilities.  The methodology and timing for the Virginia nursing facility VBP program, including structures for nursing facility performance accountability and disbursement of earned financial incentives, shall be completed no later than December 31, 2021, with the program targeted to begin no later than July 1, 2022. Nursing facility performance evaluation under the program shall prioritize maintenance of adequate staffing levels and avoidance of negative care events, such as hospital admissions and emergency department visits. The program may also consider performance evaluation in the areas of preventive care, utilization of home and community based services, including community transitions, and other relevant domains of care.

b. During the first year of this program, half of the available funding shall be distributed to participating nursing facilities to be invested in functions, staffing, and other efforts necessary to build their capacity to enhance the quality of care furnished to Medicaid members.  The size of such payments shall be based on the nursing facility size as determined by the average number of Medicaid members enrolled with the nursing facility. The remaining funding shall be allocated based on performance criteria as designated under the nursing facility VBP Program.  The amount of funding devoted to nursing facility quality of care investments shall be 25 percent of available funding in the second year of the program before the program transitions to payments based solely on nursing facility performance criteria in the third year of the program.  In the third year of this program, such funds as appropriated for this purpose shall be fully disbursed according to the aforementioned unified VBP arrangement to participating nursing facilities that qualify for the enhanced funding.

c. The department shall convene the stakeholders no less than annually through at least the first two years of the program to review program progress and discuss potential modifications to components of the arrangement, including, but not limited to, timing of enhanced payments, performance metrics, and threshold determinations. The department shall implement the necessary regulatory changes and other necessary measures to be consistent with federal approval of any appropriate changes to the state plan or relevant waivers thereof, and prior to the completion of any regulatory process undertaken to effect such change.”



Explanation

(This amendment adds $46.7 million the second year from the general fund and $46.7 million in nongeneral funds and one position to provide an increased payment add-on roughly equivalent to $15 per day in fiscal year 2022. Language directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to work with appropriate nursing facility stakeholders and the Medicaid CCC Plus managed care organizations to develop a unified, value-based purchasing program that includes enhanced funding for facilities that meet or exceed performance and/or improvement thresholds as developed, reported, and consistently measured by DMAS in cooperation with participating facilities. Priority areas targeted for improvement would be adequate staffing levels and avoidance of negative care events, such as hospital admissions and emergency department visits, among others. The value-based purchasing program would be implemented on July 1, 2022. Funding for the additional position can be accommodated within the agency's existing administrative budget based on turnover and vacancy savings and the reallocation of funding for this program.)