"HomeCare Compare" Debutes
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled a new database that allows consumers to see quality scores of home health agencies in eight states including Massachusetts. The other states currently listed are Florida, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Results for the rest of the states should be available later this year. Data is compiled by the agencies and reported to the government. Only agencies that participate in Medicare or Medicaid are included. The scores are available at www.medicare.gov/hhcompare/home.asp or 1- 800-MEDICARE. The quality measures shown provide information about patients' physical and mental health, and whether their ability to perform basic daily activities is maintained or improved.
The quality measures available include:
The Boston Globe used these measures to make a snapshot ranking of home care companies (May 3, 2003). At the time of their ranking the top five scoring companies were: 1. Home Care Solutions, Westborough, 2. Bayada Nurses, Hyannis, 3. Lee Regional VNA, Inc, Lee, 4. Winchester Home Care, Winchester and 5. UMass Memorial Home Health, Worcester. The bottom five were: 91. Metropolitan Home Health Care, Arlington, 92. Hallmark Health VNA, Inc., Malden, 93. Parmenter VNA, Wayland, 94. VNA Hospice of North Berkshire, North Adams, 95. Caregroup Home Care, Belmont. According to the article, the state's largest agency, VNA Boston, ranked 58th out of the 95 for whom there was sufficient data for analysis.
The Globe article goes on to note that, according to Jack Boesen, director of Massachusetts Senior Action Council, the new information is very valuable, but that "the overriding issue is still one of adequate funding, which both the state and federal government are failing to address."
05/03