On July 15th, UnityPoint at Home leadership, President Mag VanOosten and Chief Operating Officer Jenn Ofelt, met with top officials from the Patient Care Models Division of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Seven CMMI officials participated in the discussion that focused on UnityPoint at Home’s success within the Acute Hospital Care at Home Waiver and how Care at Home Ambulatory Bundles have buttressed this success. UnityPoint Health, through UnityPoint at Home, was one of the first six organizations approved by CMS to participate in this waiver and, as a result of experience and timely execution, UnityPoint Health was the first organization to bill and get paid by CMS for this service.
In this CMMI meeting, UnityPoint at Home showcased its innovative menu of bundled services – Acute Care at Home; Skilled Nursing Facility Care at Home; Primary Care at Home; and Palliative Care at Home. These interdisciplinary, home-based episodes of care were developed from flexibilities provided through Next Generation ACO benefit enhancements, and they are intended to reduce unnecessary Emergency Department (ED), Hospital, and Skilled Nursing Facility utilization, particularly among a high-risk, high-need population. Mag and Jenn shared how their teams developed and are continually improving these bundles. They also provided proof of success in the form of program data and patient outcomes. To date, these alternative care options have driven down ED and hospital admission rates and are coupled with heightened patient satisfaction rates. CMMI officials remarked that this discussion offered “very timely and helpful” insight as the agency determines future plans to effectively offer high quality, value-added services in the community.