Compliance is mandatory. Ultimately, many long term care operators see compliance as a lot of work—and perhaps a burden. While all of these things are true, compliance also keeps health care providers out of hot water and away from the headlines. Did you know that your compliance program is a tremendous asset that boosts your bottom line?
The benefits of your compliance efforts go far beyond adhering to the government mandate. One of the benefits of investing in compliance is that your census may see a boost!
Compliance improves quality.
Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement (QAPI) plans are an essential component of each and every effective compliance program. An effectively monitored quality assurance program should advance your quality of care by addressing issues immediately, before they become widespread. By actively managing your quality indicators with a data-driven, team approach, your SNF can improve the processes that translate into better quality, better care, and satisfied residents. Providing quality care is, after all, the reason we are in this business. And it comes with a perk: quality care is the best PR you can find. Invest in your QAPI effort, and see the favorable online reviews and word of mouth campaigns grow. This will increase your census.
Compliance reduces readmissions.
By using their compliance programs to reduce hospital readmissions, SNFs can increase admissions from hospitals—and boost census. The Affordable Care Act’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program reduces hospital inpatient prospective payments based on a hospital’s percent of preventable Medicare readmissions. The government instituted this program because it believes a high readmission rate indicates poor pre- or post-discharge care. In response, hospitals are increasing their efforts to reduce readmission rates to the extent possible.
As a result, hospitals’ readmission problem has become SNFs’ problem, too. Hospital discharge planners are more likely to direct patients to nursing homes with lower readmission rates. By actively monitoring, managing and ultimately reducing readmissions with their QA programs, nursing homes can increase admissions from hospitals and boost census.
Learn about the other ways that compliance can boost your bottom line by downloading MPA's free whitepaper: Compliance Saves Money.
