DHS Announces New Process to Improve Accuracy of QIIP Scores and Incentive Payments

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Jeff Bostic

As we reported a few weeks ago, care centers are currently being asked by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to select a QIIP goal by June 30 for the rate year beginning Jan.1, 2020. 

Care centers will find information related to the current QIIP selection in the Nursing Facility Portal. Incentive payments of $0 to $3.50 per resident day for that year will be based on results during the period from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. Selections must be made through the portal by June 30. 

DHS also recently announced changes to the calculation of quality indicators scores that will improve the accuracy of the incentives paid under QIIP as well as the scores reported in the state’s Nursing Home Report Card. DHS will now be running all four quarters for the quality indicators when they determine the score for each quarter, instead of just updating with the newest quarter. That means they will capture any revised MDS submissions for the previous quarters, like the process used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the national quality measures. 

The new process will be in place for the 2019 rate year QIIP results, when DHS will pay based on the higher of the score under the new or old method. For all future rate years, including the one for which care centers are selecting this month, the new method will be used.