Home health agencies are now part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 5-star rating system, which incorporates evaluations of patient mobility in its assessment of an agency’s overall effectiveness.
Released through its Home Health Compare website, the star ratings are based on 9 of the 27 quality measures included in that program. The measures included are patient wait for a first visit, thoroughness of explanations of drugs to a patient or caretaker, administration of a flu shot, hospital stays, and improvements in walking, getting in and out of bed, breathing, and movement with less pain.
Of the 9,359 agencies rated (out of 12,261 total agencies), only 239 received 5 stars, while 2,218 received 4 or 4.5 stars. Nearly half of all agencies—46%—landed in the middle of the pack, receiving 3 or 3.5 stars, with 28% receiving lower ratings of 1.5 to 2.5 stars. Of all agencies rated, 6 received a single star.
Full story of 5-star ratings on home health agencies at APTA