Rewarding higher care standards.
Elevating Care
Outcomes
Promoting higher care standards to improve resident outcomes
Funding Care Advancements
Rewarding providers with incentivized funding to support continued investments in resident care
Increasing Provider Accountability
Enhancing accountability by correlating additional funding with improved resident care outcomes
Investing in quality care.
Promoting provider accountability.
As the number of Pennsylvanians seeking long-term care continues to increase, the state’s Medicaid program has not kept pace with the reimbursement funding necessary to provide that care.
ecwip, or the Enhancing Care with Incentivized Payments program, is a new payment model and initiative by the Pennsylvania Health Care Association developed to reward and incentivize higher-performing nursing homes with additional resident care-focused funding beyond the current reimbursement rates.
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ecwip holds providers accountable for the quality of care delivered to the residents in their care – the better the resident outcomes, the higher the reward payment. For underperforming providers, ecwip limits or withholds any additional funding to drive enhancements in resident care. This payment model drives investments in providers focused on high-quality resident outcomes and weeds out those that are not.
"Pennsylvania can be the state to really shake up long-term care by financially supporting and rewarding providers that are doing it right - those that are focused on quality care outcomes for the residents they serve. Simultaneously, the state can weed out those that aren't."
Mary Susan Tack-Yurek
Chief Quality Officer, Quality Life Services
How does it work?
In conjunction with providers and other stakeholder groups, PHCA has identified four key measures to incentivize providers to deliver improved outcomes, two of which have been identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services as integral components of a nursing facility quality incentive program in their managed care strategy.
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These measures center on quality care and are measured based on current data reported to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or CMS. These measures are directly tied to the overall well-being of residents and the ability of providers to manage and reduce overall health care costs.
Percentage of long-stay residents experience one or more falls with major injury
Falls greatly impact the health of older adults and can reduce their ability to remain independent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls account for more than $50.7 billion in health care costs and can cause significant health care challenges for residents of long-term care.
Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers
Pressure ulcers can cause pain and increased risk for infection, which can be associated with longer hospital stays and increased risk for other medical conditions.
Percentage of long-stay residents with worsening activities of daily living (ADL)
By identifying changes in a resident’s ability to perform activities of daily living, providers can take proactive steps to introduce therapies, restorative nursing and other supports to help residents remain as independent as possible for as long as possible.
Percentage of nursing staff turnover
Direct caregivers are the heart of nursing homes across Pennsylvania. Providers that retain nursing staff are able to deliver better, more consistent care to their residents and peace of mind to their family members.
See where Pennsylvania nursing homes rank nationally
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