LP8 Assignment: CMS Director
This assignment will assess the competency 8. Evaluate trends that will affect the long-term care system in the future as well as challenges facing managers in the long-term care system of the future.
Prepare a 3-4 page, double-spaced paper (cite 3-4 reliable sources) that addresses the following scenario:
You are the newly appointed director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). With health care costs continuing to soar, the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) rollout and Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement Plan in place, and the rollout of the Affordable Care Act in progress, you are confronted with potential increases in payments for Medicare and Medicaid programs. Meanwhile, the Director for the Administration on Aging continues to send you data about the portending rise in the number of older people and those with disabilities and the needs of such persons for comprehensive care, not just acute care.
• Detail the impact the changing consumer demographics will have on long-term care.
• Based on the statistics from the Director of Administration on Aging, detail how the CMS can expect facilities to focus on quality and outcomes relating to long-term care. How will this focus impact providers operationally?
• Detail how these changes will impact the delivery of long-term care.
• Detail what policies and regulatory measures you would take as the Director of CMS.
• Detail what additional long-term strategies you would pursue to make national resources meet the nation’s need for chronic care.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) serves an important role in providing health care coverage to millions of Americans. As a newly appointed director of CMS, you are presented with an array of challenges, notably, the impact of changing consumer demographics on long-term care, the focus on quality and outcomes relating to long-term care, changes in the delivery of long-term care, and the pursuit of additional long-term strategies to meet the nation’s need for chronic care. In this paper, we will examine these challenges and present policies and regulatory measures to address them.
1. Detail the impact changing consumer demographics will have on long-term care.
The changing consumer demographics pose significant effects on long-term care. With a rise in the number of older people and those with disabilities, there is a growing need for comprehensive care, not just acute care. This demographic shift will change the demand for long-term care services and the level of insurance coverage required. Furthermore, it will require an increase in long-term care facilities and the development of new services to provide patients with the necessary level of care.
2. Based on the statistics from the Director of Administration on Aging, detail how the CMS can expect facilities to focus on quality and outcomes relating to long-term care. How will this focus impact providers operationally?
As per the statistics from the Director of Administration on Aging, facilities will have to focus on quality and outcomes relating to long-term care. CMS can ensure quality care by developing protocols that establish performance standards for providers. This focus on quality and outcomes will inevitably lead to increased operational costs for providers, such as increasing the number of trained caregivers, adequate equipment, technology, and facilities.
3. Detail how these changes will impact the delivery of long-term care.
The changes brought about by changing consumer demographics and a focus on quality and outcomes will impact the delivery of long-term care significantly. With the increase in demand, long-term facilities will have to adapt to provide comprehensive care, leading to the development of new services and increased costs of operation. However, this may lead to improved quality of care and better treatment outcomes for patients.
4. Detail what policies and regulatory measures you would take as the Director of CMS.
As the Director of CMS, policies and regulatory measures that can be implemented include developing protocols that establish performance standards for providers, using data analytics to improve patient outcomes, establishing accountability and transparency measures, increasing provider education and training, promoting the use of electronic health records, and streamlining the regulatory process.
5. Detail what additional long-term strategies you would pursue to make national resources meet the nation’s need for chronic care.
Additional long-term strategies that can be pursued include increasing research efforts for chronic disease management and prevention, encouraging preventative care measures, promoting a shift to value-based care, increasing Medicare and Medicaid funding, promoting telehealth and remote monitoring, and developing incentives for coordinated care models. These strategies are aimed at making national resources meet the nation’s need for chronic care effectively.
