Image of nurses' hands at computer keyboard

Value-based purchasing programs for nursing homes will likely follow other healthcare sectors’ lead and place additional quality measures after hospital readmissions, according to one healthcare expert.

The inevitable expansion will likely mirror similar value-based programs for other provider types, such as hospitals, that began with readmissions, Fred Bentley, vice president at Avalere Health, told Bloomberg BNA on Monday.

The value-based purchasing readmission measure was included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid final fiscal year 2017 payment rule, released Friday.

The rise of value-based purchasing will likely push nursing home providers to become more data-focused, Bentley noted. Operators who haven’t already will also be wise to adopt technologies that will help them better track residents and choose the treatments most likely to reduce readmissions.

CMS also should provide the readmission data it will use to calculate skilled nursing facilities’ payments before the value-based purchasing program starts, Bentley told Bloomberg, so that providers can be ready to make required changes once the program takes effect.