Transition of quality contract to Liberty of Indiana
Transition of quality contract to Liberty of Indiana
As previously announced, the Bureau of Quality Improvement Services is transitioning its quality services contract from Advocare LLC to Liberty of Indiana, with Liberty beginning on July 1, 2020. Key procedures such as incident report processing, compliant investigations and mortality reviews will essentially remain the same. Case Record Reviews will continue but will be conducted by state staff rather than Liberty. Two current processes, Compliance Evaluation Review Tool and Data Driven Review, have been discontinued; however, the activities related to these processes will be addressed in future initiatives.
Where is Liberty located?
While Liberty will operate primarily out of their Indianapolis office, they will have staff located across Indiana to facilitate responsive in-person visits with individuals, their families and providers.
How do I get into contact with Liberty?
Email: BQIS.Help@fssa.IN.gov
BQIS office: 1-800-545-7763
Will Liberty employees have FSSA email addresses?
Yes. Liberty employees will have FSSA emails.
Will Liberty utilize a provider portal?
No, not immediately. However, in the near future, Liberty will utilize a provider portal called LibertyTraks which is an Apricot product. This portal is currently being created and will launch in the fall of 2020. There will be training provided on navigating this portal. In the meantime, processes will be conducted via secure email, as outlined below.
How will the mortality review process change?
The current morality review system, “Clarity,” was developed by Advocare and will no longer be active due to this transition. Beginning on July, 1, 2020, Liberty will temporarily use email with attached forms to capture and conduct morality reviews. Once LibertyTraks launches, all mortality review processes will be conducted in the provider portal. We will be providing more information and training as part of the transition to LibertyTraks.
How will the incident management process change?
The incident management system will remain the same. Liberty will conduct incident management review using DART and providers will receive follow-up emails initiated by Liberty for any follow-up required actions. There will be no change to the current process utilized except what particular personnel will be sending emails regarding incidents.
How will the complaint process change?
Initially, the complaint system will remain the same. Liberty will be conducting complaint investigations and will contact appropriate parties involved in the complaint. An online complaint form on BQIS’ main webpage, available here, is still available for anyone to report a complaint. Liberty will be following up with providers via email for any required action. Beginning in the fall, Liberty will utilize the provider portal, LibertyTraks, to manage complaints. Additional information and training will be provided at that time.
Does data driven review or CERT still exist?
No. Data Driven Review and CERT have been discontinued.
What will a quality on-site provider review look like?
Provider monitoring will shift from an audit of regulatory and policy compliance to a review that includes an evaluation of the quality of services being delivered to individuals receiving Medicaid Home-and Community-Based Services. While Liberty will continue to review compliance with key regulatory requirements that are part of the assurances to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (e.g., qualified provider, employee background checks and training), additional insight will be captured through inclusion of a person-centered review to include interviews with individuals and their families, observations and review of outcome data.
This will also provide an opportunity for Liberty and BQIS to identify best practice models among HCBS providers and to provide technical assistance where opportunities for growth are identified. Currently, Liberty and BQIS, as well as community and provider stakeholders, are developing this new quality onsite provider review process and tool. Liberty is using the Charting the LifeCourse Framework as a foundation for the quality onsite provider review. The tool will also tie in the CMS Quality Framework and provider compliance requirements.
Will Liberty be providing training and technical assistance?
Yes. Liberty is currently working with BDDS/BQIS and content experts to thoughtfully develop a comprehensive training plan on a multitude of topics that providers and other key stakeholders have expressed interest in. Liberty is committed to working to improve provider capacity and is encouraging providers to reach out to Liberty with any technical assistance, suggested trainings or best practices. These trainings are a work in progress and will continue to be refined as Liberty learns more about needs specific to Indiana.