General

Why should I participate in LTC Trend Tracker? You will have an opportunity to compare your staffing levels, resident characteristics, survey findings, revenue and cost, Medicare patient days, and quality measures with your peers. This information will supply information to administrators, clinicians, and operations staff of individual facilities and organizations that can be used to improve their performance in operations, quality, and resident care.

What is LTC Trend Tracker? It is a data collection and benchmarking tool that is owned by American Health Care Association. LTC Trend Tracker was developed and will be administered by My InnerView, Inc., under the guidance and control of American Health Care Association.

Membership Requirements

Do I have to be a member of the American Health Care Association to participate in LTC Trend Tracker? Yes.

What if my facilities in one state are not members of that state affiliate, and my facilities that operate in all other states are members of those state affiliates? The facilities that are members of AHCA through their membership in a state affiliate are eligible to participate. The facilities that are not members of AHCA are not eligible to participate.

Cost

What does it cost to participate in LTC Trend Tracker? There is no cost.

Technical

How will my competitors not see my RUGs information data? The data supplied by participating organizations will not be easily identifiable since the RUGs data will be aged by 3 months. A minimum of 5 facilities (of which no more than 85% can be from one organization) must be in a peer group, before that peer group can be used.

What restrictions are there on specific reports generated by LTC Trend Tracker? There are no restrictions on the use by user organizations of its organization specific data or the reports prepared for the user organization.

How will the American Health Care Association use the databases generated by the LTC Trend Tracker? The databases may be used as part of its policy analysis and development process, and in aggregate form, as part of its advocacy efforts to assess the adequacy of current policy and the impact of proposed regulatory and payment system proposals. The information may not be used by My InnerView, Inc. for any purpose other than LTC Trend Tracker, unless authorized by the participating organization.

How will access to a participant’s information be controlled?Access is controlled by the use of authorized user accounts and passwords.

Registration

Why does LTCTT require the Facility’s Medicare Provider Number and NPI Number?

The facility’s Medicare Provider and NPI Numbers are needed because it allows AHCA to upload the facility specific data into the LTC Trend Tracker database. The Medicare Provider and NPI Number are unique facility specific numbers that are assigned to the facility by Medicare.

I have multiple levels of care on my campus.  Do I register as multi-facility? No, for purposes of LTCTT the definition of multi-facility depends on the number of facilities in the ownership group not the number of levels of care on a campus. 

I want to register my facility and I am part of a chain can I sign up without the other facilities? When a facility belongs to a multi-facility organization, the whole organization must agree to register and participate with LTCTT. In addition, the highest-ranking executive must make the decision to register or participate with LTCTT. 

As the Administrator, I have the authority to sign and enter in to contracts at the facility level and the RUGS data is my responsibility. Why can’t I still join LTCTT without the CEO’s authorization? LTCTT is an excellent tool to increase the quality of care for the residents and the financial success of the facility.  To have success at all levels of the organization LTCTT requires that LTCTT be authorized by the highest ranking

executive. Therefore, you as the Administrator are supported by your owner or corporate office on this endeavor.  If the facility is a single facility the authorizer

will be the owner or CEO. For a multi-level organization, this will be the highest-level person who has the contracting authority. In addition, LTCTT requires that all facilities in an ownership/management group use LTCTT so all facilities receive this member benefit.

I am new to my facility and we are participating in LTC Trend Tracker, how do I get a password? Please contact support at customer.support@ltctrendtracker.com

Whom should I assign passwords to? Assigning passwords will depend on each organization’s preference.   It is suggested to have someone at the corporate level have a password, the Administrator, DON of each facility and the person assigned to inputting RUGS Data.

Which address should I use in the registration process? Please use address in which the facility is certified with Medicare.  This is usually the physical address of the facility.

Who will train my staff and when does the training happen? Once AHCA approves the organization to use LTCTT, you will receive your password and log in information.  In addition, you will receive a welcome packet, and an invitation to training.   At any time, you may contact customer support for training via email at customer.support@ltctrendtracker.com or 651-772-6556

What is the cost for LTC Trend Tracker? The cost for LTCTT is covered in the yearly State Association and AHCA membership dues; therefore, there is no additional cost to register with LTCTT. 

I think my facility is a member of AHCA but not sure.  How do I check my membership status? Please check with your State Affiliate on your membership status.  You may click on the following link and contact your State Affiliate directly.  http://www.ahcancal.org/about_ahca/ahca_membership/Pages/StateAffiliates.aspx

Reports

How does LTCTT get my data to run a report? LTCTT utilizes data that is collected by CMS, State Survey Agencies, and Cost Reports. RUGS are directly uploaded to LTCTT from the facility directly.  During the annual survey the facility is required to submit reports to the State Agencies, these reports are the 802, 671 and 672.  It is important that these reports are submitted accurately to the State, as this data is submitted to CMS and analyzed.  AHCA utilizes these reports as the foundation of LTCTT.  Once AHCA receives the data from CMS, the data is analyzed and transferred to LTCTT for your benefit. 

The RUGS report submission is the responsibility of the facility.   

What is the difference between the different Reports?

• CMS Five Star Ratings: The Five Star Rating Report utilizes the CMS Five Star Rating information. This information is updated each month by CMS and uploaded to LTC Trend Tracker. This report allows you to see the facility star ranking in each of the categories that CMS uses to determine the overall star rating.    This report contains the overall rating, health inspection rating, direct care staffing rating, registered nursing staff rating, and CMS quality measure rating.
• CMS Five Star Staffing Report: The Five Star Staffing Report compares a facility’s reported staffing hours to CMS’ expected hours.  The report shows whether a provider can improve its rating by adding nursing hours.  This reported does not capture day-to-day case-mix changes that could affect the report’s results.  
• CASPER Resident Report: The CASPER Resident Report provides a detailed review of the facility’s resident characteristics.  This information is the same information that you provide the state agency on the yearly survey. This data includes ADLS, Bowel/Bladder status, Mobility, Skin integrity, Special Care, Advance Directives, and Vaccination Status. 
• CASPER Survey Data: The CASPER Survey Data Report includes Standard Health Survey, Life Safety Code Survey, Complaint Survey and Combination of Standard Health Survey and Compliant.  This data is collected from the CMS. 
• CASPER Staffing Report: The CASPER Staffing Report provides a synopsis of the facility’s reported staffing hours, as reported on the  CMS 671 form that is completed at time of the Annual Health Inspection.   The information found in this report includes PPD Hours for all departments, percentage of Full-Time, Part-Time and Contract Hours.  
• NH Quality Measures Report: The Nursing Home Quality Measure Report provides a detailed review of resident data that is submitted to CMS on the MDS.  The facility/organization can trend and analyze resident characteristics. The categories of measures are Advancing Excellence, Post Acute Care and Chronic Care.

This tool can be resource for the Quality Assurance Committee.

• Cost Report: The Cost Report can be used to analyze financial data in various cost centers for the previous and prior two fiscal years. This report is generated from the cost report data that the facility submits to CMS.  This report when utilized with RUGs Report and Quality Measures Report can give an operator an excellent overview of facility and market trends. 
• Medicare Utilization Report: The RUG report is a comprehensive review of the facility RUG rates and utilization compared to other organizations.  This data is generated at the facility level and is uploaded to the database monthly by the facility.  This report can assist in trending financial data and assist a facility in comparing their RUG levels to their actual costs found in the Cost Report.  The data is not easily identifiable because the RUG information is aged by three months.  A minimum of five facilities (of which no more than 85% can be from one organization) must be in a peer group, before that peer group be used.      

How often is the data uploaded to LTCTT?

• CMS Five Star Ratings: Monthly
• CASPER Data: Quarterly
• NH Compare Quality: Measures Data: Quarterly
• Cost Report Data: Quarterly
• RUG Report Data: Monthly—by the individual users

What are the periods for the reports?

• CMS Five Star Rating:  Monthly
• Rug Report:  Monthly
• CASPER Survey Data: Yearly
• CASPER Staffing Report: Yearly
• NH Compare Quality Measures- Quarterly
• Cost Report: Yearly

What is the dashboard? In business, dashboards allow organizations to track operational performance over time, and to define targets and goals.  In addition, a dashboard allows data to be consolidated in one central location, which can be reviewed quickly.   

With our dashboard, the AHCA LTC Trend Tracker tool can assist the user to track and benchmark your organization’s Five Star Rating, Financial and Quality outcomes in a matter of moment.  On the dashboard, you will notice reports that seem to be duplicate with the name trend or benchmark. A trend report allows you compare data in your organization. A benchmark report allows you to compare information to other organizations as selected in the peer group. Click here  to access the dashboard help document.  

How do I start a report? Once you have started the program.  Point your mouse to go to Report Builder. Then select the report you would like to run. Once the report is highlighted green it has been selected. To learn more about how to build a report click here.  

How do I see the information in graph form? Click on the on the graph icon in the reports and you will have your information display in graph form. You will be only able to track one metric at a time. 

My facility has not had the annual survey yet. Why do I have survey history showing up for this year?

Survey history is updated quarterly.  When comparing survey history the comparison will be allocated in the following tables current survey, first prior survey and two years prior. Therefore, your current survey is the most recent survey that is the AHCA database. You will be comparing your current survey to the recent survey history as selected in the peer group.   

On the Staffing Report, what is included in the Other Therapy Hours? The other therapy hours staffing category includes Therapeutic Recreation specialists, Activities Staff, Other Activities Staff, Social Workers, and Other Social Services.  

Can someone see my facility’s data or be able to identify my facility? No, individual facility or organization level data cannot be identified.  Information submitted by the provider organizations is only visible to that provider organization. Information from public sources can be identifiable. 

Why do I have to submit my RUG  Data? This data is facility specific and has to be generated at the facility level. There is a spreadsheet for inputting of the monthly data or the user can choose to input the RUG data directly into the system. AHCA utilizes the RUG information in advocacy on your behalf at the federal level. To access the RUG Help Documents please click here.  

In my building we set up a RUG level for all Medicare Residents including Managed Care, HMOS and Part C Residents, do I submit those RUG Rates? No. LTC Trend Tracker can only calculate the Medicare Part A residents that require a submission of a MDS to the federal government for reimbursement. Therefore, if you receive your Medicare Payment from a third party insurance company you will not track that information for LTCTT purposes. 

I can not find my answer how do I get more help? Contact LTC TT