Fewer Minnesota Providers Qualified for October Infection Control Incentives

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Jeff Bostic

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) started distributing the second round of infection control incentive payments to care centers who earned them for the month of October.  They also released the details about which providers received payments and how much the payments were.

While the news nationally was that more money was distributed for October than September and that more providers received October payments, the news in Minnesota was more mixed.  While the amount received by Minnesota providers increased from $6.7 million in September to $11.7 million in October, the number of providers receiving payments went down in October, with only 183 care centers receiving payments compared to 255 in September. 

In analyzing why providers did not receive incentive payments, we have identified two primary reasons—too high of a resident infection rate compared to the general country infection rate or incomplete or inaccurate data submission to NHSN. In Minnesota only one facility with a resident infection for September and three with resident infections in October received a payment, so the standard to receive an incentive is difficult to meet. Members should also be sure they are reviewing their NHSN data and correcting any errors, so that if they are otherwise eligible for a payment they will receive one.  Details on the calculations of payments, which continue for two more monthly periods, are here.