Members of Medicare Advantage plans, including ConnectiCare, are asked to take the Health Outcomes Survey (HOS). The survey is intended to assess plans’ ability to maintain or improve members’ physical and mental health over time. Your interactions with Medicare Advantage members influence the results.
The survey is administered each spring to a random sample of our Medicare members. This same group of members is surveyed again two years later, asking them to evaluate their own health over a period of time and recall the discussions they have had with their doctors.
Your interactions with patients affect their responses to the HOS questions. That’s why, as we told you last month, we’re encouraging our Medicare members to “Ask away” – ask you any question or concerns they may have, nothing is too small or too embarrassing to discuss.
Six of the measures covered under the HOS are included in the annual Medicare Star ratings:
- Evaluation of physical health
- Evaluation of mental health
- Bladder control
- Physical activity
- Falls risk
- Bone health in women
In future issues of Office Visit, we will share information about the above measures and offer recommendations that will help you discuss the topics with your patients.
