Quality Improvement

Program Purpose

HAP CareSource™ MI Health Link (Medicare-Medicaid Plan) is committed to providing evidence-based care in a safe, member-centered, timely, efficient and equitable manner. Our HAP CareSource MI Health Link Quality Improvement (QI) Program is comprehensive and inclusive of both clinical and non-clinical services.

HAP CareSource MI Health Link monitors and evaluates the quality of care and services, encompassing the safety and service delivered to our members, with emphasis on accessibility to care, availability of services and practitioners, quality of care and member safety, medical and behavioral health services and internal monitoring, review and evaluation of program areas, including Utilization Management, Care Management and Pharmacy. HAP CareSource MI Health Link also monitors the quality and safety of member services through review of practitioner, provider, hospital, utilization management, care management and pharmacy results program.

Member and provider satisfaction and health outcomes are monitored through quality improvement activities, routine health plan reporting, annual Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), measures the quality of our health plan, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) scores, member surveys, review of accessibility and availability standards and utilization trends. Performance is assessed against goals and objectives that are in keeping with industry standards. Annually, CareSource completes an evaluation of our QI program.

Program Scope

HAP CareSource MI Health Link supports an active, ongoing and comprehensive quality improvement program across the organization. The scope of the QI program includes:

  • Advocate for members across settings including review and resolution of quality-of-care concerns
  • Meet member access and availability needs for physical and behavioral health care
  • Determine interventions for HEDIS overall rate improvement to improve preventive care scores and facilitate support of members’ acute and chronic health conditions and other complex health, safety or welfare needs
  • CareSource uses the annual member CAHPS® survey to capture member perspectives on health care quality and establishes interventions based on results to enrich member and provider experience and satisfaction
  • Demonstrate enhanced care coordination and continuity across settings
  • Assess member population characteristics and needs
  • Meet members’ cultural and linguistic needs encompassing the social determinants of health
  • Assess the geographic availability and accessibility of primary care providers and specialists
  • Monitor important aspects of care to ensure the health, safety and welfare of members across health care settings
  • Ensure HAP CareSource MI Health Link is effectively serving members with complex health needs
  • Determine practitioner adherence to clinical practice guidelines
  • Support member self-management skills
  • Partner collaboratively with network partners, practitioners, regulatory agencies and community agencies
  • Ensure regulatory and accrediting agency compliance, including:
    • All federal requirements as outlined in 42 CFR Part 438, Managed Care
    • Perform HEDIS® compliance audit and performance measurement
    • Ensure compliance with NCQA accreditation standards

Quality Strategy

HAP CareSource MI Health Link seeks to advance a culture of quality and safety that begins with our senior leadership and is cultivated throughout the organization. HAP CareSource MI Health Link utilizes the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) framework developed to optimize health system performance.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement Quadruple Aim for Populations

HAP CareSource MI Health link aligns with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Quadruple Aim (IHI) framework to:

  • Improving the health of populations
  • Improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction)
  • Reducing per capita cost of health care
  • Improving provider satisfaction

HAP CareSource MI Health Link also utilizes Lean Six Sigma tools, when indicated, to focus on improving member experience, member safety and ensuring our processes consistently deliver the desired results.

Quality Measures

HAP CareSource MI Health Link continually assesses and analyzes the quality of care and services offered to our members. This is accomplished by using objective and systematic monitoring and evaluation to implement programs to improve member outcomes.

HAP CareSource MI Health Link uses HEDIS® to measure the quality of care delivered to members. HEDIS® is developed and maintained by NCQA. The HEDIS® tool is used by America’s health plans to measure important dimensions of care and service and allows for comparisons across health plans in meeting state and federal performance measures and national HEDIS® benchmarks. HEDIS® measures are based on evidence-based care and address the most significant areas of care. Potential quality measures include the following:

  • Wellness and prevention
  • Preventive screenings (breast cancer)
  • Chronic disease management
  • Comprehensive diabetes care
  • Controlling high blood pressure
  • Behavioral health
  • Follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness
  • Antidepressant medication management
  • Safety
  • Use of imaging studies for low back pain

HAP CareSource MI Health Link uses the annual member CAHPS surveys to capture member perspectives on health care quality. CAHPS is a program overseen by the United Stated Department of Health and Human Services―Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Potential CAHPS measures include:

  • Customer service
  • Getting care quickly
  • Getting needed care
  • How well doctors communicate
  • Ratings of all health care, health plan, personal doctor, specialist

Quality of Care Reviews

HAP CareSource MI Health Link ensures the provision of safe and quality care to members by investigating and mitigating potential quality of care concerns that include:

  • Inappropriate or inconsistent treatment
  • Delay in receipt of Care
  • Compromising member health, safety or welfare
  • Having the potential to limit functional abilities on a permanent or long-term basis

To properly assess quality of care concerns, HAP CareSource MI Health Link Enterprise Quality Improvement initiates contact with providers to request medical records using established processes and timelines. As per our policies and provider contracts, we are authorized to ask for protected health information for health care operations, which includes quality issue reviews. Medical record requests are forwarded to providers via mail, e-mail or fax and may be returned to HAP CareSource MI Health Link via these same mechanisms as detailed in the medical record request document.

All providers are expected to return medical record requests related to quality-of-care concerns within 14 days from initial receipt of the request, unless otherwise defined by program guidelines or state or federal law requirements. If a state, federal or regulatory agency, or if the health and safety of a member requires that medical records must be submitted under a shorter timeframe, providers are expected to comply with the shorter turnaround time. Providers and facilities that utilize third party health information management vendors are responsible for providing medical records to HAP CareSource MI Health Link or facilitating delivery of medical records to HAP CareSource MI Health Link by the identified contractor. We are legally bound to interact with providers only and HAP CareSource MI Health Link is not subject to any fees charged by health information management companies for medical record retrieval or submission.

Your health partner representative may contact you if medical records are not received within the 14-day time frame to ensure you received the request. In addition, our market Chief Medical Officer may also be in contact to facilitate and ensure receipt of the required medical records to complete the quality-of-care reviews. Providers or facilities who repeatedly fail to return requested medical records are reported to the Credentialing Committee and may face other directed intervention or penalties up to and including contract termination.

HAP CareSource MI Health Link Commitment to Health Equity

We are dedicated to the communities in which we serve and making a positive impact in the lives of our members by eliminating health disparities, supporting our organization’s Health Equity initiatives, partnering with community stake holders to carry out this much needed work. Our Enterprise Life Services department is dedicated to serving marginalized communities and making a positive impact in the lives of diverse member populations to eliminate health disparities.

Enterprise Life Services is taking an integrated approach to Health Equity and embedding it across HAP CareSource MI Health Link. As a result, we have developed our objectives based on Pillars of Life Services outlined below.

Workforce Development: promote long-term employment opportunities, financial literacy, connection to job training and increasing assets, such as home ownership

Housing: increase the quality of safe & affordable housing, enhanced financial tools to develop & preserve housing units & improved affordability of housing

Food & Nutrition: regular & consistent access to healthy foods, education on nutrition & overall health impacts, addressing food deserts and inequalities

Health Equity: pursuit of Health Equity for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA, & complex populations, elimination of health disparities; partnerships with outside organizations; drive policy & advocate for change

We recognize language and cultural differences have a significant impact on member health care experience and outcomes. Consistent with federal mandate 42 CFR 438.206 (2), Access and Cultural Considerations, HAP CareSource MI Health Link participates in efforts to promote the delivery of services in a culturally competent manner to all members. Participating providers must also meet the requirements of this mandate and any applicable state and federal laws or regulations pertaining to provision of services and care.

CLAS Standards: National Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Standards

HAP CareSource MI Health Link adheres to the National Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Standards (CLAS), which serve as a blueprint for health care providers and organizations to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services. CLAS consists of 15 standards that encompass the following topic areas:

  • Principal Standard: Provision of effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are response to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy and other communication needs
  • Governance, Leadership, and Workforce
  • Communication and Language Assistance
  • Engagement, Continuous Improvement & Accountability

Network providers must ensure that:

  • Members understand that they have access to free medical interpreter services in their native language, including Sign Language. No cost TDD/TTY services are available to facilitate communication with hearing impaired members.
  • Health care is provided with consideration of the members’ cultural background, encompassing race/ethnicity, language and health beliefs. Cultural considerations may impact/influence member health decisions related to preventable disease or illness.
  • The provider office staff makes reasonable attempts to collect race-and language-specific member data. Staff is available to answer questions and explain race/ethnicity categories to a member, to assure accurate identification of race/ethnicity for all family members.
  • Treatment plans are developed based on evidence-based clinical practice guidelines with consideration of the member’s race, country of origin, native language, social norms , religion, mental or physical abilities, heritage, acculturation, age, gender, sexual orientation and other characteristics that may result in a different perspective or decision-making process.
  • Participating providers must also meet the requirements of all applicable state and federal laws and regulations as they pertain to provision of services and care.

HAP CareSource MI Health Link prohibits its providers or partners from refusing to treat, serve or otherwise discriminate against an individual because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, gender orientation (i.e. intersex, transgendered and transsexual) or disability. In consideration of cultural differences, including religious beliefs and ethical principles, HAP CareSource MI Health Link will not discriminate against providers who practice within the permissions of existing protections in provider conscience laws, as outlined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

HAP CareSource MI Health Link encourages our participating providers to visit the Office of Minority Health, Cultural Competency Resources website for toolkits and educational resources. Included on the site is a free, nine-credit Continuing Medical Education (CME) course, A Physician’s Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care. This self-directed e-learning program equips providers to better understand and treat diverse populations.

Patient Safety Program

HAP CareSource MI Health Link recognizes that patient safety is the cornerstone of high-quality health care, contributing to the overall health and welfare of our members. Our HAP CareSource MI Health Link Patient Safety Program evaluates patient safety trends with the goal of reducing avoidable harm. Our patient safety program is developed in the context of our Population Health Management approach and includes regulatory/accreditation, policies/procedures, training/implementation, continuous monitoring, program evaluation and improvement initiatives.

Safety events are monitored through retrospective review of quality-of-care concerns and real-time reporting of claims data. Data analysis of our provider and health system network ensures situational risks can be identified in a timely manner, reviewed and mitigated by a proactive corrective action, or performance improvement steps.

In addition to our focus on health disparities and their impact on member health outcomes, it is important for our providers and team members to understand how a lack of cultural competency may negatively impact member health outcomes. The goal of culturally competent health care services is to provide the highest quality of care to every patient, regardless of race, ethnicity, cultural background, English proficiency, or literacy.

We offer staff education and training through our CareSource Cornerstone learning management system. In addition, CareSource developed an Equity Council to promote diversity within the organization, including the development of Employee Resource Groups to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Contact Us

If you would like more information about HAP CareSource MI Health Link Quality Improvement, please call Provider Services at 1-833-230-2159 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).