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Managed Long Term Services & Supports FAQs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research1 and its partner, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, to develop measures for people receiving long term services and supports through managed care organizations and prepaid inpatient health plans. These measures provide information about assessment and care planning processes with Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) plan members, as well as Long Term Services and Supports use and rebalancing, that can be used by states, managed care plans, and other stakeholders for quality improvement purposes.

These frequently asked questions provide additional information and address common questions about these measures. View a printer-friendly version of these frequently asked questions.

1Measures developed as part of CMS contract: Quality Measure Development and Maintenance for CMS Programs Serving Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees and Medicaid-Only Enrollees, HHSM-500-2013-13011I, Task Order #HHSM- 500-T0004.

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Must the completion of a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) comprehensive care plan take place in the home?

No, for the LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update measure, the care plan does not have to take place in the member’s home. However, it must be done face-to-face unless certain exceptions are met. These exceptions include circumstances in which:

  • The member was offered a face-to-face discussion and refused (either refused a face-to-face encounter or requested a telephone discussion instead of a face-to-face discussion).
  • The state policy, regulation, or other state guidance excludes the member from a requirement for face-to-face discussion of a care plan.

FAQ ID:89146
What if there are multiple Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update care plans documented during the measurement period?

Use the most recently updated care plan.

FAQ ID:89151
How should a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) member's refusal to sign an LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update plan be documented?

To meet the LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update measure numerator, the care plan must be signed by the member, unless the care plan is under appeal in the specified timeframe, and there is documentation that the care plan was in appeal. There is an exclusion for members who refuse to take part in care planning. This exclusion is reported with the measure rate, so the overall measure rate can be interpreted correctly. For example, a plan that is not successful at engaging members in care planning, indicated by a high exclusion rate, would suggest the overall rate on the measure should be interpreted with caution.

FAQ ID:89166
What if a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) member could not be reached for the LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update?

There must be documentation that at least three attempts were made to reach the member, and they could not be reached. The rate of exclusion due to inability to reach a member should also be reported along with the measure performance rate.

FAQ ID:89176
What if a Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) member either does not have a caregiver involved or does not want their caregiver involved in the LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update? What if a member's caregiver declines to participate in care planning?

In these circumstances, MLTSS plan records should clearly document that no caregiver was involved to satisfy the measure criteria. For example, there are situations in which it may not be appropriate to engage the caregiver, including cases in which the member refused to involve the caregiver, or the invited caregiver declined to participate. Reasons for lack of caregiver involvement are not required; documentation that a caregiver was not involved suffices.

FAQ ID:89181
If no deficit is identified for one of the core elements required for the care plan (for example, functional needs), what should the care plan contain?

For certain elements of the care plan, documentation of no deficit suffices to receive credit for the elements (for example, functional needs, medical needs, cognitive impairment needs). Other elements in the core and supplemental rates of the Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) LTSS Comprehensive Care Plan and Update measure require documentation regardless of whether a deficit is identified (for example, individualized member goal, plan for follow-up and communication, plan for emergency). Refer to the details in the measure specification to identify where documentation of no deficit meets the element definition.

FAQ ID:89196
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