Technical Reports

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) managed care regulations require that states contracting with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) or prepaid inpatient health plans (PIHPs) ensure that external quality review results of mandatory and any optional EQR activities be described in a detailed technical report. HSAG has extensive experience and is dedicated to generating technical reports that are highly professional, accurate, timely, useful, and able to withstand the rigors of scientific review. As an expert both in conducting the EQR activities and in compiling and analyzing findings from the activities, HSAG produces technical reports that meet and exceed the federal requirements and that provide the states and their MCOs and PIHPs with meaningful information and actionable recommendations for improving the quality, timeliness of, and access to care furnished to Medicaid beneficiaries. HSAG uses a team approach, including content area experts and technical writers, to ensure that all technical reports and other deliverables are well-written, accurate, and complete. HSAG’s Reports Department team members have extensive higher education and professional credentials.

To meet CMS requirements and those of contracted states, HSAG's annual reports describe how data from EQR activities are aggregated and analyzed, as well as how conclusions are drawn about the quality and timeliness of, and access to, the care that is furnished. They also provide recommendations to facilitate continued quality improvement.

Drawing from the expertise of a team of highly qualified and experienced analysts, clinicians, research staff, and content area experts, HSAG also incorporates into the technical report its professional opinions, knowledge of best practices, and lessons learned from other states and programs that it has reviewed. HSAG compiles and constantly updates its resource library of Web sites, journals, and other published research and pilot programs, benefitting the states, MCOs, and PIHPs that are the subjects of the review activities. Through the sharing of this information and best practices, states and their contractors receive state-of-the-art recommendations that can result in real and measureable improvement in the quality of the services they provide.