What is AN-ACC Reclassification?
Reclassification is a process of having a resident reassessed by an external AN-ACC assessor, and potentially reassigned a different funding classification due to changes in their clinical care needs/burdens. Reclassification is also referred to as Reassessment.
Why is Reclassification important?
- Most residents' clinical status declines gradually throughout their care journey.
- The burden of care gradually increases and so does the cost.
- Reclassification ensures the funding level matches the cost of care.
- Without an effective reclassification program, a provider's revenue is highly likely to decline over time.
What must you know about AN-ACC Reclassification?
Unlike that of ACFI, Reclassification under AN-ACC is completely voluntary.
- If providers do not actively identify and request reclassification, residents' classification will remain the same until their discharge.
- Providers can have funding downgrades instead of upgrades if the residents requested are deemed by the assessor to have improved.
- Reclassification is one of the factors that will influence the minimum care minute target of the facility for the next quarter, alongside admission of new residents and discharge of existing residents.
- The funding changes resulting from a reclassification take effect from the date the request for reclassification was submitted.
Currently, there is no fee for requesting reclassification.
What are the Reclassification triggers?
There are a number of triggers for AN-ACC Reclassification, broadly fitting into two categories: clinical changes (cognitive ability, function, mobility, pressure sore risk, compounding factors) and events (hospitalisation of 5 consecutive days, or 2 consecutive days with general anaesthetic; classification anniversary — Class 9 to 13 after more than 6 months, Class 2 to 8 after more than 12 months; or transfer to another facility for non-respite palliative care).
How to effectively manage AN-ACC Reclassification?
Tips from our field experience:
- A proactive approach to managing reclassification is always better than a reactive approach.
- A well coordinated ongoing reclassification program always generates better outcomes than a series of ad-hoc attempts.
- Randomly requesting a large volume of reclassifications is not a good practice, which can potentially cause significant funding loss and further restrictions from the Department.
- There is always a risk of funding loss. The goal should be to systematically minimise that risk and not to avoid reclassifications because of it.
If you are still unsure, consider Health Generation's MAPE framework for managing AN-ACC Reclassification: Monitor specific clinical indicators, Assess actual clinical changes against the eligibility criteria, Predict and evaluate the new classification, and Enable the reassessment to be completed.
Note: because the AN-ACC algorithm is not completely known, providers must accept that the new classification prediction is not always 100% correct. The goal should be to develop capability to get as close to that number as possible, e.g. 90%.
Do you have gaps in funding knowledge and expertise?
Contact us to discuss how partnering with Health Generation will provide you the resources and expertise to smooth your transition to AN-ACC funding, and position your residential Aged Care home to deliver exceptional services.