Launching or expanding a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan is a herculean task for even the most experienced healthcare organization; it requires the coordination of countless teams and individual team members, as well as the organization and verification of seemingly endless responses and documents.

The first step on this journey is submitting an application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Whether you’re an established healthcare organization looking to expand your plan into new territories, or you’re launching an MA plan for the first time, it all starts with CMS approval. androsPathway* is a comprehensive workflow tool designed to unify disparate teams and provide a clear process to support achieving approval in CMS applications.

What is androsPathway*?

Think of androsPathway* as a “process in a box”; a cloud-based platform that creates a simple template to follow on the path to CMS approval. The system is built for ease of use, efficiency, increased collaboration, and accountability, all with the express goal of reducing potential roadblocks within the application process. androsPathway* makes it easy to manage all the responses and documents needed to apply for CMS approval, so when the time comes, a healthcare organization will have all of the relevant information collected and verified to minimize risk of rejection.

As healthcare organizations look to build or expand MA plans, stumbling right out of the gate can cause a chain reaction that can hamper the entire launch. By investing early in the tools needed to aid in the CMS application process, healthcare organizations can begin their build on a steady footing, keeping the launch above board, and on schedule.

Increasing Efficiency with androsPathway*

One of the bedrock functions of androsPathway* is providing a clear, task-focused approach to the CMS application process which helps teams run more efficiently. As anyone who works in healthcare can tell you, oftentimes organizations are a big ship that can take a long time to turn. androsPathway* creates an easy-to-follow framework which enables cross-functional teams to engage quickly, unifying them on one platform.

By providing a single point of interaction for disparate teams, androsPathway* becomes a facilitator for parties to share, collaborate, approve, and manage attestation responses and supporting documentation. And, because the platform is task-focused, team members won’t be left wondering what their next steps are. The steps needed to build the application materials are integrated into the platform, which makes goals visible and achievable. These real-time progress reports and next steps take the guesswork out of how team members spend their time, enabling them to focus on their deliverables, not on the process. This organization creates efficiencies even among teams that aren’t often in close contact.

Improving Communication and Collaboration

A lack of communication isn’t a problem specific to healthcare organizations; but when timelines are as tight as they are in the healthcare industry, small slip-ups or breakdowns in communication can set projects back weeks or even months. androsPathway* is designed to foster communication and collaboration by clearly defining tasks and providing a framework for all team members to work towards a single, unified goal.

androsPathway* places all disparate team members on one unified platform, and allows for the easy assignment of tasks to keep everyone on track. Each team member has a unique dashboard and customizable task list of their responsibilities which helps ensure that deadlines are being met and no work is being neglected. The platform also offers a robust comment, response, and approval engine which facilitates full transparency on tasks. By creating a dialogue surrounding the work to be done, teams aren’t left in the dark in identifying barriers to approval.

Ensuring Quality and Accountability

The CMS application process needs to be a well-oiled machine. Any faulty parts—unreliable or incorrect information, incomplete documentation, and more—can cause the entire operation to falter. In real terms, these errors can sink the likelihood for approval, which can cost the company financially and delay plan launch.

androsPathway* provides a framework to mitigate risk of application rejection. The platform uses a two-assignee process with a designated “responder” and “approver” which puts two sets of eyes on all tasks to ensure accountability. And, because the entirety of the application process is managed on one platform, it all but eliminates missed steps and missing responses or documentation. Offering full visibility to the team means everyone is held accountable for their responsibilities.

Another way androsPathway* works to ensure quality is by creating an audit trail of all activities and documentation performed in the platform. This auditable historical record keeps a “chain of custody” to actions surrounding the application process which can be used to identify and remedy errors before documentation is submitted for CMS approval; this not only helps minimize risk of rejection, but helps keep team members accountable for their work.

Getting Started with androsPathway*

Whether a healthcare organization is submitting multiple CMS applications or just one, or whether they’re launching an MA plan for the first time or expanding existing plans, androsPathway* is here to make the process as easy and accurate as possible. With a host of packages tailor-made for each organization, there is an androsPathway* system that can be customized to everyone’s unique needs. The journey to launching an MA plan begins with a single step, CMS application approval—make sure you start that step on the right path.