Chronic wounds aren’t just a difficult clinical problem. They’re also a financial problem.
For home health agencies, every slow-healing wound can translate into more nurse visits, higher supply costs, and an increased risk of hospital readmissions.
Beyond patient care — which is the top priority — chronic wounds directly affect an agency’s CMS star rating, referral volume, and, ultimately, revenue.
I’m Martin Over, and I’ve spent my entire career in healthcare. Over the past year leading Rebirth Advanced Healing’s sales efforts in Pennsylvania, I’ve spent countless hours with home health agency leaders, listening to their challenges and working to ease the burden of chronic wounds.
When wounds don’t heal as expected, the impact ripples across nearly every part of an agency’s business:
- Non-compliance keeps patients stuck in a system, driving up visit frequency and supply costs.
- CMS star ratings suffer as slow-healing wounds contribute to higher readmissions and poorer quality scores.
- Referrals decline when hospitals, discharge planners, and even patient families see an agency’s outcomes slide.
- Staff and resources get stretched thin, increasing burnout risk and reducing capacity for new patients.
The good news is that agencies don’t have to shoulder this burden alone. By partnering with a specialized mobile wound care provider, home health agencies can shorten healing times, protect star ratings, and secure continuous referrals, all while safeguarding their bottom line.
Non-Compliance: The Biggest Barrier to Healing and Profitability
One of the biggest challenges with chronic wound patients is non-compliance, and it’s more common than most people realize.
Non-compliance doesn’t just mean a patient ignores clinical instructions; it often reflects barriers outside of their control. A patient might lack reliable transportation to appointments. They might not have the resources to afford proper wound supplies or healthy food to support healing.
Or, in some cases, they may simply underestimate the seriousness of their wound and fail to follow through with treatment plans.
Regardless of the reason, non-compliance keeps patients stuck in the healthcare system. A wound that should have healed in weeks drags on for months, requiring more visits, more dressing changes, and higher supply costs.
That prolonged cycle of care hurts the patient, but it also hurts the agency. When agencies are billing for repeated visits without measurable improvement, margins shrink, CMS star ratings suffer, and staff get stretched thin. In other words: non-compliance isn’t just a clinical challenge; it’s a direct hit to the agency’s bottom line.
How Chronic Wounds Impact an Agency’s CMS Star Rating
As you might expect, chronic wounds can play a major role on your agency’s CMS Star Rating.
The Quality of Patient Care (QoPC) Star Rating is based on several measures pulled from OASIS assessments and Medicare claims data. Two areas that matter most are hospital readmissions and avoidable ER visits.
When wound care is inconsistent or ineffective, patients are at a much higher risk of infection, complications, and delayed healing. That often leads to:
- Unplanned hospital readmissions
- Emergency room visits that could have been avoided
Both outcomes directly hurt your CMS Star Rating.
Agencies work hard to keep patients at home and out of the hospital, and wound care plays a big role in making that possible. By managing chronic wounds effectively, you protect your rating, reduce costs, and most importantly, help patients stay on track with their healing.
What Happens When Star Ratings Drop?
A lower star rating can have serious consequences.
Referrals from hospitals and providers slow down, families choose other agencies after comparing Medicare ratings, and your agency can lose both patients and revenue. Over time, that means reduced market share, a harder time attracting new patients, and even an impact on reimbursement.
Agencies that stay proactive with patient care (especially when it comes to wound care) are far more likely to maintain strong outcomes and protect their ratings.
What Other Costs do Chronic Wounds Create for Home Health Agencies?
Chronic wounds often lead to more hospitalizations, additional skilled nursing visits, and longer lengths of stay.
On top of that, chronic wounds require specialized care. That means frequent assessments, dressing changes, pain management, and ongoing patient education. All of this increases the demand on your staff and resources.
For many agencies, that means reworking staffing schedules, adjusting caseloads, and dedicating more supplies to wound patients, all of which cut into efficiency and profitability.
Benefits of Partnering with an Advanced Wound Care Company
Bringing in a specialized wound care partner can make a huge difference for both patients and agencies. Agencies that take a proactive approach give their patients the best chance to heal, and see meaningful improvements to their own outcomes.
For patients:
- Faster healing and shorter recovery times
- Fewer complications and infections
- Better pain management and comfort
- Improved mobility and independence
- A stronger sense of well-being and reduced stress
For agencies:
- Lower hospitalization and readmission rates
- Stronger patient outcomes that boost CMS Star Ratings
- More efficient use of staff and supplies
- A reputation for going above and beyond in patient care
In short, advanced wound care not only improves quality of life for patients, but also creates a more cost-effective and sustainable model for home health agencies.
Protect Your Patients; Protect Your Star Ratings
You can’t afford to let chronic wounds hold your agency back. Find that partner that drives better outcomes for patients and financial stability for your agency.
If you have chronic wound patients on your census, reach out to Rebirth today to start a conversation.
