Value Based Payments

Strengthening Quality – Provider Value Based Payment (VBP) Initiative

To improve Medicaid client health outcomes the Connecticut Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Value Based Payment Initiative aims to incentivize providing whole-person care through additional payments to HCBS providers based on clearly defined outcomes. Initially funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Value Based Payment aims to align payment with value. 

The Department will be issuing an outcome-based payment for Person-Centered goals based on the performance period of April 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025 and an outcome-based payment for avoidable hospitalizations based on the performance period of May 1, 2025 to October 31, 2025. All eligible Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) and Home Health Agency (HHA) providers will receive a deposit and remittance advice (8327) from Gainwell in November 2025. An overview of the Value Based Payment scheduled for November 2025 can be found using the following link:

VBP Overview Summary for Period of May - Oct. 2025; Payout date of Nov 2025

Information on the previous payment period, including the payment and performance methodology used as well as the breakdown of payment by provider agency, can be found using the links below: 

HCBS Outcome Based VBP by Provider-Performance Period of Jan. 1, 2025 - April 30, 2025

VBP Overview Summary for Period of Jan. - April 2025; Payout date of May 2025

******** Getting Started with Connie ********

STEP 1: Register with Connie

• Complete the Connie Registration Form. Specify you are interested in the HCBS program.

STEP 2: Sign Legal Agreements

• Once registered, the person(s) named in your registration will receive the legal agreement package via email from Connie. Reach out to info@conniect.org if you have questions.

STEP 3: Administer Access

• Once legal agreements are signed, identify 2-3 HIE Administrators from your organization responsible for determining who at your organization is appropriate to access the HCBS tool. Connie will send a more detailed description of the role to help you identify the appropriate people.
• Use the HIE Admin tool to assign appropriate users to the HCBS tool. Connie provides user guides, trainings and technical assistance for your HIE Administrators whenever needed.

STEP 4: Activate User Access

• Once your HIE Administrator assigns your users access to the HCBS Tool, the users must login into the HCBS tool within 72 hours to activate their access. 

STEP 5: Coordinate Care

• Access the HCBS tool regularly to support client improvement. Regular access to the HCBS tool is a requirement for receiving VBPs.
• Connie provides user guides, trainings, and technical assistance for your users. Visit Connie Services | HCBS for more information.

******** Program FAQs ********

I see clients on my list who are no longer clients.

If you see clients on your list who you feel should not be on the list, send a secure email to info@conniect.org.

How are avoidable hospitalizations calculated? (or) When I calculate my avoidable hospitalizations I meet the benchmark. Why didn’t I get the payment?

Not every client on your worklist is part of your avoidable hospitalization score, so using the data in the worklist will not enable you to recreate your dashboard scores.  There are multiple checks that go into identifying which clients are part of the score calculation, including when the client had an avoidable hospitalization and how long they have been in your care. A risk adjustment is then applied to your raw score so that organizations that care for a higher risk population are not penalized.

Looking at the dashboard, I should have received a payment, why didn’t I?

The Value Based Payment is processed through Gainwell Interchange Remittance Advice for eligible providers. The RA reason code for Value Based Payment is 8327. If you did not receive a payment and you believe you should have, send an email to DSSARPVBP@ct.gov.

I’m getting an error message when I log into Connie’s provider portal and try to access the HCBS tool.

Connie recommends using the latest version of Chrome to access Connie's portal. Connie's portal is supported by most browsers, though some browsers function more effectively than others, especially if you are using an older version. If you encounter difficulties, try reloading a page, clearing your cache, testing the portal in a different browser, or downloading the newest version of your existing browser. If you are using Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox, you can quickly clear the cache with a keyboard shortcut. While in your browser, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete simultaneously on the keyboard to open the appropriate window. Be sure to close/quit the browser and restart it after clearing the cache and cookies.

Visit https://www.conniect.org/techsupport for more support information.

For additional questions regarding payments, send an email to DSSARPVBP@ct.gov.

For questions on how to access and use the HCBS tool, send an email to info@conniect.org.

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[Updated on 11/14/2025]