CMS to examine quality reporting in long-term care orgs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the agency’s notice informing long-term care hospitals (LCTHs), that they need to begin reporting quality data in the future or face financial consequences.
Published Sept. 2 in the Federal Register, CMS proposed a voluntary hospice quality reporting cycle which will consist of data collection beginning on Oct. 1 and continuing through Dec. 31. “This data shall be reported to CMS no later than Jan. 31, 2012.”
Additionally, CMS proposed that there shall be a mandatory hospice quality reporting cycle which will include data collected from Oct. 1, 2012, through Dec. 31, 2012. “This data shall be reported to CMS by no later than April 1, 2013. Thereafter, it is proposed that all subsequent hospice quality reporting cycles be based on the calendar-year basis (e.g., Jan. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2013, for determining the hospice market increase factor for each hospice by 2015, etc.).”
LCTHs that fail to submit quality measure data may be subject to a 2 percentage point reduction in their annual update to the standard federal rate for discharges occurring during a rate year, beginning in fiscal year 2014, the notice stated. There are no current mandatory standardized data being used in LTCHs but, beginning Oct. 1, 2012, LTCHs will begin using a data collection document to collect pressure ulcer data for the LTCH quality reporting program.
Public comments are being accepted to estimate any burden or any other aspect for the collection of information, including any of the following:
Comments and recommendations must be submitted by Nov. 1.
Published Sept. 2 in the Federal Register, CMS proposed a voluntary hospice quality reporting cycle which will consist of data collection beginning on Oct. 1 and continuing through Dec. 31. “This data shall be reported to CMS no later than Jan. 31, 2012.”
Additionally, CMS proposed that there shall be a mandatory hospice quality reporting cycle which will include data collected from Oct. 1, 2012, through Dec. 31, 2012. “This data shall be reported to CMS by no later than April 1, 2013. Thereafter, it is proposed that all subsequent hospice quality reporting cycles be based on the calendar-year basis (e.g., Jan. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2013, for determining the hospice market increase factor for each hospice by 2015, etc.).”
LCTHs that fail to submit quality measure data may be subject to a 2 percentage point reduction in their annual update to the standard federal rate for discharges occurring during a rate year, beginning in fiscal year 2014, the notice stated. There are no current mandatory standardized data being used in LTCHs but, beginning Oct. 1, 2012, LTCHs will begin using a data collection document to collect pressure ulcer data for the LTCH quality reporting program.
Public comments are being accepted to estimate any burden or any other aspect for the collection of information, including any of the following:
- The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions;
- The accuracy of the estimated burden;
- Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
- The use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.
Comments and recommendations must be submitted by Nov. 1.