CMS pushes back eCQM reporting deadline, promises changes in IPPS rule

As the clock winds down on the current CMS administration, some hospitals got a parting gift: extra time to report electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) data within two CMS programs.

In a blog post, CMS’s director of clinical standards, Katie Goodrich, announced the agency is delaying the deadlines for hospitals in the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) and the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive programs to report eCQM data for 2016. They’ll now need to report by March 13 instead of February 28.

Beyond the two-week extension for reporting data, CMS also announced it will make changes to the eCQM reporting requirements for both programs to address requests to “reduce reporting burdens.”

“CMS plans to address stakeholder concerns regarding challenges associated with hospitals transitioning to new EHR systems or products, upgrading to EHR technology certified to the 2015 Edition, modifying workflows, and addressing data element mapping, as well as the time allotted for hospitals to incorporate updates to eCQM specifications in 2017,” Goodrich wrote. “CMS is also considering to propose in future rulemaking to modify the number of eCQMs required to be reported for 2017 as well as to shorten the eCQM reporting period.”

The changes will be made as part of the inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for 2018, which is likely to be released in the late spring.