60 senators urge CMS to delay overall hospital quality star ratings

In wake of the April 21 release of the overall hospital quality star ratings system developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), sixty senators have advised a delay “to provide the necessary time to more closely examine the star rating methodology, analyze its impact on different types of hospitals, and provide more transparent information regarding the calculation of the ratings to determine accuracy.”

The concern of the senators is that "the current Star Ratings system may not accurately take into account hospitals that treat patients with low socioeconomic status or multiple complex chronic conditions.”

They continued by writing, “we are concerned that the Star Rating system may be misleading to consumers due to flaws in the measures that underpin the ratings. Many prominent hospitals that are in the top echelon of other quality rating reports, and handle the most complex procedures and patients, may receive 1 or 2 stars (out of a possible 5), indicating that they have the poorest quality in comparison to all other hospitals.”