GAO issues progress report on NQF's healthcare quality measurement
The U.S Government Accountability Office (GAO) has submitted the first of two reports on the National Quality Foundation's (NQF’s) progress in meeting the five Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) mandated duties related to quality measures, the costs and fixed fees NQF has reported, and what NQF and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) do to help ensure NQF's reported costs are proper.
The five MIPPA duties required related to quality measures are:
(1) Make recommendations on a national strategy and priorities;
(2) Endorse quality measures, which involves a process for determining which ones should be recognized as national standards;
(3) Maintain—that is, update or retire—endorsed quality measures;
(4) Promote EHRs; and
(5) Report annually to Congress and the secretary of HHS.
The report, which covers the first contract year—Jan. 14, 2009, to Jan. 13, 2010—indicates NQF's work on four MIPPA duties was in progress and the foundation had completed its first annual report for the fifth duty. The NQF had begun duties related to endorsement and maintenance by initiating the endorsement process for three projects HHS selected and by starting maintenance reviews for a set of measures of interest to or used by HHS.
The foundation reported costs and fixed fees totaling approximately $6.5 million for the first contract year, including direct and indirect costs as well as fixed fees. NQF reported about $3.2 million in direct costs, or 49 percent of the total. NQF also reported about $2.9 million in indirect costs, covering items such as employee benefits and overhead.
More than $5 million of the reported costs and fixed fees were incurred in the second half of the contract year. NQF and HHS rely on reviews of NQF invoices to help ensure that NQF's reported costs are proper.
MIPPA directed the HHS to enter into a four-year contract with an entity to perform five duties related to healthcare quality measurement and authorized $40 million from the Medicare Trust Funds for the contract. In January 2009, HHS awarded a contract to the NQF, a nonprofit organization that fosters agreement on national standards for measuring and public reporting of health care performance data. Under the contract, HHS will reimburse NQF for its costs and pay additional fixed fees.
Although the NQF has begun work under the MIPPA contract, it is too early for GAO to assess whether, or to what extent, NQF will be successful in carrying out the five MIPPA duties. The report describes NQF's work for the first of four contract years. In the remaining three years of the contract, HHS will determine on an annual basis specific work for NQF to complete under each of the five MIPPA duties.
The five MIPPA duties required related to quality measures are:
(1) Make recommendations on a national strategy and priorities;
(2) Endorse quality measures, which involves a process for determining which ones should be recognized as national standards;
(3) Maintain—that is, update or retire—endorsed quality measures;
(4) Promote EHRs; and
(5) Report annually to Congress and the secretary of HHS.
The report, which covers the first contract year—Jan. 14, 2009, to Jan. 13, 2010—indicates NQF's work on four MIPPA duties was in progress and the foundation had completed its first annual report for the fifth duty. The NQF had begun duties related to endorsement and maintenance by initiating the endorsement process for three projects HHS selected and by starting maintenance reviews for a set of measures of interest to or used by HHS.
The foundation reported costs and fixed fees totaling approximately $6.5 million for the first contract year, including direct and indirect costs as well as fixed fees. NQF reported about $3.2 million in direct costs, or 49 percent of the total. NQF also reported about $2.9 million in indirect costs, covering items such as employee benefits and overhead.
More than $5 million of the reported costs and fixed fees were incurred in the second half of the contract year. NQF and HHS rely on reviews of NQF invoices to help ensure that NQF's reported costs are proper.
MIPPA directed the HHS to enter into a four-year contract with an entity to perform five duties related to healthcare quality measurement and authorized $40 million from the Medicare Trust Funds for the contract. In January 2009, HHS awarded a contract to the NQF, a nonprofit organization that fosters agreement on national standards for measuring and public reporting of health care performance data. Under the contract, HHS will reimburse NQF for its costs and pay additional fixed fees.
Although the NQF has begun work under the MIPPA contract, it is too early for GAO to assess whether, or to what extent, NQF will be successful in carrying out the five MIPPA duties. The report describes NQF's work for the first of four contract years. In the remaining three years of the contract, HHS will determine on an annual basis specific work for NQF to complete under each of the five MIPPA duties.