The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted a listening session last Thursday to hear from the public about the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings system. CMS invited interested stakeholders—including providers, clinicians, patients and patient advocates, and quality measurement experts—to attend. The listening session reviewed feedback received during a recent public comment period and provided participants with an opportunity to discuss.
Last August CMS announced plans to change its hospital star ratings methodology in early 2021. While the agency did not disclose specific details about what the changes will entail, it will propose them through public rulemaking some time next year. Plans to alter the methodology come six months after the CMS issued a public input request seeking feedback on how the ratings can be improved. The agency said it received more than 800 comments. Although the changes won’t come until 2021, the CMS will still refresh the star ratings on Hospital Compare using the current methodology in early 2020.
Read more:
- CMS to Implement Changes to Hospital Star Ratings Methodology Early 2021. AboutHealthTransparency blog post (8/22/2019)
- Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings Listening Session. CMS. September 19 2019