The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is giving hospitals a chance to preview their performance data on two new measures: 1) hospital-level, risk-standardized payment associated with a 30-day episode of heart failure and 2) hospital-level, risk-standardized payment associated with a 30-day episode of pneumonia. These payment measures, which will be publicly reported beginning in fiscal year 2015, will facilitate comparisons of the value of care provided for conditions for which the costs of care vary widely among hospitals and regions, and for which there are well-established quality guidelines.
From September 8 to October 7, hospitals and quality improvement organizations have an opportunity to review hospital-level, state, and national performance data on the two payment measures on a secure portal on Quality Net. Hospitals are also invited to participate in a call to discuss the new measures on September 16, 2014. For more information, visit https://www.qualitynet.org.