Originally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) intended to release a star rating system on hospitals, beginning April 21, 2016. However, CMS recently announced plans to delay the rating system until July, or potentially later. The exact timing will depend upon the development of the methodology for rating a hospital.
When the star rating system was designed, the purpose was to create a simple tool for consumers to evaluate hospitals. This system largely incorporated the previous, more complicated, performance measures that follows more than 100 quality measures. While the new star system will not replace the more complicated system, it will be in addition to the prior measures and make the review process simpler for consumers. The new star system incorporates factors such as readmission rates, mortality rates, timeliness of care, safety of care, and other patient driven statistics.
The delay is largely attributed to hospital and lawmaker complaints that the new rating system will impact consumer perceptions, when it may not have a direct bearing on the specific services sought. Moreover, a concern regarding the quality of the data, including the methodology for ensuring accuracy, remained a significant worry for the hospitals. It is unclear when the star rating system will be implemented, but hospitals and consumers should expect further information, if not the unveiling of the star rating system, this summer.
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