Hospice Quality Measures Reporting included in Final Medicare Home Health PPS Update for 2013

CMS has announced the publication of the Final PPS Rules and Rates for 2013.  This update includes information on the Hospice Quality Measures Reporting. 

For data collection period 10/1/2012 to 12/31/2012 the data must be submitted by 1/31/2013.  This will impact hospice payments for FY 2014.  The first item will be the National Quality Forum (NQF) - endorsed measure related to pain management (NQF #209).  This data will be gathered at the patient level, but is reported in the aggregate for all patients.  They also must report Participation in a Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program that includes at least three quality indicators related to patient care.  They are also required to check off from a list, from a list of topics, all patient care topics which they have at least one QAPI indicator.

Beginning January 1, 2013 all quality measures will be reported on an annual basis.  CMS will provide a Hospice Data Submission Form to be completed using a web-based data entry site.

CMS will provide additional information at the CMS website.  Hospices will be required to report on NQF #209. They also must report Participation in a Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program that includes at least three quality indicators related to patient care. For data collection period 1/1/2013 to 12/31/2013 the data must be submitted by 4/1/2014.  This will impact hospice payments for FY 2015. 

CMS is in the process of developing required measures to include NQF 1634, 1637, 1638, 1639, and 0208.  They are also working on a standardized assessment instrument to be utilized to capture all the data for each patient.  This would be similar to OASIS data set utilized in the home health industry.  This standard data set could be implemented as soon as 2014.  They are also considering future implementation of measures based on an experience of care survey such as the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care Survey (FEHC).  This could be implemented in the year prior to the standard data set or the year after the standard data set.  They specifically stated they would not implement both in the same year.

Listed below is the link for the final rule. 

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-11-08/pdf/2012-26904.pdf  

If you have questions or need additional information please call Richard Dixon at

(321) 473-8561.