CMS Hospice Quality Reporting Programs Updates

From NHPCO

On August 4, 2022 CMS announced the following updates that go into effect with this month’s HQRP data refresh.

  • Hospice Visits in the Last Days of Life (HVLDL): On July 26, 2022, the National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed the claims-based measure, Hospice Visits in the Last Days of Life, or HVLDL as NQF #3645. According to CMS “HVLDL reflects the proportion of hospice patients who received in-person visits from a registered nurse or a medical social worker on at least two of the final three days of life. HVLDL is the re-specified measure replacing the HIS-based Hospice Visits When Death is Imminent (HVWDII).” The August 2022 refresh will be the inaugural month for public reporting for HVLDL, which replaces public reporting of HVWDII. Further information, including a link to the NQF website, can be found on the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) Quality Measure Development webpage.

  • Public Display of Hospice Care Index (HCI): Public reporting will also be available for the HCI measure during the August 2022 HQRP data refresh. The HCI is a single Medicare claims-based measure that includes 10 indicators of hospice stay, including indicators like burdensome transition and visits near the end of life. The HCI Technical Report has been made available for download effective July 1, 2022.

  • Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Star Ratings: CMS is targeting the August 2022 refresh for inaugural public reporting of the new Family Caregiver Survey Rating Summary Star Rating for the CAHPS Hospice Survey measure scores. Beginning this month, it will be publicly reported for all hospices with 75 or more completed surveys over the reporting period. Star Ratings will be updated every other quarter (every six months). Prior to public reporting, CAHPS Hospice Survey results are adjusted for effects of mode of survey administration and case mix. Details with overview of the purpose, timeline and methods can be found on the website. The national and state Star Rating distribution reports for the most recent reporting periods are available for download.

Additionally, CMS shared two new videos with helpful explanations on HQRP and HCI:

For questions, email [email protected].