News: CMS and NQF releases list of 39 quality measures under consideration, deadline for comments Dec. 6

CMS and the National Quality Forum (NQF) publishes an annual list of quality measures under consideration for stakeholder comment. The 2018 list was released Saturday, December 1, and it includes 39 potential measures, slightly up from last year. Here’s a breakdown of where the measures fall:

• One measure each in the Hospice Quality Reporting Program, the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting Program, and the Prospective Payment System-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting Program
• Two measures each in the Home Health Quality Reporting Program, the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Quality Reporting Program, the Long-Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting Program, and the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program
• Three measures each in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, and the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals
• Five measures in the Medicare Shared Savings Program
• 21 measures in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (cost and quality) (MIPS)

The MIPS proposals include a few notable CDI concerns, including a measure for inpatient chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, acute kidney injury requiring new inpatient dialysis, elective hip arthroplasty, and non-emergent coronary artery bypass graft.

CMS and NQF are accepting comments on the proposed measures through today, December 6, will review the comments during meetings December 10-12, and then will open a second public comment period in late December or early January.

Editor’s note: To review the list of proposed measures, click here. To find out information about submitting comments, click here. To read about last year’s proposals, click here.