The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and National Committee for Quality Assurance are extending insurers’ deadlines to submit quality data by two weeks due to “extraordinary circumstances” caused by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare.
Health plans will now have until June 28 to report their performance on Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures to NCQA and the agency. The measures, which includes data on preventive care services, treatment, equity and patient experience, are used by CMS and NCQA to calculate five-star ratings for Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers.
Related: Change cyberattack affected 'substantial proportion' of America
CMS and NCQA did not say whether the extension will delay the release of quality star ratings later this year.
The Change Healthcare data breach has significantly strained insurers’ and providers’ resources, making quality reporting efforts difficult, said Dr. Eric Schneider, executive vice president of the quality measurement and research group at NCQA, in a statement.
“This extension is intended to support all healthcare operations by providing the additional time needed to compile and submit accurate data,” Schneider said. “We believe that this is necessary to ensure the integrity of HEDIS results, alleviate some of the pressures experienced by those handling submissions, and help ensure that quality healthcare remains our shared focus."
