Hospitals want quality ratings removed from Hospital Compare
Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Modern Healthcare Metrics
MDHC_Logotype_white
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • Login
  • News
    • This Week's News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition
    • Letters: Let’s keep humanity in discussions about patient safety
      Jim Allison playing the harmonica
      Documentary tells tale of Nobel winning researcher
      Chest x-ray from a patient with a vaping-related lung injury
      Vaping-related cases lead to care guidelines from Intermountain
      Modern Healthcare CEO Power Panel
      Hospital leaders increasingly open to negotiated price caps
    • November was healthcare's second strongest hiring month of 2019
      Primary-care provider ChenMed to enter five new markets
      Lacking specialist access drives health disparities
      Genetic Counseling
      Addressing barriers to expanding genetic counseling
    • Joan Budden
      Q&A: Priority Health CEO eager to share best practices with Total Health Care
      Silver-loading, CSR elimination lowered premiums for some rural enrollees
      Centene to sell Illinois plan to CVS Health
      Blue Cross of Idaho unveils souped-up short-term health plans
    • Capitol Building with pills
      Week Ahead: House to vote on drug bill; SCOTUS hears risk-corridor case
      MedPAC thinks hospice payments are too high
      MedPAC says ambulatory surgical centers don't need a pay raise
      States focus on healthcare costs to address coverage problems
    • Analysts to CommonSpirit Health: Show us the savings
      Smallest hospitals saw biggest earnings gains last month
      Sutter Health postpones financial filing
      doctor helping patient stock image Sandoz
      Sponsored Content Provided By Sandoz
      As hospital executives look to reduce costs, biosimilars offer a compelling option
    • astronaut
      Astronauts developed bloodstream issues in space
      Sponsored Content Provided By ABM Healthcare
      Protecting and Maintaining Medical Devices
      human hand robotic hand stock image
      Sponsored Content Provided By Deloitte
      The Health System of the Future: How Digital Health Technology is Transforming Care
      EHR
      EHR vendors most in-use throughout Medicare incentive program
    • MRIs of dense breasts find more cancer but also false alarms
      Flu season takes off quickly in Deep South states
      Uber driver says South Carolina hospital dumped patient on him
      1 in 3 adults age 45 and older reported being lonely in a 2018 AARP survey
      Data Points: Loneliness and its impact on health
    • Jim Allison playing the harmonica
      Documentary tells tale of Nobel winning researcher
      Seema Verma
      Seema Verma's bold initiatives land her in No. 1 'Most Influential' spot
      New CEO takes the helm at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
      Mayo Clinic taps Dr. John Halamka to lead its Google partnership
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Special Features
    • Best Practices
    • InDepth Special Reports
    • Innovations
    • Chest x-ray from a patient with a vaping-related lung injury
      Vaping-related cases lead to care guidelines from Intermountain
      Arkansas Children’s was a founding partner in Solutions for Patient Safety.
      Children's hospitals collaborate rather than compete on patient safety
      Peer recovery specialists at St. Barnabas Medical Center work with nurse Brenna Zarra.
      Peer recovery helping patients with addiction seek treatment
      UNC Health Care trains staff to treat dementia patients
    • Linda Kenney
      Patient advocate recalls two medical errors that nearly killed her
      Arkansas Children’s was a founding partner in Solutions for Patient Safety.
      Children's hospitals collaborate rather than compete on patient safety
      Kim Hollon
      Hospitals fall short of patient-safety goals 20 years after 'To Err is Human'
      Dr. Mark Chassin
      One-size-fits-all approach to patient safety improvement won’t get us to the ultimate goal—zero harm
    • Randy Oostra, CEO of ProMedica
      HCR ManorCare deal laid foundation for ProMedica’s growth
      Advanced ICU Care
      Telemedicine helps rural hospitals meet intensivist shortage
      Paging Dr. Robot: Artificial intelligence moves into care
      A child being screened for vision problems using a smartphone.
      App screens kids for eye problems before they can talk
  • Transformation
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • ProMedica doubles down on social needs data analysis
      Amazon taps first pharmacy for Alexa Rx management
      Trump administration unveils new price transparency rules
      A child being screened for vision problems using a smartphone.
      App screens kids for eye problems before they can talk
    • VA dives into artificial intelligence R&D
      Home health to pare down therapy services, up telehealth offerings
      Amazon launches medical transcription service
      Hospitals' uncompensated care continues to rise
    • Chest x-ray from a patient with a vaping-related lung injury
      Vaping-related cases lead to care guidelines from Intermountain
      Advanced ICU Care
      Telemedicine helps rural hospitals meet intensivist shortage
      Peer recovery specialists at St. Barnabas Medical Center work with nurse Brenna Zarra.
      Peer recovery helping patients with addiction seek treatment
      UNC Health Care trains staff to treat dementia patients
    • Value-based pay still struggles to improve costs, quality
      Hospitals sue HHS over negotiated price disclosure rule
      Bundled payments get a boost in two states with employee programs
      CMS wants primary-care docs to take on financial risk
  • Data/Lists
    • Rankings/Lists
    • Data Points
    • Modern Healthcare Metrics
  • Op-Ed
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
    • Randy Oostra, CEO of ProMedica
      HCR ManorCare deal laid foundation for ProMedica’s growth
      Steve Strongwater
      How Atrius Health stayed independent by not shying away from risk
      Why moving the VA to a new EHR was a pivotal decision
      Why AdventHealth's rebrand was more than a name change
    • Terry Shaw
      A diverse and inclusive culture should empower others
      Paving the path to diversity and inclusion
      The next step in healthcare evolution
      Breaking Bias: A road map to boost women and minorities into healthcare leadership
    • Dr. Richard Snyder
      Outdated privacy laws hinder coordinated care, especially in the fight against addiction
      David Dill and Keith Myers
      Healthcare partnerships are a proven path to better care, healthier communities
      Health systems need to devote more resources to caring for the caregivers
      Chip Kahn and Alan Morgan
      Rural healthcare needs innovation, policy changes to survive
    • Letters: Let’s keep humanity in discussions about patient safety
      Hospital with money
      Letters: Let providers set their prices,
 and then publish them all
      Letters: Ambulatory surgery centers aren't getting a break on regulation
      Letters: Rising Medicaid spending isn't a windfall for providers
    • Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      How blockchain could ease frustration with the payment process
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Three steps to better data-sharing for payer and provider CIOs
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Reduce total cost of care: 6 reasons why providers and payers should tackle the challenge together
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Why CIOs went from back-office operators to mission-critical innovators
  • Awards
    • Nominate
    • Award Programs
    • Previous Award Programs
    • Other Award Programs
    • Nominations Open - Top 25 Minority Leaders
      Nominations Open - Health Care Hall of Fame
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders
    • Top 25 Women Leaders
    • Excellence in Nursing Awards
    • Design Awards
    • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
    • 100 Top Hospitals
    • ACHE Awards
  • Events
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Webinars
    • Kronos webinar logo lockup
      Sponsored Content Provided By Kronos
      Webinar: The Future of Work in Healthcare
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Healthcare Transformation Summit
    • Critical Connections: Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Workplace of the Future Conference
    • Strategic Marketing Conference
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala (2020)
  • MORE +
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Safety & Quality
August 24, 2019 01:00 AM

Hospitals want CMS to remove star ratings ahead of overhaul

Maria Castellucci
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Star

    After years of complaining, hospitals were relieved last week to hear the CMS say that changes are coming to its controversial star-rating system. But that optimism was quickly tempered by news that the agency still plans to publish updated scores before making any wholesale modifications.

    Although the CMS announced it plans to change the methodology used for its hospital star ratings in early 2021, it also said ratings on Hospital Compare will be updated using the current methodology early next year. The star ratings were last released in February in conjunction with a 48-page public input request seeking feedback on potential changes to the methodology.

    “The optics of this seem counterproductive,” said Dr. Bala Hota, associate chief medical officer of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, which has been vocal about its opposition to the ratings. “They have acknowledged that there are things to change and yet they are going to release them (the ratings) with the same methodology. It does tee them up to criticism.”

    Several major health systems, including Advocate Aurora Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine and UPMC urged the CMS to remove the ratings from Hospital Compare altogether until changes are made. Leaving them up could result in patients seeing inaccurate and misleading information, Dr. Allen Kachalia, senior vice president of patient safety and quality at Johns Hopkins, wrote in a comment letter.

    A CMS spokeswoman said in an email that the agency has “full confidence” in the current star ratings methodology. “CMS believes that it is important to have updated star ratings information available for patients and consumers while we work to update the methodology,” she added.

    “The optics of this seem counterproductive. They have acknowledged that there are things to change and yet they are going to release them (the ratings) with the same methodology. It does tee them up to criticism.”

    Dr. Bala Hota
    Associate chief medical officer
    Rush University Medical Center

    Another pain point for hospitals is CMS’ decision to stick with the same contractors to lead the modification work. Yale New Haven Health Services Corp. and Lantana Consulting Group have contracted with the CMS from the beginning on the star ratings and some hospitals argue they have been reticent to change the methodology despite widespread criticisms.

    “Yale can still be the contractor … but they need to be willing to work with us; and I would say Yale is entrenched and that is unfortunate and that is my concern,” said Dr. Janis Orlowski, chief healthcare officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

    Yale New Haven helped the CMS develop the latent variable model, a statistical approach that determines how much emphasis is given to the measures. The model has since been panned after it was blamed for significant changes hospitals saw in their ratings in July 2018, which caused a 14-month delay in releasing the next batch of ratings.

    Yale researchers contend that they are open to change and critics should direct their ire at the CMS. “If people have specific concerns about our work, then we are eager to hear them. If they have specific concerns about star ratings and its direction, then they would be best served to address CMS,” Dr. Harlan Krumholz, director of the Yale Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, which works on the star-rating contract with the CMS, wrote in an email to Modern Healthcare. Yale also “requested” soliciting public comments on potential methodology changes, according to a CMS document, suggesting a willingness to make modifications.

    More transparency about why the CMS opted to continue working with Yale could ease some concerns, Hota said.

    The CMS “had an opportunity potentially to say, ‘Here is our process and how we selected the group that is going to do this work,’ ” he said. “It’s a natural tendency to feel skepticism about how much these methods will change when it is the same group doing the evaluation.”

    Krumholz said Yale competed with other groups for its newest CMS contract. The work is part of a five-year, $71.7 million contract that began in April. Lantana Consulting Group has a contract with the CMS for $13.5 million.

    “At the end of the day this is CMS’ rating system and regardless of the contractor, it’s their decision about how to drive things forward,” said Akin Demehin, director of policy at the American Hospital Association.

    The agency’s recent hiring of Dr. Michelle Schreiber is encouraging some optimism about the agency’s intentions. Schreiber is now the CMS’ director of quality measurement and value-based incentives group, but most recently served as chief quality officer of Henry Ford Health System, where she spoke about the flaws in the star-rating system.

    “We are hopeful she can provide that new fresh set of eyes and maybe push Yale to be a little bit more open going forward,” said Phoebe Ramsey, senior regulatory analyst of quality and payment policy at the AAMC.

    In addition to the latent variable model, stakeholders complain about the lack of socio-economic risk adjustment and the absence of peer grouping.

    Changes to the ratings program will be proposed through public rulemaking some time next year, according to the agency. Feedback from the recent public input request and insights from a technical expert panel will help guide changes.

    The CMS asked hospital quality leaders, statisticians, measurement developers, consumers and purchasers to apply to be part of the panel. Yale is involved in selecting panel members, not the agency, according to the CMS spokeswoman.

    Rush University, one of the most vocal critics of the current methodology, has applied to have one of its representatives on the panel. The application period ended Aug. 19.

    The extent of changes made will be contingent on how much power is given to the technical expert panel, Hota said. “That group should be empowered to guide Yale on how this gets done,” he said. “Unless that happens, I’m skeptical we will see much change.” He added that the panel should have individuals who have never sat on a star-rating panel before so the agency can hear different opinions.

    Along with the technical expert panel, the CMS will host a listening session on Sept. 19 to discuss the comments from the public input request. The agency wants providers, patients, patient advocates and quality measurement experts to attend.

    Related Article
    Some major exchange insurers post lower star ratings
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Sponsored Content
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up for free enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today

    The weekly magazine, websites, research and databases provide a powerful and all-encompassing industry presence. We help you make informed business decisions and lead your organizations to success.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Instagram

    Stay Connected

    Join the conversation with Modern Healthcare through our social media pages

    MDHC_Logotype_white
    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2019. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • This Week's News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition
    • Special Features
      • Best Practices
      • InDepth Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Transformation
      • Patients
      • Operations
      • Care Delivery
      • Payment
    • Data/Lists
      • Rankings/Lists
      • Data Points
      • Modern Healthcare Metrics
    • Op-Ed
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Awards
      • Nominate
      • Award Programs
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders
        • Top 25 Women Leaders
      • Previous Award Programs
        • Excellence in Nursing Awards
        • Design Awards
        • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
      • Other Award Programs
        • 100 Top Hospitals
        • ACHE Awards
    • Events
      • Conferences
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Healthcare Transformation Summit
        • Critical Connections: Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
        • Workplace of the Future Conference
        • Strategic Marketing Conference
      • Galas
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala (2020)
      • Webinars
    • MORE +
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing