Yesterday,
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will not
update its overall hospital quality star ratings on Hospital Compare in July.
CMS has decided to postpone the July star ratings update to give time for
additional analysis of the impact of changes to some of the measures on the
star ratings and to address stakeholder concerns. "CMS has decided to postpone the July
star ratings update to give time for additional analysis of the impact of
changes to some of the measures on the star ratings and to address stakeholder
concerns," the agency said. "When changes are made to the underlying
measures it is vital to take the time needed to understand the impact of those
changes and ensure we are giving consumers the most useful information."
As part of this process, CMS said it will seek feedback from a
multi-disciplinary technical expert panel, a provider leadership workgroup, and
a public comment period