Final Rules for Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems

•  FY 2023 IPPS/LTCH PPS Final Rule (pages 49311-49314) CMS herby finalized the public display of the timelines for the 30-Day Unplanned Readmissions for Cancer Patients and four EOL measures. Adopted and codified a patient safety exception into the measure removal policy. Acknowledged comments received on the Request for Information regarding the potential future adoption of two digital NHSN measures: the NHSN Healthcare-Associated Clostridioides difficile Infection Outcome measure and NHSN Hospital-Onset Bacteremia & Fungemia Outcome measure.

• FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS Final Rule (pages 45426-45437) CMS hereby finalized removal of the Oncology: Plan of Care for Pain – Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology measure beginning with FY 2024 program year. Adopted the COVID-19 Vaccination Among Healthcare Personnel measure beginning with the FY 2023 program year and subsequent years. Finalized updating terminology for the PCHQR Program by replacing “QualityNet Administrator” with “QualityNet Security Official”. Finalized codification of existing PCHQR Program policies at 42 CFR 412.23 (f)(3) and CFR 412.24.

FY 2021 IPPS/LTCH PPS Final Rule (pages 58959-58965) CMS hereby finalized refinement of two existing National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) measures, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) and Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI), to incorporate an updated methodology developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that uses updated HAI baseline data that is risk-adjusted to stratify results by patient location. Public reporting of the updated versions of the CLABSI and CAUTI measures to begin October 2022. Data collection of the updated versions of CAUTI and CLABSI to begin CY 2021 (January 1–December 31, 2021).

FY 2020 IPPS/LTCH PPS Final Rule (pages 42509-42524) CMS hereby finalized adoption of one new claims-based outcome measure, Surgical Treatment Complications for Localized Prostate Cancer, beginning with FY 2022 program year. Removal of the Clinical Effectiveness measure, EBRT, for patient encounters occurring as of January 1, 2020. Refinement of the HCAHPS Survey by removing pain management questions being with October 1, 2019 discharges. Begin public reporting of the Admissions and ED Visits for Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy measure and HAI measures (CDI, MRSA, SSI-colon and abdominal hysterectomy, and Influenza HCP) as soon as feasible. Conduct national confidential reporting of the 4 EOL and 30-Day Unplanned Readmissions for Cancer Patients measures.

FY 2019 IPPS/LTCH Final Rule (pages 41609 through 41624) CMS hereby finalized the removal of four OCMs  which applies to patients treated in calendar year 2019, and applies to FY 2021 program and subsequent years. One new claims-based outcome measure, 30-Day Unplanned Readmissions for Cancer Patients. Addition of new measure removal factor 8, “the costs associated with the measure outweigh the benefit of its continued use in the program,” to consider when evaluating potential measures for removal from the program measure set.

FY 2018 IPPS/LTCH Final Rule (pages 38411-38425) CMS hereby finalized the removal of three Cancer-Specific Treatment measures from the Program beginning with diagnoses occurring as of January 1, 2018 and added four new end-of-life claims-based measures  for the FY 2020 program year and subsequent years.

FY 2017 IPPS/LTCH Final Rule ( pages 57182 - 57193) CMS hereby finalized one new Claims-Based Outcome Measure, “Admissions and Emergency Department (ED) Visits for Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy.” Additionally, an existing OCM, “Oncology Radiation Dose Limits to Normal Tissues”, was updated to expand the patient cohort to include patients receiving 3D conformal radiation for breast and rectal cancer. This applies to patients being treated in calendar year 2017 and applies to the FY 2019 Program and subsequent years.

FY 2016 IPPS/LTCH Final Rule ( pages 49713 - 49723)
CMS hereby finalized two new outcome measures, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), as well as one process measure, Healthcare Personnel Vaccination (HCP), for the FY 2018 program and subsequent years. SCIP measures were removed as of October 1, 2016, with the last data reported being from Quarter 3, 2015.

FY 2015 IPPS/LTCH PPS Final Rule (pages 50277 - 50286)
CMS hereby finalized one new Clinical Effectiveness measure (External Beam Radiotherapy for Bone Metastases [EBRT]) for the FY 2017 program and subsequent years. CMS did not remove or replace any of the previously finalized measures from the PCHQR Program for the FY 2017 program and subsequent years.

FY 2014 IPPS/LTCH PPS Final Rule (pages 50837 - 50853)
CMS hereby finalized one additional new HAI quality measure (Surgical Site Infection, [SSI]) for the FY 2015 program and subsequent years. In addition, CMS finalized 12 new quality measures, including five Clinical Process Oncology Care Measures (OCM), six Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) measures, and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) for the FY 2016 program and subsequent years. CMS did not remove or replace any of the previously finalized measures from the PCHQR Program for FY 2015 and FY 2016.

FY 2013 IPPS/LTCH Final Rule (pages 53555 - 53567) CMS hereby finalized five quality measures (two healthcare-acquired infection (HAI), and three cancer-specific treatment (CST) measures) for the fiscal year (FY) 2014 program and subsequent years.