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Intersection of HQA and Section 501(b) of the Medicare Mondernization Act

The reporting of the ten-measure starter set comprises the first phase of the Hospital Quality Alliance. Section 501b of the Medicare Drug Prescription and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) effectively supercedes this phase. Section 501(b) of the MMA stipulates that eligible hospitals (‘subsection d hospitals') that do not submit data to CMS using the ten measure starter set will be subject to reduction in their FY2005 Annual Payment Update by 0.4%.

Data submitted for the purpose of obtaining the full payment update has been made public on Hospital Compare at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov and www.medicare.gov.

For further information, see Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update (RHQDAPU).

Section 501b currently only requires the reporting of the ten-measure starter set. In contrast, the HQA looks to expand well beyond the ten-measure starter set to have hospitals reporting a robust and comprehensive set of hospital performance measures. CMS is continuing to work actively with the hospital industry, as well as purchaser and consumer representatives, and is pleased to support theHQA as it turns its attention to the collection and reporting of additional clinical measures and information on patient perspectives.