Hospice Public Reporting: Background and Announcements
About this Page
This page provides an overview of public reporting, Care Compare, and some general resources for the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP).
Public Availability of Reported Data
Publicly reporting hospice quality data fulfills the HQRP mandate, as directed in section 1814(i)(5) of the Social Security Act. Care Compare on Medicare.gov is the official CMS website for publicly reporting quality measures for care provided by hospice and other health care providers. The quality measures displayed are based on the Hospice Item Set (HIS), CAHPS® Hospice Survey data, and administrative data (Medicare-claims). You can search and download the publicly reported data displayed on Care Compare on the Provider Data Catalog on CMS.gov.
Care Compare
Care Compare provides a single user-friendly interface that patients and caregivers can use to make informed healthcare decisions based on data, such as cost, quality of care, volume of services, and caregiver feedback, including the willingness to recommend a hospice. This site, which replaced the original Hospice Compare in 2020, was created to help consumers compare hospice providers’ performance and assist consumers in making decisions that are right for them. Providers with data on Care Compare can start a conversation with their patients and family members:
- Explaining that Care Compare provides a snapshot of the quality of care a hospice offers,
- Encouraging patients and their family members to review quality ratings, and
- Helping to strengthen patients and family members’ ability to make the best decisions for their care.
For the HQRP quality measures reported on Care Compare, visit the Current Measures page. Care Compare also posts data on the characteristics of Medicare hospice organizations from the Hospice Provider Utilization and Payment Public Use File (PUF) and the Post-Acute Care (PAC) PUF. By providing these data in a user-friendly way on Care Compare, consumers can use this information, along with the quality measure data when selecting a hospice.
Updates
February 07, 2022
Hospice Quality Reporting (QRP) Claims-Based Measures: Questions and Answers (Q&A)
The Hospice QRP now includes two new claims-based measures: Hospice Visits in the Last Days of Life (HVLDL- NQF #3645) and Hospice Care Index (HCI). Please find the latest frequently asked questions on calculating and reporting claims-based measures in the Downloads section of the Public Reporting Background and Announcements webpage.
Resources:
Other pages on the HQRP website provide more information relevant to public reporting:
- Current Measures: visit this page to learn more about the HIS, CAHPS®, and claims-based metrics that are part of the HQRP and are publicly reported on Care Compare.
- HQRP Requirements and Best Practices: provides updates about reporting requirements, and announcements focusing on best practice methods to help hospices be successful with the HQRP.
- Help Desk: visit this page to learn where to go for all questions related to HQRP public reporting.
- Public Reporting: Key Dates for Providers for detailed information on upcoming dates relevant for public reporting.
- Public Reporting: Provider Preview Report and Requests for CMS Review of Data and CAHPS® Preview Reports and Requests for CMS Review: visit these two specific pages about Preview Reports and to learn more about how to request CMS’s review of HQRP data before it is publicly reported.
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Hospice Quality Reporting Program Archives