Spotlights and Announcements

Updates

April 23, 2024

The Early Look Performance Score Reports for the FY 2026 SNF VBP Program are now available for download via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). Beginning in the FY 2026 Program year, the SNF VBP Program is expanding to assess performance on multiple quality measures rather than a single measure. The Early Look Performance Score Report is intended to accomplish three goals for the newly expanded SNF VBP Program:

1. Familiarize SNFs with the planned format of the official Performance Score Report that will be distributed for the FY 2026 Program year.
2. Familiarize SNFs with the scoring and payment methodology that will be applied for the FY 2026 Program year.
3. Inform SNFs of their past performance on the four quality measures adopted for the FY 2026 Program year, and model performance for the FY 2026 SNF VBP Program year using this historical data.

The Early Look Performance Score Reports are intended for informational purposes only. They do not reflect facilities’ official performance in the SNF VBP Program and will not impact facilities’ payments; CMS will share official performance information for the FY 2026 Program year based on updated measure data at a later date. 

For assistance obtaining access to your SNF’s report, which can only be accessed via iQIES, contact the QIES/iQIES Service Center at iqies@cms.hhs.gov.

April 3, 2024

The FY 2025 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) proposed rule is now available. This rule proposes several updates for the SNF VBP Program for FY 2025 and future years, including proposing adopting a measure selection, retention, and removal policy, a proposed technical measure updates policy, a proposed measure minimum for FY 2028 and subsequent years, and proposed updates to the review and correction (R&C) policy to include new measure data sources. A fact sheet discussing the major provisions of the proposed rule can be found on the CMS website.

March 1, 2024

The March 2024 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the FY 2025 SNF VBP Program are now available to download via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). These reports contain interim stay-level data for the SNF 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Measure (SNFRM) for 10/1/2022 – 6/30/2023 (Quarter 1 – Quarter 3 of FY 2023, the FY 2025 SNF VBP Program performance period). The interim data contained in these reports are not final and are subject to change; thus, they are not eligible for the SNF VBP Program’s Review and Correction process.

For assistance obtaining access to your SNF’s report, which can only be accessed via iQIES, contact the QIES/iQIES Service Center at iqies@cms.hhs.gov.

December 1, 2023

The December 2023 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the FY 2025 SNF VBP Program are now available to download via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). These reports contain facility and stay-level data and results for the SNF 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Measure (SNFRM) for FY 2019, the FY 2025 SNF VBP Program baseline period.

For assistance obtaining access to your SNF’s report, which can only be accessed via iQIES, contact the QIES/iQIES Service Center at iqies@cms.hhs.gov.

August 7, 2023

The FY 2024 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) final rule is now available. This rule finalizes several updates for the SNF VBP Program, including the adoption of four new quality measures, several updates to the Program’s scoring methodology, the addition of a Health Equity Adjustment supported by an increase in the payback percentage, and new processes to validate SNF VBP Program data.

August 1, 2023

The August 2023 Performance Score Reports for the FY 2024 SNF VBP Program are now available for download via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). These reports contain performance information for the FY 2024 SNF VBP Program year, including the incentive payment multiplier (IPM) CMS will apply to SNF Medicare fee-for-service Part A claims in FY 2024 (October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024). For assistance obtaining access to your SNF’s report, which can only be accessed via iQIES, contact the QIES/iQIES Service Center at iqies@cms.hhs.gov.

June 1, 2023

The June 2023 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the FY 2024 SNF VBP Program are now available for download via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). These reports contain facility and stay-level data for the SNF 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Measure (SNFRM) for FY 2022, the FY 2024 SNF VBP Program performance period.

This is the first time the SNF VBP Program Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports are available for download via iQIES. For assistance obtaining access to your SNF’s report, which can only be accessed via iQIES, contact the QIES/iQIES Service Center at iqies@cms.hhs.gov.