Medicaid Program: Initial Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures for Medicaid-Eligible Adults, 286-291 [2011-33756]
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Capital, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, and
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pursuant to section 225.28(b)(1) of
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BILLING CODE 6210–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
[CMS–2420–FN]
Medicaid Program: Initial Core Set of
Health Care Quality Measures for
Medicaid-Eligible Adults
Office of the Secretary, HHS.
Final notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
This final notice announces
the initial core set of health care quality
measures for Medicaid-eligible adults,
as required by section 2701 of the
Affordable Care Act, for voluntary use
by State programs administered under
title XIX of the Social Security Act,
health insurance issuers and managed
care entities that enter into contracts
with Medicaid, and providers of items
and services under these programs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Llanos, Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, (410) 786–9071.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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SUMMARY:
I. Background
Section 2701 of the Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act (Affordable
Care Act) (Pub. L. 111–148) added new
section 1139B to the Social Security Act
(the Act). Section 1139B(a) of the Act
directs the Secretary of Health and
Human Services (HHS) to identify and
publish for public comment a
recommended initial core set of health
care quality measures for Medicaideligible adults, and section 1139B(b)(1)
of the Act requires that an initial core
set be published by January 1, 2012.
Additionally, the statute requires the
initial core set recommendation to
consist of existing adult health care
quality measures in use under public
and privately sponsored health care
coverage arrangements or that are part of
reporting systems that measure both the
presence and duration of health
insurance coverage over time and that
may be applicable to Medicaid-eligible
adults.
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Section 1139B of the Act also requires
the Secretary to complete the following
actions:
—By January 1, 2012:
• Establish a Medicaid Quality
Measurement Program to fund
development, testing, and validation of
emerging and innovative evidencebased measures.
—By January 1, 2013:
• Develop a standardized reporting
format for the core set of adult quality
measures and procedures to encourage
voluntary reporting by the States.
—By January 1, 2014:
• Annually publish recommended
changes to the initial core set that shall
reflect the results of the testing,
validation, and consensus process for
the development of adult health quality
measures.
• Include in the report to Congress
mandated under section 1139A(a)(6) of
the Act on the quality of health care of
children in Medicaid and the Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
similar information for adult health
quality with respect to measures
established under section 1139B of the
Act. This report must be published
every 3 years thereafter in accordance
with the statute.
—By September 30, 2014:
• Collect, analyze, and make publicly
available the information reported by
the States as required in section
1139B(d)(1) of the Act.
Identification of the initial core set of
measures for Medicaid-eligible adults is
an important first step in an overall
strategy to encourage and enhance
quality improvement. States that chose
to collect the initial core set will be
better positioned to measure their
performance and develop action plans
to achieve the three part aims of better
care, healthier people, and affordable
care as identified in HHS’ National
Strategy for Quality Improvement in
Health Care. Additional information
about the National Quality Strategy can
be found at: https://www.ahrq.gov/
workingforquality/nqs/.
The initial core set of quality
measures for voluntary annual reporting
by States has been determined based on
recommendations from the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality’s
Subcommittee to the National Advisory
Council for Healthcare Research and
Quality, as well as public comments,
before being finalized by the Secretary.
These core set measures will support
HHS and its State partners in
developing a quality-driven, evidencebased, national system for measuring
the quality of health care provided to
Medicaid-eligible adults.
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Over the next year, CMS will phase in
components of the Medicaid Adult
Quality Measures Program that will help
to further identify measurement gap
areas and begin testing the collection of
some of the initial core measures. The
Medicaid Adult Quality Measures
Program will focus on developing and
refining measures, where needed, so
that future updates to the initial core set
can meet a wider range of States’ health
care quality measurement needs. By
September 2012, CMS will release
technical specifications as a resource for
States that seek to voluntarily collect
and report the initial core set of health
care quality measures for Medicaideligible adults. Additionally, as required
in statute, by January 1, 2013, CMS will
issue guidance for submitting the initial
core set to CMS in a standardized
format. Lastly, much like activities
conducted under section 1139A of the
Act for the initial core child health care
quality measures, the Secretary will
launch a Technical Assistance and
Analytic Support Program to help States
collect, report, and use the voluntary
core set of adult measures.
II. Method for Determining the Initial
Set of Health Care Quality Measures for
Medicaid-Eligible Adults
The Affordable Care Act requires the
development of a core set of health
quality measures for adults eligible for
benefits under Medicaid. The statute
parallels the requirement under section
1139A of the Act to identify and publish
a recommended initial core set of
quality measures for children in
Medicaid and the CHIP. HHS used a
similar process to identify the initial set
of health care quality measures for
Medicaid-eligible adults.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) partnered with the
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ) to collaborate on the
identification of the initial core set of
health care quality measures for adults.
Working through its National Advisory
Council for Healthcare Research and
Quality, which provides advice and
recommendations to the Director of
AHRQ and to the Secretary of HHS on
priorities for a national health services
research agenda, AHRQ created a
Subcommittee in the fall of 2010 to
evaluate candidate measures for the
initial core set. The Subcommittee
consisted of State Medicaid
representatives, health care quality
experts, and representatives of health
professional organizations and
associations, and was charged with
considering the health care quality
needs of adults (ages 18 and older)
enrolled in Medicaid in its
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recommendation for an initial core set
of measures to HHS. The Subcommittee
reviewed and evaluated measures from
nationally recognized sources, including
measures endorsed by the National
Quality Forum (NQF), measures
submitted by Medicaid medical
directors, measures currently in use by
CMS, and measures suggested by the
Co-chairs and members of the
Subcommittee. Starting from
approximately 1,000 measures, a total of
51 measures were recommended and
posted for public comment. A report
detailing the initial convening of the
Subcommittee may be found on the
AHRQ Web site: https://www.ahrq.gov/
about/nacqm/.
The measures were posted for public
comment through a Federal Register (75
FR 82397) notice published on
December 30, 2010, with comments due
by March 1, 2011. The public submitted
100 comments. Public comments
suggested concern about the large size of
the proposed set, with many requesting
alignment to the extent possible with
existing Federal initiatives. An
additional 43 measures were suggested
through public comment. See
discussion in section III of this final
notice for a more detailed discussion.
To be responsive to the public
comments, the Subcommittee sought to
identify measures that ensured
comprehensive representation of
variables affecting Medicaid-eligible
adults while considering ways to
decrease the number of measures in the
set. AHRQ and CMS identified five
criteria against which to evaluate the
proposed core measures: importance;
scientific evidence supporting the
measure; scientific soundness of the
measure; current use in and alignment
with existing Federal programs; and
feasibility for State reporting (a
background report detailing the
selection criteria and Subcommittee
process can be found at: https://www.
ahrq.gov). The criteria represented
attributes desired of State-level
measures that would represent
Medicaid-eligible adults. In particular,
those criteria regarding current use in
and alignment with existing Federal
programs and feasibility for State
reporting were given particular
emphasis, since those were attributes
identified repeatedly in the public
comments. Documented use of or
alignment with existing Federal
programs such as the National Quality
Strategy’s six priorities, the Medicare
and Medicaid Electronic Health Record
(EHR) Incentive Programs, and
Physician Quality Reporting was taken
into consideration as the Subcommittee
reviewed each measure.
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As in the initial meeting, the
Subcommittee broke into workgroups
focusing on four dimensions of health
care related to adults in Medicaid: Adult
Health, Maternal/Reproductive Health,
Complex Health Care Needs, and Mental
Health and Substance Use. Workgroups
were assigned two sets of measures that
related to their specific areas: originally
recommended measures and measures
proposed in public comment. To assess
how each measure fared against the five
criteria, the Subcommittee reviewed
background information (including
numerator, denominator, exclusions,
prevalence, clinical guidelines, past
performance rates, etc.) on each measure
from the measure owners, developers, or
stewards.
A. Adult Health
The workgroup prioritized 10 of the
original measures to be included in the
final set, dropping five measures that
were duplicative of other measures. The
workgroup brought forward one
measure that was suggested in public
comment, Adult Body Mass Index (BMI)
Assessment, replacing a similar BMI
measure that had been originally
recommended for the core set,
Preventive Care and Screening: BMI
Screening and Follow-Up. The
workgroup did not recommend
including the remaining 16 newly
suggested measures received from the
public comment period.
B. Maternal/Reproductive Health
After evaluating the measures against
the criteria, the Maternal/Reproductive
Health workgroup recommended
keeping each of the five measures
originally posed for the core set, noting
that these measures addressed areas of
high importance to women and
reproductive health, were feasible to
report and aligned well with current
programs (including the initial core set
of children’s health care quality
measures 1). The workgroup noted that,
while future measures should tie
screenings to outcomes and assess
additional issues outside of pregnancy
that affect women (for example, access
to care, incontinence due to multiple
pregnancies), the measures being
recommended for the core set were an
important first step of using
performance measures for quality
improvement. Of the measures newly
suggested through public comment, the
workgroup recommended bringing one
measure forward to a Subcommittee
1 Initial Core Set of Children’s Health Care
Quality Measures https://www.cms.gov/
MedicaidCHIPQualPrac/Downloads/
CHIPRACoreSetTechManual.pdf.
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vote: Chlamydia Screening in Women.
The workgroup rated this measure high
on each criterion and noted its
alignment with the initial core set of
children’s health care quality measures
(the initial core set of children’s
measures specified only the lower age
group of this measure; adding the higher
age range means the measure now
would be reported in full).
C. Complex Health Care Needs
The Complex Health Care Needs
workgroup recommended nine of the 18
measures originally posed for inclusion
in the draft core set. Although the topic
areas represented in the measures
suggested through public comment were
important to Medicaid, many of the
measures scored low on multiple
criteria (for example, scientific
soundness and feasibility for State
reporting) and thus were deemed not
ready for wide-scale implementation.
Further, although several of the
proposed measures assessed the very
important topic of care coordination for
patients who are hospitalized or
transferred across multiple facilities, the
workgroup noted that many of these
measures were challenged by complex
requirements for data collection and
excluded target populations (for
example, dually eligible beneficiaries
and individuals with long-term care
services and supports needs). Many of
the measures, for example, required
medical record review across time or at
more than one site (for example, Change
in Basic Mobility as Measured by the
AM–PAC and Medication Reconciliation
Post-Discharge). The workgroup
concluded that the remaining measures
suggested in public comment, though
relevant to people with complex health
care needs, addressed very narrow
clinical conditions, excluded key
populations, were difficult to collect at
the State level, or were duplicative of
other, more highly-rated measures.
D. Mental Health and Substance Use
After discussing how well the 13
measures originally proposed fared
against the selection criteria, the Mental
Health and Substance Use workgroup
recommended nine measures for
inclusion in the draft core set and
decided against bringing forward any of
the additional measures suggested in
public comment. In general, the
workgroup prioritized measures that
were broadly applicable to the Medicaid
population or to primary care settings.
For example, the workgroup included
measures that assessed conditions that
may be prevalent in a low-income
population, including depression,
schizophrenia, and substance use, in
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addition to measures that assessed
utilization of general mental health
services. The workgroup did not
recommend including any of the five
measures suggested in public comment,
as they concluded that these measures
addressed similar content areas as other
higher-rated measures or were rated
very low in feasibility for State
collection and reporting.
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E. Summary
A total of 35 measures received a
majority vote from the full
Subcommittee. The measures voted
upon by the Subcommittee included
recommendations from each workgroup
that were based on the original 51
measures as well as new measures
identified through public comment that
were brought forth by each workgroup.
The Adult Health work group
recommended eleven measures for
inclusion in the initial core set. The
Maternal/Reproductive Health work
group recommended six measures. The
Complex Health Care Needs work group
recommended nine measures and the
Mental Health and Substance Use
recommended nine measures.
The Subcommittee discussed how
these measures represented conditions
and populations relevant to Medicaid,
and examined each measure’s data
source and use in existing programs. In
the final round of voting, 24 2 measures
ultimately received a majority vote by
Subcommittee members. In order to
ensure priority populations were fully
represented and that the goals of
planned initiatives could be monitored,
we then added two measures originally
proposed for the draft core set (PC–01
Elective Delivery and Timely
Transmission of Transition Record). The
Subcommittee deferred the decision to
CMS and AHRQ on which of the two
HIV-related measures under
consideration (HIV/AIDS Screening:
Members at High Risk of HIV/AIDS and
HIV/AIDS: Medical Visits) would be
included in the core set. Upon
discussion with colleagues from the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the Health Resources
and Services Administration, the
decision was made to include the
measure originally proposed for the core
set, HIV/AIDS: Medical Visit. A total of
26 are included in the initial core set.
2 The CAHPS Health Plan Survey v 4.0—Adult
Questionnaire and the CAHPS Health Plan Survey
v 4.0H—NCQA Supplemental Items for CAHPS are
counted as one measure.
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III. Analysis of and Responses to Public
Comments on the Notice of Comment
Period
In response to the publication of the
December 30, 2010 notice with
comment period, we received 100
timely public comments. The following
are a summary of the public comments
that we received related to that notice,
and our responses to the comments:
Comment: About a third of the
comments specifically noted that the
draft core set published in the Federal
Register on December 30, 2010, was too
large or raised the burden of reporting
by States as a concern. Commenters also
suggested reducing the measures to two
measures per category or considering a
phase-in approach.
Response: To address these concerns,
the size of the core set was reduced by
almost half (from 51 measures in the
draft core set to 26 measures in the
initial core set). Although the numbers
of measures was reduced, we believe
that this initial core set still reflects the
health care needs of Medicaid-eligible
adults. In addition to reducing the size
of the initial core set, to support States
in collecting and reporting these
measures, CMS will provide technical
assistance as well as additional
guidance and tools to increase the
feasibility of voluntary reporting.
Comment: Numerous comments
suggested avoiding measures for
inclusion in the initial core set that
require medical record review.
Response: To the degree possible,
measures that require medical record
review were excluded in large-scale
from the initial core set. However, in
order to address aspects of health care
quality important to the adult Medicaid
population and to align with existing
measurement programs (for example,
the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive
Programs) a few measures that require
medical record review (for example,
controlling high blood pressure) were
included in the initial core set.
Comment: Many comments suggested
aligning measures with existing
reporting programs, such as the
Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive
Programs and the Inpatient Hospital
Quality Reporting program, as a way to
decrease burden.
Response: We agree with these
comments. To the degree possible, the
initial core set aligns with existing
Federal reporting programs. Seventeen
measures from the initial core set are
used in other CMS programs (refer to
table at the end of Notice). Alignment
was a key criterion employed in the
review, based in part, on the strength of
related public comments. At the same
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time, the areas addressed by the
measures in the initial core set,
however, must reflect the requirements
of the statute to provide an overall
assessment of the quality of care
received by adults in Medicaid. As
such, the types of quality measures
included in other reporting programs
may not fully represent the health care
measurement needs of Medicaid-eligible
adults.
Comment: Several commenters
suggested using only measures endorsed
by the National Quality Forum or
National Committee for Quality
Assurance Health Employer Data and
Information Set (HEDIS®) measures.
Many comments also emphasized the
importance of ensuring the initial core
set measures met thresholds for
evidence, validity, reliability and
feasibility.
Response: A key priority used in
selecting the initial core set measures
was whether or not the measure was
relevant to the Medicaid population.
While NQF endorsement signifies that
measures have been deemed as meeting
certain criteria for scientific soundness,
validity and reliability, requiring NQF
endorsement would have eliminated
inclusion of measures in the initial core
set that are relevant for assessing
important aspects of care for the
Medicaid population. Similarly,
selecting only HEDIS measures, which
were originally developed for health
plan use, would have limited the initial
core set’s ability to address the range of
care settings and conditions relevant to
the Medicaid population.
Comment: Public comments
questioned the appropriateness of some
proposed measures.
Response: These comments are
appreciated and helped us narrow the
list. Each measure included in the
initial core set has been compared
against five criteria—importance,
scientific evidence, scientific
soundness, alignment with existing
programs and feasibility for State
reporting. Public comments related to
specific measures were also reviewed
and considered. To aid in assessing each
measure for inclusion in the initial core
set, specific information was collected
for each measure, including:
• Measure description, numerator,
denominator and exclusions.
• Data sources (for example, claims,
medical records, electronic health
records).
• Description of health importance,
prevalence, financial importance and
opportunity for improvement, including
what is known about gaps in care and
health care disparities.
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• Brief description of the scientific
literature, including what is known
about effectiveness of the intervention
being addressed, and what is known
about management and follow-up.
• Published clinical guidelines
relevant to the measure.
• Validity and reliability of results,
including a description of the study
sample and methods used.
• Performance rates (most recent and
two years prior).
Comment: Two comments requested
clarification on whether the initial core
measures would be applied to Medicaid
fee-for-service, Medicaid managed care
or both types of health care delivery
systems. Other commenters requested
clarification on the target Medicaid
population, particularly since NCQA
measures included in the draft measures
list had varying age ranges.
Response: The initial core set will be
used by States to assess the quality of
health care provided in their Medicaid
programs for adults (ages 18 years and
older) and across all health care delivery
systems (for example, fee-for-service,
managed care, primary care case
management). We understand that some
of the measures are currently specified
only for a particular delivery system (for
example, managed care). However,
additional guidance will be provided to
States so that these measures can be
used across delivery systems and
Medicaid funded programs targeting
adults, including long-term services and
supports.
Comment: Multiple comments
suggested including measures related to
patient safety and rehabilitation
services. Specifically, commenters
noted the need for measures that
address a range of disabilities present
among Medicaid beneficiaries and those
receiving home and community-based
services. The need for outcome
measures for management of chronic
conditions and care coordination
measures was also noted.
Response: The measurement topic
areas identified in these public
comments are ones that CMS recognizes
as important to assessing the health care
quality of all adults enrolled in
Medicaid, and we agree on the
importance of measurement for chronic
conditions and care coordination as
well as for those receiving home and
community-based services. However,
the Subcommittee did not identify any
existing measures in these areas that
met the criteria for scientific soundness.
As such, these topics will be considered
measurement gap areas and will be
prioritized for new measure
development as part of the Medicaid
Adult Quality Measures Program
required under this statute.
Comment: In addition to public
comments received about each of the
proposed measures, 43 measures were
suggested by the public.
Response: We appreciate these
suggestions. Forty-two of the 43
measures had been previously
considered by the Subcommittee and
CMS for inclusion in the draft core
measures set. The one measure that had
not been considered was a newly
developed measure that had not
appeared in the original inventory of
candidate measures (Healthy Term
Newborn). The Subcommittee reviewed
all 43 of these measures again and
evaluated them based on the established
selection criteria. The Healthy Term
Newborn measure did not rate highly
when compared against the selection
criteria and the Subcommittee felt the
measure would be more effective if
paired with a process of care measure.
For additional information on
consideration of the public comments
and the finalization of the initial core
set of health care quality measures for
Medicaid-eligible adults, a background
report can be found at: https://
www.ahrq.gov/.
IV. Collection of Information
Requirements
This final notice announces the initial
core set of health care quality measures
for Medicaid-eligible adults for
voluntary use by State Medicaid
programs. As required in statute, by
January 1, 2013, CMS will issue
guidance for submitting the initial core
set to CMS in a standardized format.
States choosing to collect the initial core
set of measures will use that reporting
template to submit data to CMS.
Voluntary reporting will not begin until
December 2013.
The guidance, core measures, and
template are subject to the Paperwork
Reduction Act and will be submitted to
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for their review and approval at
a later time. No persons are required to
respond to a collection of information
(whether voluntary or mandatory)
unless it displays a valid OMB control
number issued by OMB.
V. Executive Order 12866
In accordance with the provisions of
Executive Order 12866, this notice was
reviewed by the Office of Management
and Budget.
Authority: Sections XIX and XXI of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 13206 through
9a).
Dated: November 16, 2011.
Marilyn B. Tavenner,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services.
Approved: December 21, 2011.
Kathleen Sebelius,
Secretary, Health and Human Services.
Initial Core Set of Health Care Quality
Measures for Medicaid-Eligible Adults
This table of the initial core set of
health care quality measures for
Medicaid-eligible adults includes
National Quality Forum (NQF)
identifying numbers for measures that
have been endorsed, provides the
measure stewards and indicates those
measures which are used in various
Federal and public sector programs
including: Initial Core Set of Children’s
Health Care Quality Measures; the
Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive
Programs for eligible health care
professionals and hospitals that adopt
certified Electronic Health Record
technology under the Final Rule
published in the July 28, 2010 Federal
Register (75 FR 44314); the Medicare
Physician Quality Reporting System
(PQRS); Health Employer Data and
Information Set (HEDIS); National
Committee for Quality Assurance
Accreditation; The Joint Commission’s
ORYX ® Performance Measurement
Initiative and other national programs.
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NQF No. †
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Measure
Steward‡
Measure name
0039 .............
NCQA ...........
N/A ...............
0031 .............
Prevention & Health Promotion .......
NCQA ...........
NCQA ...........
Flu Shots for Adults Ages 50–64
(Collected as part of HEDIS
CAHPS Supplemental Survey).
Adult BMI Assessment ...................
Breast Cancer Screening ...............
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Programs in which the measure is
currently used¥
HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation.
HEDIS®, Health Homes Core.
MU1, HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation, PQRS GPRO, Shared Savings Program.
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NQF No. †
Programs in which the measure is
currently used¥
NCQA ...........
Cervical Cancer Screening .............
0027 .............
NCQA ...........
CMS .............
N/A ...............
0272 .............
NCQA ...........
AHRQ ...........
0275 .............
AHRQ ...........
0277 .............
AHRQ ...........
0283 .............
AHRQ ...........
0033 .............
NCQA ...........
0576 .............
NCQA ...........
Medical Assistance With Smoking
and Tobacco Use Cessation
(Collected as part of HEDIS
CAHPS Supplemental Survey).
Screening for Clinical Depression
and Follow-Up Plan.
Plan All-Cause Readmission ..........
PQI 01: Diabetes, Short-Term
Complications Admission Rate.
PQI 05: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Admission Rate.
PQI 08: Congestive Heart Failure
Admission Rate.
PQI 15: Adult Asthma Admission
Rate.
Chlamydia Screening in Women
Ages 21–24 (same as CHIPRA
core measure, however, the
State would report on the adult
age group).
Follow-Up After Hospitalization for
Mental Illness.
MU1, HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation.
MU1, HEDIS®, Medicare, NCQA
Accreditation.
0418 .............
0469 .............
HCA, TJC .....
PC–01: Elective Delivery ................
0476 .............
PC–03 Antenatal Steroids ..............
0403 .............
0018 .............
Prov/CWISH/
NPIC/QAS/
TJC.
NCQA ...........
NCQA ...........
0063 .............
NCQA ...........
0057 .............
NCQA ...........
0105 .............
NCQA ...........
N/A ...............
Management of Chronic Conditions
Measure name
0032 .............
Management of Acute Conditions ...
Measure
Steward‡
CMS–
QMHAG.
NCQA ...........
0021 .............
0006 & 0007
AHRQ &
NCQA.
Care Coordination ............................
648 ...............
AMA–PCPI ...
Availability ........................................
0004 .............
NCQA ...........
1391 .............
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Family Experiences of Care ............
NCQA ...........
Annual HIV/AIDS Medical Visit .......
Controlling High Blood Pressure ....
Comprehensive Diabetes Care:
LDL–C Screening.
Comprehensive Diabetes Care: Hemoglobin A1c Testing.
Antidepressant Medication Management.
Adherence to Antipsychotics for Individuals with Schizophrenia.
Annual Monitoring for Patients on
Persistent Medications.
CAHPS Health Plan Survey v 4.0—
Adult Questionnaire with CAHPS
Health Plan Survey v 4.0H—
NCQA Supplemental.
Care Transition—Transition Record
Transmitted to Health Care Professional.
Initiation and Engagement of Alcohol and Other Drug Dependence
Treatment.
Prenatal and Postpartum Care:
Postpartum Care Rate (second
component to CHIPRA core
measure ‘‘Timeliness of Prenatal
Care,’’ State would now report 2/
2 components instead of 1).
PQRS, CMS QIP, Health Homes
Core, Shared Savings Program.
HEDIS®.
Shared Savings Program.
Shared Savings Program.
MU1, HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation, CHIPRA Core.
HEDIS®,
NCQA
Accreditation,
CHIPRA Core, Health Home
Core.
HIP QDRP, TJC’s ORYX Performance Measurement Program.
TJC’s ORYX Performance Measurement Program.
MU1, HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation, PQRS GPRO, Shared Savings Program.
MU1, HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation, PQRS.
MU1, HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation, PQRS.
MU1, HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation.
VHA.
HEDIS®, NCQA Accreditation.
HEDIS®,
NCQA
Accreditation,
Shared
Savings
Program
(NQF#0006).
Health Homes Core.
MU1, HEDIS®,
Core.
Health
Homes
HEDIS®.
† NQF ID National Quality Forum identification numbers are used for measures that are NQF-endorsed; otherwise, NA is used.
‡ Measure Steward:
AHRQ—Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
CMS—Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CMS–QMHAG—Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Quality Measurement and Health Assessment Group.
HCA, TJC—Hospital Corporation of America-Women’s and Children’s Clinical Services, The Joint Commission.
NCQA—National Committee for Quality Assurance.
Prov/CWISH/NPIC/QAS/TJC—Providence St. Vincent Medical Center/Council of Women’s and Infant’s Specialty Hospitals/National Perinatal
Information Center/Quality Analytic Services/The Joint Commission.
TJC—The Joint Commission.
¥ Programs in which Measures are Currently in Use:
CHIPRA Core—Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act—Initial Core Set.
CMS QIP—CMS Quality Incentive Program.
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291
HIP QDRP—Hospital Inpatient Quality Data Reporting Program.
Health Homes Core—CMS Health Homes Core Measures.
MU1—Meaningful Use Stage 1 of the Medicare & Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs.
PQRS—Physician Quality Reporting Program Group Practice Reporting Option.
Shared Savings Program—Medicare Shared Savings Program.
VHA—Veterans Health Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011–33756 Filed 12–30–11; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Disease, Disability, and Injury
Prevention and Control Special
Emphasis Panel (SEP): Initial Review
The meeting announced below
concerns National HIV Behavioral
Surveillance For Young Men Who Have
Sex With Men, Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA), PS11–
0010201SUPP12, initial review.
Correction: The notice was published
in the Federal Register on November 18,
2011, Volume 76, Number 223, Page
71568. The time and date should read
as follows:
Time and Date: 1 p.m.–5 p.m.,
February 29, 2012 (Closed).
Contact Person For More Information:
Amy Yang, Ph.D., Scientific Review
Officer, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road NE.,
Mailstop E60, Atlanta, Georgia 30333,
Telephone: (404) 718–8836.
The Director, Management Analysis
and Services Office, has been delegated
the authority to sign Federal Register
notices pertaining to announcements of
meetings and other committee
management activities, for both the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry.
Dated: December 20, 2011.
Elaine L. Baker,
Director, Management Analysis and Services
Office, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011–33731 Filed 1–3–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163–18–P
wreier-aviles on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Disease, Disability, and Injury
Prevention and Control Special
Emphasis Panel (SEP): Initial Review
HIV Testing Behavior and HIV
Prevention with Positive Persons,
Funding Opportunity Announcement
(FOA), PS12–001, initial review.
In accordance with Section 10(a)(2) of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(Pub. L. 92–463), the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
announces the aforementioned meeting:
Time and Date: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.,
February 28, 2012 (Closed).
Place: Sheraton Gateway Hotel
Atlanta Airport, 1900 Sullivan Road,
Atlanta, Georgia 30337, Telephone:
(770) 997–1100.
Status: The meeting will be closed to
the public in accordance with
provisions set forth in Section 552b(c)
(4) and (6), Title 5 U.S.C., and the
Determination of the Director,
Management Analysis and Services
Office, CDC, pursuant to Public Law 92–
463.
Matters To Be Discussed: The meeting
will include the initial review,
discussion, and evaluation of
applications received in response to
‘‘Formative Research on Use of Mobile
Applications (‘‘app’’) to Increase HIV
Testing Behavior and HIV Prevention
with Positive Persons, FOA PS12–001.’’
Contact Person for More Information:
Gregory Anderson, M.S., M.P.H.,
Scientific Review Officer, CDC, 1600
Clifton Road NE., Mailstop E60, Atlanta,
Georgia 30333, Telephone: (404) 718–
8833.
The Director, Management Analysis
and Services Office, has been delegated
the authority to sign Federal Register
notices pertaining to announcements of
meetings and other committee
management activities, for both the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry.
Dated: December 20, 2011.
Elaine L. Baker,
Director, Management Analysis and Services
Office, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011–33730 Filed 1–3–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163–18–P
The meeting announced below
concerns Formative Research on Use of
Mobile Applications (‘‘app’’) to Increase
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[Document Identifier: CMS–R–74 and CMS–
10338]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, HHS.
In compliance with the requirement
of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) is publishing the
following summary of proposed
collections for public comment.
Interested persons are invited to send
comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including any
of the following subjects: (1) The
necessity and utility of the proposed
information collection for the proper
performance of the agency’s functions;
(2) the accuracy of the estimated
burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (4) the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology to
minimize the information collection
burden.
1. Type of Information Collection
Request: Extension without change of a
currently approved collection; Title of
Information Collection: Income and
Eligibility Verification System (IEVS)
Reporting and Supporting Regulations
Contained in 42 CFR 431.17, 431.306,
435.910, 435.920, and 435.940–960;
Use: The information collected is used
to verify the income and eligibility of
Medicaid applicants and recipients, as
required by Section 1137 of the Social
Security Act. Final regulations to
implement Section 1137 of the Act were
published February 28, 1986.
Subsequent final amendments to the
regulations were published on February
27, 1987; March 2, 1989; October 7,
1992; and January 31, 1994. These
regulations provide the standards States
use to determine which recipient and
applicant records to match, the
frequency of the match, due process
protections for individuals whose
records are matched, and those
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\04JAN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 286-291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33756]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
[CMS-2420-FN]
Medicaid Program: Initial Core Set of Health Care Quality
Measures for Medicaid-Eligible Adults
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.
ACTION: Final notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This final notice announces the initial core set of health
care quality measures for Medicaid-eligible adults, as required by
section 2701 of the Affordable Care Act, for voluntary use by State
programs administered under title XIX of the Social Security Act,
health insurance issuers and managed care entities that enter into
contracts with Medicaid, and providers of items and services under
these programs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Llanos, Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, (410) 786-9071.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 2701 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(Affordable Care Act) (Pub. L. 111-148) added new section 1139B to the
Social Security Act (the Act). Section 1139B(a) of the Act directs the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify and publish
for public comment a recommended initial core set of health care
quality measures for Medicaid-eligible adults, and section 1139B(b)(1)
of the Act requires that an initial core set be published by January 1,
2012. Additionally, the statute requires the initial core set
recommendation to consist of existing adult health care quality
measures in use under public and privately sponsored health care
coverage arrangements or that are part of reporting systems that
measure both the presence and duration of health insurance coverage
over time and that may be applicable to Medicaid-eligible adults.
Section 1139B of the Act also requires the Secretary to complete
the following actions:
--By January 1, 2012:
Establish a Medicaid Quality Measurement Program to fund
development, testing, and validation of emerging and innovative
evidence-based measures.
--By January 1, 2013:
Develop a standardized reporting format for the core set
of adult quality measures and procedures to encourage voluntary
reporting by the States.
--By January 1, 2014:
Annually publish recommended changes to the initial core
set that shall reflect the results of the testing, validation, and
consensus process for the development of adult health quality measures.
Include in the report to Congress mandated under section
1139A(a)(6) of the Act on the quality of health care of children in
Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) similar
information for adult health quality with respect to measures
established under section 1139B of the Act. This report must be
published every 3 years thereafter in accordance with the statute.
--By September 30, 2014:
Collect, analyze, and make publicly available the
information reported by the States as required in section 1139B(d)(1)
of the Act.
Identification of the initial core set of measures for Medicaid-
eligible adults is an important first step in an overall strategy to
encourage and enhance quality improvement. States that chose to collect
the initial core set will be better positioned to measure their
performance and develop action plans to achieve the three part aims of
better care, healthier people, and affordable care as identified in
HHS' National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care.
Additional information about the National Quality Strategy can be found
at: https://www.ahrq.gov/workingforquality/nqs/.
The initial core set of quality measures for voluntary annual
reporting by States has been determined based on recommendations from
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Subcommittee to the
National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality, as well
as public comments, before being finalized by the Secretary. These core
set measures will support HHS and its State partners in developing a
quality-driven, evidence-based, national system for measuring the
quality of health care provided to Medicaid-eligible adults.
Over the next year, CMS will phase in components of the Medicaid
Adult Quality Measures Program that will help to further identify
measurement gap areas and begin testing the collection of some of the
initial core measures. The Medicaid Adult Quality Measures Program will
focus on developing and refining measures, where needed, so that future
updates to the initial core set can meet a wider range of States'
health care quality measurement needs. By September 2012, CMS will
release technical specifications as a resource for States that seek to
voluntarily collect and report the initial core set of health care
quality measures for Medicaid-eligible adults. Additionally, as
required in statute, by January 1, 2013, CMS will issue guidance for
submitting the initial core set to CMS in a standardized format.
Lastly, much like activities conducted under section 1139A of the Act
for the initial core child health care quality measures, the Secretary
will launch a Technical Assistance and Analytic Support Program to help
States collect, report, and use the voluntary core set of adult
measures.
II. Method for Determining the Initial Set of Health Care Quality
Measures for Medicaid-Eligible Adults
The Affordable Care Act requires the development of a core set of
health quality measures for adults eligible for benefits under
Medicaid. The statute parallels the requirement under section 1139A of
the Act to identify and publish a recommended initial core set of
quality measures for children in Medicaid and the CHIP. HHS used a
similar process to identify the initial set of health care quality
measures for Medicaid-eligible adults.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) partnered with
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to collaborate on
the identification of the initial core set of health care quality
measures for adults. Working through its National Advisory Council for
Healthcare Research and Quality, which provides advice and
recommendations to the Director of AHRQ and to the Secretary of HHS on
priorities for a national health services research agenda, AHRQ created
a Subcommittee in the fall of 2010 to evaluate candidate measures for
the initial core set. The Subcommittee consisted of State Medicaid
representatives, health care quality experts, and representatives of
health professional organizations and associations, and was charged
with considering the health care quality needs of adults (ages 18 and
older) enrolled in Medicaid in its
[[Page 287]]
recommendation for an initial core set of measures to HHS. The
Subcommittee reviewed and evaluated measures from nationally recognized
sources, including measures endorsed by the National Quality Forum
(NQF), measures submitted by Medicaid medical directors, measures
currently in use by CMS, and measures suggested by the Co-chairs and
members of the Subcommittee. Starting from approximately 1,000
measures, a total of 51 measures were recommended and posted for public
comment. A report detailing the initial convening of the Subcommittee
may be found on the AHRQ Web site: https://www.ahrq.gov/about/nacqm/.
The measures were posted for public comment through a Federal
Register (75 FR 82397) notice published on December 30, 2010, with
comments due by March 1, 2011. The public submitted 100 comments.
Public comments suggested concern about the large size of the proposed
set, with many requesting alignment to the extent possible with
existing Federal initiatives. An additional 43 measures were suggested
through public comment. See discussion in section III of this final
notice for a more detailed discussion.
To be responsive to the public comments, the Subcommittee sought to
identify measures that ensured comprehensive representation of
variables affecting Medicaid-eligible adults while considering ways to
decrease the number of measures in the set. AHRQ and CMS identified
five criteria against which to evaluate the proposed core measures:
importance; scientific evidence supporting the measure; scientific
soundness of the measure; current use in and alignment with existing
Federal programs; and feasibility for State reporting (a background
report detailing the selection criteria and Subcommittee process can be
found at: https://www.ahrq.gov). The criteria represented attributes
desired of State-level measures that would represent Medicaid-eligible
adults. In particular, those criteria regarding current use in and
alignment with existing Federal programs and feasibility for State
reporting were given particular emphasis, since those were attributes
identified repeatedly in the public comments. Documented use of or
alignment with existing Federal programs such as the National Quality
Strategy's six priorities, the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health
Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, and Physician Quality Reporting was
taken into consideration as the Subcommittee reviewed each measure.
As in the initial meeting, the Subcommittee broke into workgroups
focusing on four dimensions of health care related to adults in
Medicaid: Adult Health, Maternal/Reproductive Health, Complex Health
Care Needs, and Mental Health and Substance Use. Workgroups were
assigned two sets of measures that related to their specific areas:
originally recommended measures and measures proposed in public
comment. To assess how each measure fared against the five criteria,
the Subcommittee reviewed background information (including numerator,
denominator, exclusions, prevalence, clinical guidelines, past
performance rates, etc.) on each measure from the measure owners,
developers, or stewards.
A. Adult Health
The workgroup prioritized 10 of the original measures to be
included in the final set, dropping five measures that were duplicative
of other measures. The workgroup brought forward one measure that was
suggested in public comment, Adult Body Mass Index (BMI) Assessment,
replacing a similar BMI measure that had been originally recommended
for the core set, Preventive Care and Screening: BMI Screening and
Follow-Up. The workgroup did not recommend including the remaining 16
newly suggested measures received from the public comment period.
B. Maternal/Reproductive Health
After evaluating the measures against the criteria, the Maternal/
Reproductive Health workgroup recommended keeping each of the five
measures originally posed for the core set, noting that these measures
addressed areas of high importance to women and reproductive health,
were feasible to report and aligned well with current programs
(including the initial core set of children's health care quality
measures \1\). The workgroup noted that, while future measures should
tie screenings to outcomes and assess additional issues outside of
pregnancy that affect women (for example, access to care, incontinence
due to multiple pregnancies), the measures being recommended for the
core set were an important first step of using performance measures for
quality improvement. Of the measures newly suggested through public
comment, the workgroup recommended bringing one measure forward to a
Subcommittee vote: Chlamydia Screening in Women. The workgroup rated
this measure high on each criterion and noted its alignment with the
initial core set of children's health care quality measures (the
initial core set of children's measures specified only the lower age
group of this measure; adding the higher age range means the measure
now would be reported in full).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Initial Core Set of Children's Health Care Quality Measures
https://www.cms.gov/MedicaidCHIPQualPrac/Downloads/CHIPRACoreSetTechManual.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Complex Health Care Needs
The Complex Health Care Needs workgroup recommended nine of the 18
measures originally posed for inclusion in the draft core set. Although
the topic areas represented in the measures suggested through public
comment were important to Medicaid, many of the measures scored low on
multiple criteria (for example, scientific soundness and feasibility
for State reporting) and thus were deemed not ready for wide-scale
implementation. Further, although several of the proposed measures
assessed the very important topic of care coordination for patients who
are hospitalized or transferred across multiple facilities, the
workgroup noted that many of these measures were challenged by complex
requirements for data collection and excluded target populations (for
example, dually eligible beneficiaries and individuals with long-term
care services and supports needs). Many of the measures, for example,
required medical record review across time or at more than one site
(for example, Change in Basic Mobility as Measured by the AM-PAC and
Medication Reconciliation Post-Discharge). The workgroup concluded that
the remaining measures suggested in public comment, though relevant to
people with complex health care needs, addressed very narrow clinical
conditions, excluded key populations, were difficult to collect at the
State level, or were duplicative of other, more highly-rated measures.
D. Mental Health and Substance Use
After discussing how well the 13 measures originally proposed fared
against the selection criteria, the Mental Health and Substance Use
workgroup recommended nine measures for inclusion in the draft core set
and decided against bringing forward any of the additional measures
suggested in public comment. In general, the workgroup prioritized
measures that were broadly applicable to the Medicaid population or to
primary care settings. For example, the workgroup included measures
that assessed conditions that may be prevalent in a low-income
population, including depression, schizophrenia, and substance use, in
[[Page 288]]
addition to measures that assessed utilization of general mental health
services. The workgroup did not recommend including any of the five
measures suggested in public comment, as they concluded that these
measures addressed similar content areas as other higher-rated measures
or were rated very low in feasibility for State collection and
reporting.
E. Summary
A total of 35 measures received a majority vote from the full
Subcommittee. The measures voted upon by the Subcommittee included
recommendations from each workgroup that were based on the original 51
measures as well as new measures identified through public comment that
were brought forth by each workgroup. The Adult Health work group
recommended eleven measures for inclusion in the initial core set. The
Maternal/Reproductive Health work group recommended six measures. The
Complex Health Care Needs work group recommended nine measures and the
Mental Health and Substance Use recommended nine measures.
The Subcommittee discussed how these measures represented
conditions and populations relevant to Medicaid, and examined each
measure's data source and use in existing programs. In the final round
of voting, 24 \2\ measures ultimately received a majority vote by
Subcommittee members. In order to ensure priority populations were
fully represented and that the goals of planned initiatives could be
monitored, we then added two measures originally proposed for the draft
core set (PC-01 Elective Delivery and Timely Transmission of Transition
Record). The Subcommittee deferred the decision to CMS and AHRQ on
which of the two HIV-related measures under consideration (HIV/AIDS
Screening: Members at High Risk of HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS: Medical
Visits) would be included in the core set. Upon discussion with
colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Health Resources and Services Administration, the decision was made to
include the measure originally proposed for the core set, HIV/AIDS:
Medical Visit. A total of 26 are included in the initial core set.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The CAHPS Health Plan Survey v 4.0--Adult Questionnaire and
the CAHPS Health Plan Survey v 4.0H--NCQA Supplemental Items for
CAHPS are counted as one measure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Analysis of and Responses to Public Comments on the Notice of
Comment Period
In response to the publication of the December 30, 2010 notice with
comment period, we received 100 timely public comments. The following
are a summary of the public comments that we received related to that
notice, and our responses to the comments:
Comment: About a third of the comments specifically noted that the
draft core set published in the Federal Register on December 30, 2010,
was too large or raised the burden of reporting by States as a concern.
Commenters also suggested reducing the measures to two measures per
category or considering a phase-in approach.
Response: To address these concerns, the size of the core set was
reduced by almost half (from 51 measures in the draft core set to 26
measures in the initial core set). Although the numbers of measures was
reduced, we believe that this initial core set still reflects the
health care needs of Medicaid-eligible adults. In addition to reducing
the size of the initial core set, to support States in collecting and
reporting these measures, CMS will provide technical assistance as well
as additional guidance and tools to increase the feasibility of
voluntary reporting.
Comment: Numerous comments suggested avoiding measures for
inclusion in the initial core set that require medical record review.
Response: To the degree possible, measures that require medical
record review were excluded in large-scale from the initial core set.
However, in order to address aspects of health care quality important
to the adult Medicaid population and to align with existing measurement
programs (for example, the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs)
a few measures that require medical record review (for example,
controlling high blood pressure) were included in the initial core set.
Comment: Many comments suggested aligning measures with existing
reporting programs, such as the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive
Programs and the Inpatient Hospital Quality Reporting program, as a way
to decrease burden.
Response: We agree with these comments. To the degree possible, the
initial core set aligns with existing Federal reporting programs.
Seventeen measures from the initial core set are used in other CMS
programs (refer to table at the end of Notice). Alignment was a key
criterion employed in the review, based in part, on the strength of
related public comments. At the same time, the areas addressed by the
measures in the initial core set, however, must reflect the
requirements of the statute to provide an overall assessment of the
quality of care received by adults in Medicaid. As such, the types of
quality measures included in other reporting programs may not fully
represent the health care measurement needs of Medicaid-eligible
adults.
Comment: Several commenters suggested using only measures endorsed
by the National Quality Forum or National Committee for Quality
Assurance Health Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS[supreg])
measures. Many comments also emphasized the importance of ensuring the
initial core set measures met thresholds for evidence, validity,
reliability and feasibility.
Response: A key priority used in selecting the initial core set
measures was whether or not the measure was relevant to the Medicaid
population. While NQF endorsement signifies that measures have been
deemed as meeting certain criteria for scientific soundness, validity
and reliability, requiring NQF endorsement would have eliminated
inclusion of measures in the initial core set that are relevant for
assessing important aspects of care for the Medicaid population.
Similarly, selecting only HEDIS measures, which were originally
developed for health plan use, would have limited the initial core
set's ability to address the range of care settings and conditions
relevant to the Medicaid population.
Comment: Public comments questioned the appropriateness of some
proposed measures.
Response: These comments are appreciated and helped us narrow the
list. Each measure included in the initial core set has been compared
against five criteria--importance, scientific evidence, scientific
soundness, alignment with existing programs and feasibility for State
reporting. Public comments related to specific measures were also
reviewed and considered. To aid in assessing each measure for inclusion
in the initial core set, specific information was collected for each
measure, including:
Measure description, numerator, denominator and
exclusions.
Data sources (for example, claims, medical records,
electronic health records).
Description of health importance, prevalence, financial
importance and opportunity for improvement, including what is known
about gaps in care and health care disparities.
[[Page 289]]
Brief description of the scientific literature, including
what is known about effectiveness of the intervention being addressed,
and what is known about management and follow-up.
Published clinical guidelines relevant to the measure.
Validity and reliability of results, including a
description of the study sample and methods used.
Performance rates (most recent and two years prior).
Comment: Two comments requested clarification on whether the
initial core measures would be applied to Medicaid fee-for-service,
Medicaid managed care or both types of health care delivery systems.
Other commenters requested clarification on the target Medicaid
population, particularly since NCQA measures included in the draft
measures list had varying age ranges.
Response: The initial core set will be used by States to assess the
quality of health care provided in their Medicaid programs for adults
(ages 18 years and older) and across all health care delivery systems
(for example, fee-for-service, managed care, primary care case
management). We understand that some of the measures are currently
specified only for a particular delivery system (for example, managed
care). However, additional guidance will be provided to States so that
these measures can be used across delivery systems and Medicaid funded
programs targeting adults, including long-term services and supports.
Comment: Multiple comments suggested including measures related to
patient safety and rehabilitation services. Specifically, commenters
noted the need for measures that address a range of disabilities
present among Medicaid beneficiaries and those receiving home and
community-based services. The need for outcome measures for management
of chronic conditions and care coordination measures was also noted.
Response: The measurement topic areas identified in these public
comments are ones that CMS recognizes as important to assessing the
health care quality of all adults enrolled in Medicaid, and we agree on
the importance of measurement for chronic conditions and care
coordination as well as for those receiving home and community-based
services. However, the Subcommittee did not identify any existing
measures in these areas that met the criteria for scientific soundness.
As such, these topics will be considered measurement gap areas and will
be prioritized for new measure development as part of the Medicaid
Adult Quality Measures Program required under this statute.
Comment: In addition to public comments received about each of the
proposed measures, 43 measures were suggested by the public.
Response: We appreciate these suggestions. Forty-two of the 43
measures had been previously considered by the Subcommittee and CMS for
inclusion in the draft core measures set. The one measure that had not
been considered was a newly developed measure that had not appeared in
the original inventory of candidate measures (Healthy Term Newborn).
The Subcommittee reviewed all 43 of these measures again and evaluated
them based on the established selection criteria. The Healthy Term
Newborn measure did not rate highly when compared against the selection
criteria and the Subcommittee felt the measure would be more effective
if paired with a process of care measure.
For additional information on consideration of the public comments
and the finalization of the initial core set of health care quality
measures for Medicaid-eligible adults, a background report can be found
at: https://www.ahrq.gov/.
IV. Collection of Information Requirements
This final notice announces the initial core set of health care
quality measures for Medicaid-eligible adults for voluntary use by
State Medicaid programs. As required in statute, by January 1, 2013,
CMS will issue guidance for submitting the initial core set to CMS in a
standardized format. States choosing to collect the initial core set of
measures will use that reporting template to submit data to CMS.
Voluntary reporting will not begin until December 2013.
The guidance, core measures, and template are subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act and will be submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for their review and approval at a later
time. No persons are required to respond to a collection of information
(whether voluntary or mandatory) unless it displays a valid OMB control
number issued by OMB.
V. Executive Order 12866
In accordance with the provisions of Executive Order 12866, this
notice was reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget.
Authority: Sections XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 13206 through 9a).
Dated: November 16, 2011.
Marilyn B. Tavenner,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Approved: December 21, 2011.
Kathleen Sebelius,
Secretary, Health and Human Services.
Initial Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures for Medicaid-Eligible
Adults
This table of the initial core set of health care quality measures
for Medicaid-eligible adults includes National Quality Forum (NQF)
identifying numbers for measures that have been endorsed, provides the
measure stewards and indicates those measures which are used in various
Federal and public sector programs including: Initial Core Set of
Children's Health Care Quality Measures; the Medicare & Medicaid EHR
Incentive Programs for eligible health care professionals and hospitals
that adopt certified Electronic Health Record technology under the
Final Rule published in the July 28, 2010 Federal Register (75 FR
44314); the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS); Health
Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS); National Committee for
Quality Assurance Accreditation; The Joint Commission's ORYX [supreg]
Performance Measurement Initiative and other national programs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Programs in which
Measure the measure is
NQF No. [dagger] Steward[Dagger] Measure name currently
used[yen]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prevention & Health Promotion.. 0039............... NCQA............... Flu Shots for HEDIS[supreg],
Adults Ages 50-64 NCQA
(Collected as Accreditation.
part of HEDIS
CAHPS
Supplemental
Survey).
N/A................ NCQA............... Adult BMI HEDIS[supreg],
Assessment. Health Homes
Core.
0031............... NCQA............... Breast Cancer MU1,
Screening. HEDIS[supreg],
NCQA
Accreditation,
PQRS GPRO,
Shared Savings
Program.
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0032............... NCQA............... Cervical Cancer MU1,
Screening. HEDIS[supreg],
NCQA
Accreditation.
0027............... NCQA............... Medical Assistance MU1,
With Smoking and HEDIS[supreg],
Tobacco Use Medicare, NCQA
Cessation Accreditation.
(Collected as
part of HEDIS
CAHPS
Supplemental
Survey).
0418............... CMS................ Screening for PQRS, CMS QIP,
Clinical Health Homes
Depression and Core, Shared
Follow-Up Plan. Savings Program.
N/A................ NCQA............... Plan All-Cause HEDIS[supreg].
Readmission.
0272............... AHRQ............... PQI 01: Diabetes, .................
Short-Term
Complications
Admission Rate.
0275............... AHRQ............... PQI 05: Chronic Shared Savings
Obstructive Program.
Pulmonary Disease
(COPD) Admission
Rate.
0277............... AHRQ............... PQI 08: Congestive Shared Savings
Heart Failure Program.
Admission Rate.
0283............... AHRQ............... PQI 15: Adult .................
Asthma Admission
Rate.
0033............... NCQA............... Chlamydia MU1,
Screening in HEDIS[supreg],
Women Ages 21-24 NCQA
(same as CHIPRA Accreditation,
core measure, CHIPRA Core.
however, the
State would
report on the
adult age group).
Management of Acute Conditions. 0576............... NCQA............... Follow-Up After HEDIS[supreg],
Hospitalization NCQA
for Mental Accreditation,
Illness. CHIPRA Core,
Health Home
Core.
0469............... HCA, TJC........... PC-01: Elective HIP QDRP, TJC's
Delivery. ORYX Performance
Measurement
Program.
0476............... Prov/CWISH/NPIC/QAS/ PC-03 Antenatal TJC's ORYX
TJC. Steroids. Performance
Measurement
Program.
Management of Chronic 0403............... NCQA............... Annual HIV/AIDS .................
Conditions. Medical Visit.
0018............... NCQA............... Controlling High MU1,
Blood Pressure. HEDIS[supreg],
NCQA
Accreditation,
PQRS GPRO,
Shared Savings
Program.
0063............... NCQA............... Comprehensive MU1,
Diabetes Care: HEDIS[supreg],
LDL-C Screening. NCQA
Accreditation,
PQRS.
0057............... NCQA............... Comprehensive MU1,
Diabetes Care: HEDIS[supreg],
Hemoglobin A1c NCQA
Testing. Accreditation,
PQRS.
0105............... NCQA............... Antidepressant MU1,
Medication HEDIS[supreg],
Management. NCQA
Accreditation.
N/A................ CMS-QMHAG.......... Adherence to VHA.
Antipsychotics
for Individuals
with
Schizophrenia.
0021............... NCQA............... Annual Monitoring HEDIS[supreg],
for Patients on NCQA
Persistent Accreditation.
Medications.
Family Experiences of Care..... 0006 & 0007........ AHRQ & NCQA........ CAHPS Health Plan HEDIS[supreg],
Survey v 4.0-- NCQA
Adult Accreditation,
Questionnaire Shared Savings
with CAHPS Health Program
Plan Survey v (NQF000
4.0H--NCQA 6).
Supplemental.
Care Coordination.............. 648................ AMA-PCPI........... Care Transition-- Health Homes
Transition Record Core.
Transmitted to
Health Care
Professional.
Availability................... 0004............... NCQA............... Initiation and MU1,
Engagement of HEDIS[supreg],
Alcohol and Other Health Homes
Drug Dependence Core.
Treatment.
1391............... NCQA............... Prenatal and HEDIS[supreg].
Postpartum Care:
Postpartum Care
Rate (second
component to
CHIPRA core
measure
``Timeliness of
Prenatal Care,''
State would now
report 2/2
components
instead of 1).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[dagger] NQF ID National Quality Forum identification numbers are used for measures that are NQF-endorsed;
otherwise, NA is used.
[Dagger] Measure Steward:
AHRQ--Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
CMS--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CMS-QMHAG--Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Quality Measurement and Health Assessment Group.
HCA, TJC--Hospital Corporation of America-Women's and Children's Clinical Services, The Joint Commission.
NCQA--National Committee for Quality Assurance.
Prov/CWISH/NPIC/QAS/TJC--Providence St. Vincent Medical Center/Council of Women's and Infant's Specialty
Hospitals/National Perinatal Information Center/Quality Analytic Services/The Joint Commission.
TJC--The Joint Commission.
[yen] Programs in which Measures are Currently in Use:
CHIPRA Core--Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act--Initial Core Set.
CMS QIP--CMS Quality Incentive Program.
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HIP QDRP--Hospital Inpatient Quality Data Reporting Program.
Health Homes Core--CMS Health Homes Core Measures.
MU1--Meaningful Use Stage 1 of the Medicare & Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs.
PQRS--Physician Quality Reporting Program Group Practice Reporting Option.
Shared Savings Program--Medicare Shared Savings Program.
VHA--Veterans Health Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-33756 Filed 12-30-11; 4:15 pm]
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