Eli's Hospice Insider

Next on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' timeline is mandatory data collection for two measures in the fourth quarter of 2012 (Oct. 1-Dec. 31). One of the required measures is the structural/QAPI measure that was collected during the voluntary reporting period. Hospices must submit data for that measure by Jan. 31, 2013.

The other is National Quality Forum 0209/Pain measure, with data due by April 1, 2013. "Data for this measure will be collected by hospices at the patient level, but reported to CMS as aggregate data," the agency notes. "There is no CMS requirement for patient-level reporting at this time."

Remember: "Failure to report by the data submission deadlines in 2013 will result in a two percentage point reduction to the market basket percentage increase for FY2014," CMS warns.

Only two: CMS was deliberating over whether to include the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care survey quality measure in the 2012 quality data collection cycle, it notes on its site. "We have decided NOT to include the FEHC measure in this first cycle of required reporting," the agency concludes.

CMS will furnish free web training for the data reporting requirements in April, the agency says. Expect training to focus on the NQF pain measure. CMS will also have to gain Office of Management and Budget approval for an expanded data submission format. Watch for CMS to post more information on the training and data submission at www.cms.gov/Hospice-Quality-Reporting.