NQF Seeks Comment on 52 Quality Measures Being Considered for 17 Federal Healthcare Programs Affecting 64M Americans 

Washington, DC – Today, a group of healthcare leaders and experts convened by the National Quality Forum (NQF) begins its review of performance quality measures under consideration for use in federal healthcare programs affecting more than 64 million Americans. Public comments on the measures may be submitted now through December 7. The review is part of the Measure Applications Partnership (MAP), a public-private partnership that has been convened annually by NQF since 2011 and is funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). MAP will review a total of 52 unique measures and 81 measure combinations affecting 17 public programs overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“Each year, through this process, stakeholders and experts from across the healthcare ecosystem provide input to CMS as the agency considers which measures to deploy in its payment programs and in public reporting of provider and health plan performance. These uses of performance measures have the potential to directly shape the quality, outcomes, and affordability of care received throughout the country,” said Dana Gelb Safran, ScD, President & CEO, NQF. “Input from a diverse range of perspectives, including from patient advocates, health professionals, hospitals, private sector health plans and employers, and from the public at large is critical to elevating consensus-based recommendations for federal officials to consider.”

In convening MAP, NQF brings together approximately 150 healthcare stakeholders representing nearly 90 private-sector organizations, as well as liaisons from three federal agencies, to provide input on performance measure selection. The MAP process is designed to collect feedback from a broad range of stakeholders as the federal programs using the measures cover every healthcare setting, from doctor’s offices to hospitals to long-term care facilities to home health care, rehab and dialysis facilities.

Visit the NQF website for the full list of Measures Under Consideration—often referred to as “the MUC List”—or to submit comments. Comments will be accepted until 6 pm on December 7. MAP Workgroups and Advisory Groups will meet to discuss the MUC List prior to finalizing recommendations. All MAP meetings are open to the public, and any reports or other related materials will be available on NQF’s website. NQF will deliver MAP’s final recommendations to CMS by February 1, 2023. Following is the MAP meeting schedule:

• December 6–7, 2022    Health Equity Advisory Group Review Meeting
• December 8–9, 2022    Rural Health Advisory Group Review Meeting
• December 12, 2022    Post-Acute Care/Long-Term Care (PAC/LTC) Workgroup Review Meeting
• December 13–14, 2022    Hospital Workgroup Review Meeting
• December 15–16, 2022    Clinician Workgroup Review Meeting
• January 24–25, 2023    MAP Coordinating Committee Review Meeting

The measures being reviewed are under consideration for the following federal health programs: Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program; End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Incentive Program; Home Health Quality Reporting Program; Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program; Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program; Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program; Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program; Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Quality Reporting Program; Long-Term Care (LTC) Hospital Quality Reporting Program; Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs); Medicare Part C & D Star Ratings; Merit-based Incentive Payment System; Prospective Payment System-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting Program; Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting Program; Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program; and Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing Program.

About National Quality Forum
The National Quality Forum (NQF) works with members of the healthcare community to drive measurable health improvements together. NQF is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization that gives all healthcare stakeholders a voice in advancing quality measures and improvement strategies that lead to better outcomes and greater value. Learn more at www.qualityforum.org.