More Medicare Star Ratings Coming Soon—Unless Providers Can Put the Brakes On
Published by Modern Healthcare Sabriya Rice August 30, 2014 Hospital groups and dialysis and home care providers are warning that a five-star rating system the CMS plans to apply to them as early as this fall is more likely to confuse consumers than help them meaningfully compare providers’ quality and safety. The star system, already…
Rumors Circulate That CMS Will Delay Dialysis Star-Rating Program
Published by Inside Health Policy John Wilkerson August 29, 2014 Industry lobbyists say they hear that CMS will announce, possibly soon after Labor Day, that it is delaying the dialysis star-rating system that has been the target of criticism from dialysis facilities, patients and even the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. They caution that they’ve not…
MedPAC Urges CMS to Delay 5-Star Rating System Implementation
Published by Nephrology News & Issues Rebecca Zumoff August 21, 2014 The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has recommended that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services delay implementation of its five star rating system for dialysis facilities, which is scheduled to go live on Dialysis Facility Compare in October. “We urge that CMS delay the…
Medicare: MedPAC Responds to ESRD Payments Rule, Urges Delay of New Dialysis Facility
Published by Bloomberg BNA Michael D. Williamson August 20, 2014 In comments to the CMS, a Congressional advisory commission addressed rebasing and revising bundling provisions found in the end-stage renal disease payments proposed rule for 2015, and it also urged the delay of a dialysis facility rating program not contained in the rule. The Medicare…
MedPAC Advises CMS To Delay Dialysis Star Rating System
Published by Inside Health Policy John Wilkerson August 19, 2014 Echoing provider and patient complaints, congressional Medicare advisers say CMS should delay the looming dialysis star rating system until it can get public feedback and justify a second-quality measure system. However, a dialysis provider representative said CMS officials recently told providers and patients that they…
KCP Calls on Medicare Officials To Delay And Revise Dialysis Five-Star Program
If Implemented, Program Risks Confusing, Misleading Patients and Public WASHINGTON, DC – Kidney Care Partners (KCP), concerned that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) planned End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Five-Star Program will confuse and mislead patients, called on the Agency to delay implementation and work with the community to provide useful, meaningful, and…
Kidney Care Partners Asks CMS to Delay, Revise 5-Star Rating System for Dialysis Facilities
Published by Nephrology News & Issues August 13, 2014 Kidney Care Partners, a coalition of patient advocates, clinicians, care professionals, dialysis providers, researchers and manufacturers, is calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to delay implementation of the five-star rating system and work with the community to provide useful, meaningful, and accurate ratings…
Kidney Patients Join Industry In Opposing CMS’ Dialysis Star Rating System
Published by Inside Health Policy John Wilkerson August 8, 2014 Kidney patients have joined the fight against the Medicare star-rating program for dialysis facilities, and they’re making the same arguments as industry. Patient advocates say that the bell curve nature of the program will confuse patients, especially those in poor areas; the program is inconsistent…
Dialysis Patient Citizens Critical of Dialysis Facility Compare’s Five-Star Rating System
Nephrology News & Issues August 7, 2014 In a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, Dialysis Patient Citizens expressed concern about the implementation of Dialysis Facility Compare’s new five-star rating system. “We applaud CMS’ well-intentioned efforts to try to simplify Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) for consumers,…
Bipartisan Legislation Built With Quality Patient Care in Mind
Published by Roll Call LaVarne Burton, Lori Hartwell, Hrant Jamgochian and Bruce Skyer August 6, 2014 Although Americans might struggle to find consensus on many policy issues related to health care, when faced with a serious health issue we unite behind the common goal of helping those living with it. Policymakers, health officials and the…