CMS: Core quality measures to be accepted across healthcare sector

Last week, CMS and the Core Quality Measures Collaborative (CQMC) made a huge announcement with the creation of new quality measure sets for physicians and healthcare facilities. CMQC members include Aetna, Humira, the American Medical Association, and the National Quality Forum along with many others. 

CMS has begun using the core measure sets and expects to have them incorporated into the agency’s merit based incentive program by 2017. In a few years’ time, all CQMC members—70% of all private plans—will have phased in the core measurement systems as well.

“Whenever there’s an announcement that brings together physician groups, patient advocates, commercial health plans, and government, you can make the assumption something rare is about to happen for the benefit of patients,” CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt said during a press call. “And today is such a day.”

He said that he encourages patients, consumers and physicians to provide feedback on the seven core measure sets:

1.    Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), and Primary Care
2.    Cardiology
3.    Gastroenterology
4.    HIV and Hepatitis C
5.    Medical Oncology
6.    Obstetrics and Gynecology
7.    Orthopedics

Check out a full article and Q&A on the new core quality measures in the next edition of Briefings on Accreditation and Quality.