CMS delays hospital star ratings update until July 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced it will delay updating the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on the Care Compare website from April until July so it can correct a calculation error in the calendar year 2021 results for the OP-10 outpatient imaging efficiency measure. 

“As a result of this issue and a commitment to data accuracy, CMS will update the 2021 OP-10 measure results as well as the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on Care Compare in July 2022 to correct the error and reflect the accurate results,” the agency said. 

CMS said no additional data or other actions from hospitals are required to recalculate the OP-10 measure, and that it does not expect the recalculation to impact CY 2022 payment determinations. Hospitals will be able to preview the updated overall star ratings and OP-10 measure results this spring in their facility-specific reports, the agency said. 

“To minimize stakeholder confusion, CMS is also delaying the public reporting of CY 2022 OP-10 measure results,” the agency said. “These measure results are for CY 2023 payment determination, and were initially scheduled for preview release in Spring 2022. CMS intends for the calculation error to be corrected in this and in future reporting of results for the OP-10 measure.”