CMS Indicates New Core Quality Measures Could Potentially be Included in 2016 Rulemaking

Since August 2014, the AAFP has participated in the multi-stakeholder Core Quality Measures Collaborative that was convened by America's Health Insurance Plans to deliberate how to reduce variability in measuring and reporting on the quality of care that physicians provide. The goal: To make evidence-based quality metrics more useful and meaningful for consumers, employers, clinicians, and pubic and private payers.

On February 16, the Collaborative—inclusive of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the National Quality Forum, private payers, provider organizations, and patient and consumer groups—publicly announced a new set of core quality measures to promote alignment in both public and private sectors and reduce administrative burden on physicians.

CMS and private health plans have expressed a commitment to phase in the core measure sets for seven select areas of medical practice, including the Primary Core Set consisting of 21 measures. One caveat to note, however, is that "whether the new standards are widely adopted will depend on public rulemaking and the degree to which standards are included in contracts hammered out by health plans, physicians and hospitals. Though widely endorsed, the switch to the consensus measures in commercial plans is voluntary" as explained in a Modern Healthcare article. CMS has indicated that the measures could potentially be included in 2016 rulemaking. 

Click here for more information from the AAFP, including answers to frequently asked questions.