CMS Updates SNF QRP Reporting Tip Sheet

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published an updated version of the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) Public Reporting Tip Sheet. It discusses the adoption of the Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel measure, speaks to inaugural reporting of the COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel and the SNF Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Requiring Hospitalization measures, outlines the quarters used in reporting of claims-based measures, and provides information on the new data submission threshold for measure data reported through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) that is required to avoid triggering a QRP penalty.

In a related matter, members may recall that in the 2023 SNF Prospective Payment System (PPS) Rule, CMS indicated that it is considering several additional measures to the SNF QRP as well as expansion of the SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program. Last week, LeadingAge National submitted revised comments to the Measures Application Partnership on Proposed Quality Measures expressing concerns about adding COVID-19 vaccine up-to-date status to the SNF QRP. It also questioned the appropriateness of adding long-stay measures to the SNF VBP program related to hospitalizations and falls and opposed the proposal to include Nurse Staff Turnover as a SNF VBP measure. The comments argue that the COVID-19 measure is duplicative to the reporting SNFs already do to NHSN and is inappropriate for the SNF QRP. The long-stay measures seem inappropriate for inclusion in the SNF VBP, which is tied to Medicare payment rates and performance (e.g., short-stay residents). The concern about the Nurse Staff Turnover measure was that it is too broad in scope, does not measure the right things, and is inappropriate for a Medicare VBP program.

Contact: Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841