New Updates Related to Hospice Compare (01/02/2018)

Quality Alerts and Updates

CMS Hospice Quality Reporting Program Updates (03/28/2018) CMS Hospice Quality Reporting Program Updates (05/16/2018) CMS Hospice Quality Reporting Program Webinar (03/09/2018) Hospice Compare Quarterly Refresh Available (05/18/2018) Hospice Compare Refresh and Additional HQRP Updates (08/17/2018) Hospice Compare Refresh Includes CAHPS Data (02/21/2018) Hospice Preview Reports Available (06/06/2018) Hospice QRP HART v1.4.0 Now Available (03/20/2018) Hospice Quality Reporting Update (11/16/2018) Hospice Quality Reporting User Manual Update (01/23/2018) HQRP Updates (10/10/2018) New Updates Related to Hospice Compare (01/02/2018) URGENT: CAHPS Hospice Survey Data Submission Deadline Approaching (02/08/2019)

NHPCO QUALITY ALERT

To: NHPCO Provider Members
From: Health Policy Team
Date: January 2, 2018

CMS has changed the process for requesting corrections and updates to hospice provider demographic information in Hospice Compare.

New Guidance on How to Update Demographic Data

Hospice providers now need to contact their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for assistance if they find inaccurate demographic data included on their Preview Report or on the Hospice Compare website.

The demographic data displayed on the Provider Preview Reports and on Hospice Compare is generated from information stored in the Automated Survey Processing Environment (ASPEN) system. Therefore providers who request an update to their demographic data should specify that they want their data within the ASPEN system updated. Do NOT refer to data on the Hospice Compare website.

Keep in mind that updates to hospice provider demographic information do not happen in real time and can take up to 6-months to appear on Hospice Compare.

View the CMS resource, “How to Update Demographic Data 12-21-17” PDF for further information.

CMS has also created Tip Sheets for using the search feature on Hospice Compare.

Last November CMS acknowledged that the location search on Hospice Compare may return incorrect results and provided a message on the home page that when searching by location, the list of agencies provided may not serve the zip code, city, or state they entered and recommended that consumers call hospice providers to confirm their service areas.

CMS has now created Hospice Compare Tip Sheets – one for users and one for providers – to facilitate getting more accurate information.

View the tip sheets for users and providers when searching on Hospice Compare.

Also, sometime in 2018 CMS plans to begin using HIS data to populate the location search function in Hospice Compare. In order to get the most accurate results, it’s important that you accurately complete the ZIP code item (Item A0550) and submit to CMS on time.

Remember to monitor the Hospice Quality Public Reporting: Background and Announcements webpage for more information.

Members may email questions to NHPCO at quality@nhpco.org.