Feb 5 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invites public comment by April 6, 2021 on its proposal to renew the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS).
The HOS is a longitudinal patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) that assesses self-reported beneficiary quality of life and daily functioning. As a PROM, the HOS measures the impact of services provided by Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs), whereas process and patient experience measures only provide a snapshot of activities or experiences at a specific point in time. PROM data collected by the HOS allows CMS to continue to assess the health of the Medicare Advantage population. This older population is at increased risk of adverse health outcomes, including chronic diseases and mobility impairments that may significantly hamper quality of life. The HOS supports CMS's commitment to improve health outcomes for beneficiaries while reducing burden on providers. CMS accomplishes this by focusing on high-priority areas for quality measurement and improvement established in the agency's Meaningful Measures Framework. The HOS uses quality measures that ask beneficiaries about health outcomes related to specific mental and Physical Conditions.
CMS continues to consider how new PROMs may be developed from the HOS. For example, CMS is considering a new longitudinal measure, Physical Functioning Activities of Daily Living (PFADL), to further assess health status. PFADL measures the change in the physical functioning of beneficiaries enrolled in MAOs over a two-year period and complements the measurement of physical health status. PFADL was introduced as a display measure for 2021 (display measures are publicly reported for informational purposes only and are not included in the Star Ratings or used for QBP calculations.) CMS is in the process of exploring additional HOS measures for plans to use as a focus of their quality improvement efforts.
HOS website:
https://www.hosonline.org/
Draft HOS renewal package, including survey and documentation:
https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing-Items/CMS-10203
FR notice inviting comments:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/05/2021-02441/agency-information-collection-activities-proposed-collection-comment-request
Point of contact: hos@cms.hhs.gov
