The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the COVID-19 public health emergency extraordinary circumstance exception (ECE) for hospital quality reporting and value-based payment programs ended effective July 1. Data reporting requirements will resume for the following programs:
- Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting
- Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting
- PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting
- Hospital Value-Based Purchasing
- Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction
- Hospital Readmissions Reduction
Hospitals can continue to submit an ECE request if they have been impacted by COVID-19 or another event beyond their control. ECEs must be submitted to CMS within 90 calendar days of the extraordinary circumstance.
CMS also notes that it intends to address hospital concerns with how the data are impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency in future rulemaking.