CMS delays release of new hospital quality ratings

Editor's Note

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 20 announced that it will delay until July the release of hospital quality “star ratings” on its Hospital Compare website, the April 20 Modern Healthcare reports. The ratings were scheduled to be released April 21.

The delay stems from concerns raised by industry stakeholders and lawmakers about whether the methodology provides a fair, accurate, and meaningful representation of hospital performance. 

The CMS postponed the release of new overall quality star ratings for U.S. hospitals one day before their scheduled reveal, bowing to pressure from lawmakers and industry stakeholders. The ratings are now slated to be published May 4, the CMS said in an e-mail to hospitals Wednesday.