According to a CMS press release on November 1, 2006, hospitals will be required to participate in HCAHPS to receive a full payment update. Also, hospitals must report risk-adjusted outcome measures to receive the full payment update, including 30-day mortality measures for patients hospitalized with an acute myocardial infarction.

The final ruling announces CMS plans to develop additional quality measures that are specifically appropriate for hospital outpatient care, and will require hospitals to report the outpatient-specific measures beginning in 2009.

Hospitals must participate in at least one HCAHPS Dry Run before they can participate in full HCAHPS. All hospitals not collecting data on an ongoing basis starting in October 2006 will need to participate in the March 2007 HCAHPS Dry Run—even if the hospital has already completed a Dry Run in 2006. If you are not currently participating in HCAHPS, plan now for the HCAHPS Dry Run in March 2007 so that you can participate in the full HCAHPS implementation in July 2007.

This is a late-breaking announcement with far-reaching implications for hospitals. If you have questions about how this latest CMS announcement will affect your hospital and how HealtStream Research can help, contact our dedicated HCAHPS expert, at hcahps@healthstream.com.