CMS Releases Hospice Compare Website and Simplifies Notice of Election Submission Process

On August 16, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released Hospice Compare, a website designed to help consumers choose the best hospice provider.

Hospice Compare Website. The website permits patients and their families to review quality ratings, compare up to three facilities at a time, and bookmark favorite facilities for future reference.

In the “compare” view, consumers can get a snapshot of how the facilities stack up against each other on key quality measures, including how well a facility handles:

• Treatment preferences
• Patient beliefs and values
• Pain screening
• Pain assessment
• Screening for shortness of breath
• Treatment for shortness of breath
• Bowel regimens for patients treated with opioids.

In the “profile” view, consumers can see how a facility measures up to the national average in each category.

Identifying Errors in Hospice Compare Data. Prior to the release of data each quarter, CMS gives providers 30 days to review their quality measures using a Hospice Provider Preview Report. Preview reports should be saved, as they are available only for 60 days.

If a provider believes there is an error in the Preview Report, it must submit a request for review to HospicePRquestions@cms.hhs.gov within the 30-day period. The email request must contain the following information:

• Hospice CMS certification number (CCN),
• Hospice agency name and mailing address,
• CEO or CEO-designated representative contact information including, name, email address, telephone number, and physical mailing address, and
• Information supporting the claim that the data contained within the Preview Report is wrong, including quality measures affected and aspects of quality measures affected (denominator or quality metric).

Electronic NOE Submissions. On July 27, 2017, CMS issued a memo announcing that, as of January 1, 2018, hospice notices of election (NOEs) may be submitted via electronic data interchange (EDI). Previously, NOEs had to be submitted via paper claim submissions or direct data entry. According to CMS, the EDI transfer should expedite the process and reduce errors involved in direct data entry.