The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule Tuesday that will require the reporting of three different quality measures in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
The rule finalizes requirements, for the first time, for annual state reporting of Medicaid and CHIP quality measures that, up until now, have been voluntary, though highly encouraged. The mandatory reporting requirement aims to further improve the quality of care delivered to beneficiaries as well as advance health equity.
The new reporting requirements, which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2024, will include three different quality measure sets, including the Core Set of Children’s Health Care Quality Measures for Medicaid and CHIP, the behavioral health measures on the Core Set of Adult Health Care Quality Measures for Medicaid, and the Core Sets of Health Home Quality Measures for Medicaid.
The implementation of the mandatory Core Sets reporting is a “major step” in improving the quality of care provided to beneficiaries across the country, according to the final rule.
“The ability to assess the quality of and access to care furnished by State Medicaid and CHIP programs is critical given that more than 93 million Americans receive coverage in Medicaid and CHIP, and the annual expenditures for the programs are over $600 billion,” wrote the agency.
For more information, click here for the final rule on the Federal Register.