CMS Releases Medicare Data for Quality-Based Metrics

CMS has released new data on ethnic and racial backgrounds of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, which will allow for analysis related to quality-based metrics within various populations.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is further attempting to innovate and improve medicine through quality-based metrics, as the CMS Office of Minority Health has released new data that provides more information on the quality of care patients who have Medicare Advantage based on ethnic and racial backgrounds.

The data that was collected is based on two different groups of information, according to a press release from CMS. First, the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) was used to collect more medical records and administrative data. HEDIS is used to figure out whether Medicare beneficiaries receive quality care for a variety of different medical conditions such as chronic lung disease, diabetes, or heart disease.

“This is the first time that CMS has released Medicare Advantage data stratified by race and ethnicity.  Increasing understanding and awareness of disparities and their causes is the first step of our path to equity,” Dr. Cara James, Director of the CMS Office of Minority Health, said in a public statement. “While these data do not tell us why differences exist, they show where we have problems and can help spur efforts to understand what can be done to reduce or eliminate these differences.” Access the complete article.

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