New CMS star ratings ignore socio-economic factors

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals with a high percentage of dual-eligible stays do worse than other hospitals in the readmissions category of the CMS star ratings, hurting their overall star rating, according to a Modern Healthcare analysis of CMS data.

In the latest preview of the CMS star ratings that will be released on Hospital Compare in February, the agency didn't risk-adjust hospitals by peer groups based on their dual-eligible population as it currently does in the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

Read article