Home Health & Hospice Week

Stand by for an update on the assessment tool this fall.

Although it’s not officially approved yet, Medicare officials continue to build their hospice quality house on the foundation of the in-progress Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool.

“We will use field test results to create a final version of HOPE to propose in future rulemaking for national implemen­tation,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says in the 2024 hospice final payment rule published in the Aug. 2 Federal Register. “We will continue to inform all stakeholders throughout this process by using a variety of subregulatory channels and regular [Hospice Quality Reporting Program] communication strategies, such as Open-Door Forums (ODF), Medicare Learning Network (MLN), CMS.gov website announcements, listserv messaging, and other ad hoc publicly announced opportunities,” CMS says.

More specifically, “we plan to provide additional information regarding HOPE testing results on the HQRP website in fall of 2023,” the rule says.

CMS also confirms that it “intends to develop at least two HOPE-based process and outcome quality measures: (1) Timely Reassessment of Pain Impact; and (2) Timely Reassessment of Non-Pain Symptom Impact,” according to the regulation. “As development of the HOPE-based quality measures … continues, CMS will keep stakeholders informed of progress and will offer opportunities for stakeholders to learn more and provide feedback,” the agency pledges.

HOPE isn’t the rule’s only quality provision, notes law firm McGuire Woods in its rule analysis. It also contains sections on health equity, HQRP data completion thresholds, and the CAHPS survey.

However, CMS proposed no specific changes in those areas.