CMS and the NCQA are extending the quality data submission deadline for health plans by two weeks due to "extraordinary circumstances" caused by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare in late February.
Payers will now have until 5pm Eastern Time on June 28 to report their performance on Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures to the two organizations, according to an April 29 memo from CMS.
HEDIS measures include data on preventive care services, treatment, and equity and patient experience — they are used by CMS and NCQA to calculate star ratings for Medicare, Medicaid and commercial health plans.
“The Change Healthcare cyberattack has created unprecedented challenges to healthcare organizations across the country," Eric Schneider, MD, EVP, Quality Measurement and Research Group at NCQA, said in a statement to Becker's. "This disruptive incident, falling in the middle of the substantial effort and commitment required for quality reporting efforts, has significantly strained resources. Recognizing these extraordinary circumstances and in alignment with CMS, we are granting a deadline extension for the submission of HEDIS Measurement Year 2023 results."