​Amidst significant concerns regarding its methodology, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on April 20, 2016, that it will delay the release of its overall hospital quality star ratings until at least July 2016. The ratings had been scheduled for release on April 21; however, concerns from the American Hospital Association and others as to whether the methodology provided a fair, accurate, and meaningful representation of hospital performance persisted. A majority of Congress (60 senators, 225 members of the House) urged CMS to take time and re-evaluate its methodology, analyze its impact, and provide more transparency about the process. "The delay is a necessary step as hospitals and health systems work with CMS to improve the ratings for patients, and the AHA commends CMS for their decision," said Rich Pollack, American Hospital Association president and CEO, in a statement. "Health care consumers need reliable, factual information to make critical care decisions. We will continue to share our concerns with CMS as we look for ways to make changes to the ratings system, and ensure it is useful and helpful for patients." Additionally, CMS announced it would delay until May 4 its regularly scheduled update of data on individual Hospital Compare measures.

HRC Recommends: When choosing a healthcare provider, patients and families seek information from a variety of sources about the quality of care they might expect from a facility or individual provider. Higher star ratings may have the result of raising patient expectations; the ratings may also be used beyond their intended purpose, such as has occurred in litigation against nursing home facilities in which plaintiff attorneys attempt to persuade juries that the quality star ratings are indications of accepted standards of care. Risk managers should assess how the organization informs prospective patients about the safety and quality of care provided in its facilities to ensure that the organization presents the information accurately and honestly.