Beginning Nov 1, hospitals must electronically report data on COVID-19, influenza, and RSV to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Mandatory Weekly Reporting: Starting Nov 1, all Medicare- and Medicaid-participating hospitals (except certain psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities) must report COVID-19, influenza, and RSV data to the CDC on a weekly basis.
- Compliance Monitoring: CMS will evaluate hospital compliance through monthly reports from the CDC, with specific annual reporting requirements set for psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals.
- Risk of Non-Compliance: Hospitals that fail to meet the new reporting standards risk losing participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs, with data requirements including infection rates, bed capacity, and limited patient demographics.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released final guidance detailing reporting requirements for the hospital respiratory data condition of participation.
Under the new condition of participation, which takes effect Nov 1, all Medicare- and Medicaid-participating hospitals and critical access hospitals (other than psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric hospital distinct part units, and rehabilitation hospital distinct part units) will electronically submit certain COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a weekly basis.
CMS will evaluate compliance using monthly reports generated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric hospital distinct part units, and rehabilitation hospital distinct part units will report once, annually, beginning in January.
According to the guidance, “failure to report the specified data related to COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, including confirmed infections of respiratory illnesses among hospitalized patients, hospital bed census, and capacity (both overall and by hospital setting and population group [adult or pediatric]), and limited patient demographic information, including age, may lead to the termination of a hospital’s participation from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
The American Hospital Association says in a release that it will share additional information with members in an upcoming special bulletin.
