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Statement of ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray on Medicaid and CHIP Quality Scorecard
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2018
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515; jvanness@communityplans.net
STATEMENT OF ACAP CEO MARGARET A. MURRAY ON MEDICAID AND CHIP QUALITY SCORECARD
WASHINGTON—Margaret A. Murray, Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), today made the following statement on a new Medicaid and CHIP scorecard recently launched by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):
“ACAP has long been a vocal supporter of the general principles of transparency and accountability. We applaud the action taken by CMS this week; it’s the right step to take.
“Further, we agree with Administrator Verma’s note that this is a beginning in terms of how we talk about quality, rather than an endpoint. For one thing, the draft scorecard brings into sharp relief the need for more uniform, consistent data reporting across the Medicaid program.
“Some inconsistencies in the data used to inform report card show the challenges in making informed comparisons when data are spotty. ACAP has consistently advocated for mandatory reporting on a core set of pediatric and adult quality measures allowing for comparisons between managed care, fee-for-service, and other Medicaid delivery systems. We’re pleased that as a result of the Bipartisan Budget Act, mandatory reporting on pediatric quality measures in Medicaid will come on line in the future, and call upon Congress to require the same of care for adults.
“The inclusion of measures of agency responsiveness at both the state and federal levels is a welcomed inclusion. Sometimes agency processes, especially around Medicaid managed care rate-setting, can be frustratingly opaque. This sheds important light on this area—for instance, the data show significant delays in turnaround times for some rate reviews at both the state and Federal level. I can’t recall that being measured or reported in such a systematic way before.
“It’s often said that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. This is a good start, and CMS deserves credit for its leadership here.”
About ACAP
ACAP represents 61 Safety Net Health Plans, which provide health coverage to more than 21 million people in 29 states. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.
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