Category Archives: Reimbursement

Preview of New 2728 Form

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CMS has finalized the updated version 2023 Form CMS-2728, which can be viewed and downloaded from https://www.cms.gov/medicare/cms-forms/cms-forms/cms-forms-items/cms008867.

Please Note: The End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Reporting System (EQRS) will continue to generate the current version 2018 Form CMS-2728. The use of any Form CMS-2728 other than what is available in EQRS is not authorized until otherwise instructed. Communication on when the new version will automatically generate and be available in EQRS will be forthcoming from CMS.   

For additional information and resources on the Form CMS-2728 updates, register for and attend the March 14, 2024, ESRD Outreach, Communication, and Training (EOCT) Town Hall event. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7713799083884657493. For more information on the March Town Hall see https://mycrownweb.org/2024/02/march-2024-town-hall-announce/. 

For assistance with EQRS technical issues, contact the CCSQ Service Center at 866-288-8912, qnetsupport-esrd@cms.hhs.gov, or https://cmsqualitysupport.servicenowservices.com/ccsq_support_central, Mon-Fri 5am-5pm Pacific Time. For assistance with general EQRS and ESRD QIP questions, contact the ESRD QIP Team at https://cmsqualitysupport.servicenowservices.com/qnet_qa?id=ask_a_question

February Events and Notices

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February 8, 2024: CMS NTP on Medicare Updates & Education Webinar, https://cmsnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/moodle/login/index.php.

February 20, 2024: EQRS New User Training, https://mycrownweb.org/pcw_lems/february-2024-new-user-training/.

New EQRS Facility Vaccination Dashboards: For instructions on use see https://mycrownweb.org/2024/01/new-eqrs-dashboard-facility-influenza-vaccination/ for Influenza Vaccines, and https://mycrownweb.org/2024/02/new-eqrs-dashboard-facility-pneumococcal-pneumonia-vaccination/ for Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccines.

CMS Has Published CY2024 QIP NHSN Data Entry Deadlines: In general, quarterly NHSN data on HD BSI, Dialysis Events, and HCP Vaccination is due three months after the end of each quarter. For details for 2024 see https://mycrownweb.org/education/nhsn-submission-deadlines-for-cy-2024-esrd-qip-data/, and for October-December 2023 see https://mycrownweb.org/2023/09/nhsn-submission-deadlines-for-calendar-year-2023/.

CMS Has Published Instructions for Annual Facility Surveys Forms 2744A and B: All Medicare-certified dialysis (2744A) and transplant (2744B) facilities must complete Form CMS-2744, the ESRD Medical Information System ESRD Facility Survey, providing a final count of all patients and treatments provided by the facility during the prior calendar year. Forms 2744 also includes important facility and patient demographic information, such as Medicare status, vocational rehabilitation, and facility staff counts. Note that facilities should first check with their Organization, as many ESRD Providers complete the 2744s at the Organization Level rather than the Facility Level. Note Also that 2744 submission deadlines and coordination are set by the ESRD Networks, here Comagine ESRD Network 16 at https://comagine.org/esrd. Find detailed Instructions for completing Forms 2744 at https://mycrownweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-CMS-2744-Annual-Survey_Training-Aid_For-508ing_vFINAL508.pdf.

CMS Has Created a New Website Introducing Value-Based Care, at https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation-center/value-based-care-spotlight.

CMS Has Published the QIP Measures Manual and Technical Specs for CY2024. Find the ESRD Measures Manual for the 2024 Performance Period at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/esrd-measures-manual-v91.pdf, and the CY 2024 ESRD QIP Technical Measures Specifications at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/cy-2024-technical-measure-specifications.pdf.

CDC has updated their V-Safe Website to include Three New Vaccines, including maternal RSV vaccine, RSV vaccines for older adults, and 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines. V-Safe allows you to describe your own personal reactions to vaccines, in order to educate CDC and the public about what others might expect from their inoculations.  Find V-Safe, in English and Spanish, at https://vsafe.cdc.gov/, and information about how it works at https://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/help-promote-v-safe-to-vaccine-recipients/. Find details about the RSV vaccines at https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/clinical/index.html, and about the current COVID-19 vaccines at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/overview-COVID-19-vaccines.html.

CY2024 EQRS Submission Deadlines

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CMS EQRS submission deadlines have been published for CY2024 data for all collection types (Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis) and all submission methods, including data for:

  • EQRS Clinical Data
  • Clinical Depression Screening and Follow-Up Assessments
  • ICH CAHPS Attestation
  • Commitment to Health Equity Attestation (new reporting measure starting in PY2026)

For details on how to submit data in EQRS, refer to the Education page on www.MyCROWNWeb.org. Failure to submit the required data by these deadlines puts your facility at risk for an ESRD QIP payment reduction. If your facility batch submits or uses Health Information Exchange/Electronic Data Interchange methods for data submission, follow the guidance provided by your organization. CMS strongly recommends that facilities complete large data submissions and audit batch-submitted data well before submission deadlines to ensure accurate and timely data submission.

EQRS Submission Schedule for EQRS Clinical Data
Reporting MonthData Submission Deadline
January 2024April 1, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
February 2024April 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
March 2024May 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
April 2024July 1, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
May 2024July 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
June 2024September 3, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
July 2024September 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
August 2024October 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
September 2024December 2, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
October 2024December 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT
November 2024January 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT
December 2024February 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT
EQRS Submission Schedule for Clinical Depression Screening and Follow-Up Assessments
Assessment PeriodData Submission Deadline
January 2024 – December 2024February 28, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT
EQRS Submission Schedule for ICH CAHPS Facility Attestation
Attestation PeriodSubmission Deadline
January 2024 – December 2024February 28, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT
EQRS Submission Schedule for Commitment to Health Equity Attestation
Attestation PeriodSubmission Deadline
January 2024 – December 2024February 28, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT

For help with EQRS technical issues, contact the CCSQ Service Center Mon-Fri 5am-5pm Pacific Time at 866-288-8912, qnetsupport-esrd@cms.hhs.gov or online at the CCSQ Support Center. For help with general EQRS and QIP questions, contact the ESRD QIP Team via the QualityNet Q&A Tool.

1/10+ January+ Events

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  • January 24, 2024: NKF Navigating Transplant, the first Zoom session in a series of Transplant-focused “Lunch& Learn” Sessions for Dialysis Professionals – Ready, Set, Go… Referring Dialysis Patients for Kidney Transplant Evaluation. Find more information and register to earn 1.0 free CE credits at http://tinyurl.com/NKFreadysetgo. See also the second poster below.

More December+ Events

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December 6, 2023: Medicaid/CHIPS Renewal Webinar, What to Know and How to Prepare: A Partner Education Monthly Series, online, find more information and registration at https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_qma5AvyBQWCTB0vbNF3lTA#/registration.

December 14, 2023: EQRS Town Hall re ESRD Reporting Deadlines, EQRS Updates including Dashboard Reports, CY2024 ESRD Final Rule, New Facility Commitment to Health Equity Measure, PY2024 QIP Final PSRs/PSCs, online, more information and registration at https://mycrownweb.org/pcw_community_events/december-2023-town-hall/.

January 2, 2024: CY2024 ESRD/AKI Updates Effective, summarized at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mm13445-esrd-acute-kidney-injury-dialysis-cy-2024-updates.pdf.

January 2-March 29, 2024: Longer CCSQ Hold Times Expected for EQRS questions; for more information, see the 2-page attachment below. The embedded links don’t work, but they are:

January 24, 2024: Medicaid/CHIPS Renewal Webinar, What to Know and How to Prepare: A Partner Education Monthly Series, online, find more information and registration at https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_qma5AvyBQWCTB0vbNF3lTA#/registration.

Longer CCSQ Hold Times Expected bulletin:

December Events

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Updated NTP Training Materials: Health Insurance Marketplace® Basics PowerPoint; Marketplace to Medicare: What You Can Expect PowerPoint. Visit CMSnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/resources to view all CMS training materials.

New/Updated CMS Products: Medicare & the Health Insurance Marketplace®; Medicare: Getting Started; Medicare & Home Health Care. Order CMS products in bulk at the product ordering website.

ESRD QIP CY2024 Final Rule: See https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/calendar-year-2024-end-stage-renal-disease-esrd-prospective-payment-system-pps-final-rule-cms-1782-f.

December 4, 2023: Deadline for Final PY2024 ESRD QIP PSRs and PSCs, available from EQRS, to be prominently posted in English and Spanish. See https://qualitynet.cms.gov/esrd/esrdqip/resources#tab2 for instructions, and https://cmsqualitysupport.servicenowservices.com/qnet_qa, or 866-288-8912 5am-5pm PST Mon-Fri, or qnetsupport-esrd@cms.hhs.gov for assistance.

December 5, 2023: Donate Life NW Webinar 201 on The Science Behind Organ Donation, online, https://www.donatelifenw.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=10037&id=10037.

December 12, 2023: EQRS New User Training, online, https://mycrownweb.org/pcw_lems/december-2023-new-user-training/.

December 31, 2024: Deadline for NWRD Annual Conference Poster, Exhibitor Applications, https://www.nwrdonline.org/conference-overview.

January 4, 2024: Donate Life Orientation 101 on New Ambassador Training, online, https://www.donatelifenw.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=10031&id=10031.

January 15, 2024: Registration Opens for NWRD Annual Conference, https://www.nwrdonline.org/conference-overview.

January 16, 2024: Donate Life Webinar 301 on School Programs, online, https://www.donatelifenw.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=10046&id=10046.

March 7-8, 2024: NWRD Annual Conference, Portland OR, https://www.nwrdonline.org/conference-overview. See Conference poster below.

8/8+ More August and Beyond Events

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8/1+ Upcoming Events

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7/18+ More July+ Events and Announcements

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7/17+ PY2024 QIP Review Period Begins

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CMS reminds you that the PY2024 ESRD QIP Preview Period is scheduled to open on Monday, July 17, 2023, and close on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

When the Preview Period Opens: To view your facility or organization’s ESRD QIP scores, reports, and inquiries as a Facility Viewer or Facility or Corporate Point of Contact (POC):

CMS strongly recommends EQRS users log into EQRS NO LATER THAN July 17, 2023, to verify that their EQRS role is active. Following this recommendation will help ensure necessary access during the ESRD QIP preview period. To login and verify your EQRS role click here: https://eqrs.cms.gov/globalapp/.

During the PY 2024 ESRD QIP Preview Period: CMS recommends that every organization take the following steps: 

  • Facility Viewers and Facility and Corporate POCs should review their facility’s preview PSR, which is available through the ESRD QIP user interface in EQRS.
  • POCs should submit inquiries about their facility’s PY2024 preview scores before the preview period concludes.

CMS will evaluate all inquiries and make any necessary adjustments to facility PSRs. Facilities will continue to receive responses to their inquiries via the ESRD QIP user interface in EQRS after the close of the preview period. 

More information on using EQRS including user role requests, downloading preview PSRs, and submitting inquiries will be covered in the August 8, 2023, ESRD QIP Town Hall event.

For assistance regarding the information in this message, please contact the ESRD QIP Team using the QualityNet Question & Answer Tool.

If you are having technical issues with accessing reports in the ESRD QIP user interface, please contact the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) Service Center. The CCSQ Service Center is open Monday-Friday 5am to 5pm Pacific Time and can be reached via phone at 866-288-8912, email at qnetsupport-esrd@cms.hhs.gov, or on the internet at CCSQ Support Central.