*IMPORTANT UPDATE – SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED*

*THIS IS A TARGETED FAX FROM CMS TO YOUR FACILITY*

RECOGNIZING THAT THE AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER QUALITY REPORTING (ASCQR) PROGRAM IS IN ITS INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION YEARS, THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) IS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL TIME TO COMPLETE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UPCOMING PAYMENT DETERMINATION BY EXTENDING THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING ONLINE DATA FROM AUGUST 15, 2015 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 FOR THE FOLLOWING MEASURES:

  • ASC-6: SAFE SURGERY CHECKLIST USE*
  • ASC-7: ASC FACILITY VOLUME DATA ON SELECTED ASC SURGICAL PROCEDURES*
  • ASC-8: INFLUENZA VACCINATION COVERAGE AMONG HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL**
  • ASC-9: ENDOSCOPY/POLYP SURVEILLANCE: APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-UP INTERVAL FOR NORMAL COLONOSCOPY IN AVERAGE RISK PATIENTS*
  • ASC-10: ENDOSCOPY/POLYP SURVEILLANCE: COLONOSCOPY INTERVAL FOR PATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF ADENOMATOUS POLYPS – AVOIDANCE OF INAPPROPRIATE USE*

* SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO CMS THROUGH THE SECURE PORTAL OF QUALITYNET

** SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SAFETY NETWORK (NHSN))

ASCS THAT DO NOT MEET THIS DEADLINE MAY RECEIVE A TWO PERCENTAGE POINT REDUCTION IN THEIR CY 2016 MEDICARE PAYMENT UPDATE.

DO NOT DELAY!OUR RECORDS INDICATE THAT AS OF JULY 30, 2015, YOUR FACILITY HAS NOT COMPLETED THE DATA SUBMISSION IN THE QUALITYNET SECURE PORTAL OR NHSN ONLINE TOOLS.

TO SUBMIT ASC-6, ASC-7, ASC-9 AND ASC-10 DATA IN THE QUALITYNET SECURE PORTAL TOOL, A SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR (SA) OR AN ACTIVE ACCOUNT HOLDER WITH A DATA ENTRY ROLE (A REGISTERED QUALITYNET BASIC USER) IS REQUIRED.

TO SUBMIT ASC-8 DATA IN THE NHSN TOOL, FACILITIES MUST COMPLETE THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS. THIS MULTI-STEP PROCESS IS NECESSARY TO SUBMIT DATA REQUIRED BY CMS’ ASC QUALITY REPORTING (ASCQR) PROGRAM.

PROCESSING TIME FOR QUALITYNET REGISTRATION FORMS AND NHSN ENROLLMENT FORMS REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF TWO TO FOUR WEEKS.

IF YOUR FACILITY BEGAN THESE PROCESSES, ENSURE THAT YOU COMPLETE ALL OF THE STEPS AND SUBMIT YOUR DATA.

IF YOU ARE GETTING THIS NOTICE AND THINK YOU HAVE COMPLETED DATA SUBMISSION, SEE THE TIPS BELOW TO ENSURE DATA SUBMISSION IS COMPLETE.YOU CAN CHECK YOUR DATA SUBMISSION STATUS BY VISITING AND CLICKING ON “STATUS LISTING LOOKUP TOOL” IN THE ASC MENU. TO CHECK SUBMISSION OF DATA SUBMITTED TO QUALITYNET, SELECT “WEB-BASED STATUS LISTING”; TO CHECK DATA SUBMISSION FOR NHSN, SELECT “NHSN STATUS LISTING.”

TIPS FOR DATA SUBMISSION THROUGH THE QUALITYNET SECURE PORTAL

  • SELECT PAYMENT YEAR2016 IN THE DROP-DOWN MENU WHEN YOU ACCESS THE WEB-BASED MEASURES DATA TOOL.
  • DATA SUBMITTED UNDER “PAYMENT YEAR 2015” WAS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED IN 2013 AND DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS CURRENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
  • SUBMIT DATA FOR ALL FOUR WEB-BASED MEASURES.
  • IF YOUR FACILITY HAS ZERO CASES TO REPORT FOR ANY MEASURE OR CATEGORY, A ZERO (0) MUST BE ENTERED IN ORDER TO MEET THE ASCQR PROGRAM REQUIREMENT.

TIPS FOR NHSN ENROLLMENT

  • FOR ENROLLMENT TO BE VALID, YOU MUST ENTER A VALID CCN FOR YOUR FACILITY.
  • IF THIS CCN WAS ISSUED PRIOR TO 01/01/2015, YOU MUST ENTER AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF 01/01/2015.
  • IF THE CCN WAS ISSUED AFTER 01/01/2015, YOU MUST ENTER THE EXACT DATE THE CCN WAS RECEIVED.
  • SELECT THE CORRECT TYPE OF FACILITY: “AMB-SURG-OUTPATIENT SURGERY FACILITY.”

TIPS FOR DATA SUBMISSION ON NHSN

  • WHEN ADDING YOUR FACILITY’S MONTHLY REPORTING PLAN, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO:
  • SELECT A MONTH BETWEEN JANUARY AND JUNE
  • SELECT 2015
  • CLICK THE BOX FOR “INFLUENZA VACCINATION SUMMARY”

NO OTHER BOXES SHOULD BE SELECTED ON THIS SCREEN.

  • WHEN SUBMITTING YOUR FACILITY’S DATA, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO:
  • SELECT THE FLU SEASON FOR “2014/2015”

THE NHSN ENROLLMENT PROCESS IS OUTLINED AT

INFORMATION ABOUT INFLUENZA VACCINATION DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING IS AVAILABLE AT

CDC CAN ASSIST YOU WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NHSN PROCESS VIA EMAIL AT .

THE ASCQR PROGRAM SUPPORT CONTRACTOR CAN ASSIST YOU WITH QUALITYNET SECURE PORTAL PROCESS OR ANY PROGRAM-RELATED ISSUES AT 866.800.8756 OR AT

A COPY OF THIS FAX AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO DATA SUBMISSION CAN BE FOUND AT BY CLICKING ON “VIDEO, RESOURCES AND TOOLS” UNDER THE ASC MENU AND LOCATING THE “DATA SUBMISSION COMMUNICATION RESOURCES.”

This material was prepared by the Outpatient Quality Reporting Outreach and Education Support Contractor under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). FL-OQR/ASC-Ch8-07312015-05