Everything plan sponsors need to know about the CMS Universal Foundation

To help advance the goals of the National Quality Strategy, CMS introduced a “Universal Foundation” of quality measures in 2023. Quality measures are tools used to assess and compare the quality of different healthcare organizations. CMS uses quality measures in its quality improvement, public reporting, and pay-for-reporting programs for healthcare providers.

The Universal Foundation addresses the need to strike a balance between measuring important aspects of quality in the healthcare system while maintaining a streamlined set of measures. The purpose of the Universal Foundation is to promote alignment across CMS programs while minimizing the proliferation of quality measures. The Universal Foundation will apply to as many CMS quality rating and value-based care programs as possible, with additional measures added as needed.

While the introduction of quality measures more than 20 years ago has resulted in greater accountability and transparent quality performance information, an ever-expanding number of measures has led to confusion and a larger burden on providers.

CMS operates more than 20 quality programs, and each program has its own set of quality measures. While some measures are consistent across programs, many are not. A lack of alignment creates challenges for clinicians, healthcare facilities, and insurers when it comes to determining which outcomes to prioritize. Misalignment of measures also renders it difficult to make quality and equity comparisons across programs and settings.

A Universal Foundation resolves the issue of alignment and focuses provider attention on the most meaningful measures to drive quality improvements. This is key to fulfilling the CMS vision of promoting high-quality, safe, and equitable care.