Healthcare News and Headlines

CMS Plans Advance Care Planning Quality Measure

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed a new advance care planning (ACP) quality measure, MUC202-020, that would tie reimbursement to documented end‑of‑life conversations for patients 18 and older. The measure would apply to hospitals, home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities and ambulatory surgery centers and be incorporated into the Merit‑Based Incentive Payment System. Advocates say the policy could increase hospice utilization and curb the estimated $200 billion spent on unwanted aggressive care. Stakeholders caution that the metric must avoid a simple checklist and ensure high‑quality documentation.