Medicare mulling star rating system for hospitals

Medicare is considering assigning stars or some other easily understood symbol to hospitals so patients can more easily compare the quality of care at various institutions (Source: “Hospitals May Soon Be Reaching For The Stars,” Kaiser Health News, July 18, 2013). 

The ratings would appear on Medicare’s Hospital Compare website and be based on many of the 100 quality measures the agency already publishes. In a statement, Medicaid officials said that, "Visual cues can be an important way to help patients understand how their hospital measures up to others," adding that the government is interested in hearing from people about "user-friendly, creative designs for a rating system to help patients get information so they can take an active role in their care."

In a letter to Medicare, however, the Association of American Medical Colleges said it "strongly opposes the use of a star rating system, which may make inappropriate distinctions for hospitals whose performance is not statistically different. A star rating system can also exaggerate minor performance differences on measures."