Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) included the Global Malnutrition Composite score eCQM (GMCS) in their final rule for fiscal year (FY) 2023 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). The GMCS will begin in FY2024 and include screening for malnutrition risk at admission, nutrition assessment of patients at risk for malnutrition, appropriate malnutrition diagnosis documentation, and nutrition care plan documentation in the medical record.
This action by CMS is both welcome and warranted as it expands access to proper nutrition care. Per CMS, “The policies in the IPPS and LTCH PPS rule build on key priorities to advance health equity, including by better measuring health care quality disparities, and to improve the safety and quality of maternity care.” The GMCS represents an opportunity for supporting Medicare beneficiaries and the underserved populations in this country and meets four health equity priorities that CMS identified for reducing disparities in health.
As malnutrition is increasingly identified in the inpatient setting, DMT will be working to help identify community nutrition entities and connect them to hospitals. Our national coordinator, Bob Blancato, spoke to the importance of community connections in a recent Health Affairs article, stating, “to further reduce inequities, hospitals also need to coordinate with community organizations, public agencies, and outpatient nutrition services so patients can receive continuity of care and seamless nutrition interventions after discharge.” Read more about how this rule can connect the dots for quality malnutrition care here.
DMT commends the quality measure stewards, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Avalere Health, for their tireless work. DMT also commends the bipartisan group of 28 members of Congress led by Representatives Danny Davis (D-Ill) and Rodney Davis (R-Ill) for the letter they sent to CMS urging the adoption of the malnutrition quality measure. DMT has been a long-time advocate for inclusion of the malnutrition quality measure in the inpatient rule.