This HealthAffairs blog entry notes that “despite {Medicaid’s} vital importance and nearly 50 years in existence, there is currently no comprehensive, standardized framework for measuring the quality of care provided to Medicaid patients.” That’s in large part because it’s designed and implemented on a state-by-state basis and most quality reporting is voluntary.

And “Without a standardized measurement framework, states have few ways to compare their program with others.”

So  The Partnership for Medicaid proposes creating such a framework, by:

1. “Developing a succinct, common reporting set of quality measures. Reporting would be phased in, beginning with a limited number of measures to guarantee reporting is manageable for providers, plans, and states.

2. “Completing the federal reporting infrastructure, much of which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has already developed.

3. “Implementing federal incentives for states to report.

4. “Requiring mandatory, meaningful reporting by all states soon thereafter.”