The Department of Veterans Affairs stopped sending its facilities' quality information this summer to national databases; although a 2010 law mandates the VA to report more comprehensive information to the database, according to USA Today.
Here are seven key takeaways:
1. A 2014 law requires the VA to report data so veterans can make more informed decisions about where to obtain care.
2. On the national database, CMS has data regarding death rates, readmission rates as well as other quality measures for U.S. private and public hospitals.
3. The VA told USA Today the agency stopped reporting the information on July 1.
4. Joe Francis, director of clinical analytics and reporting at the Veterans Health Administration, said the decision stemmed from HHS lawyers advice to stop sending information until both HHS and the VA reach a new deal about how to share information.
5. HHS did not comment to USA Today regarding Mr. Francis' statement, but did issue its own statement from a CMS spokesperson that said CMS is dedicated to giving its consumers additional healthcare information.
6. The VA site has nearly 140 different spreadsheets comprised of health statistics and ratings for VA facilities. Mr. Francis said, "I'm not defending what we have currently in terms of our reporting site. It is not a user-friendly interface by any means, but that site at least met the (accessibility) requirements."
7. The VA is seeking a contractor to improve the sites, although there is no concrete timeline for the VA to resume reporting to the national database.
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