New Attestations Screen in EQRS for ICH CAHPS & Commitment to Health Equity Attestation Submissions

January 2, 2024

On January 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added a new Facility Attestations screen in the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Reporting System (EQRS). Beginning on this date, EQRS users can access the Facility Attestations screen to submit In-center Hemodialysis Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (ICH CAHPS) attestations and/or Commitment to Health Equity attestations. Please note, the new Facility Attestations screen replaces the Attestation link previously on the Facility Summary screen for ICH CAHPS attestation submissions. As a reminder, calendar year (CY) 2023 ICH CAHPS attestations must be submitted in EQRS by February 29, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) and only applies to facilities that treated fewer than 30 eligible patients during the CY 2022 eligibility period for payment year (PY) 2025. For additional information on the ICH CAHPS Survey measure, refer to the ESRD QIP Technical Measure Specifications.

Additionally, the Facility Attestations screen also accommodates attestations submissions for the Facility Commitment to Health Equity measure; a new ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP) reporting measure beginning in PY 2026. Starting January 1, 2024, EQRS users can submit, view, and edit CY 2024 Commitment to Health Equity attestation data, and have until February 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT to submit this data. For detailed information on the Facility Commitment to Health Equity measure, register for the January 11, 2024 final rule webinar, or refer to the CY 2024 ESRD PPS Final Rule that is published online at the Federal Register. For training on how to submit Commitment to Health Equity attestations in EQRS, refer to the December Town Hall slides and video available on the Events page on www.MYCROWNWeb.org.

To navigate to the Facility Attestations screen, click Attestation from the Facilities drop-down tab in EQRS (Figure 1). Once on the Facility Attestations screen users can select the attestation they want to submit (Figure 2).

Figure 1: Navigating to the Facility Attestations screen in EQRS

Figure 2: Select ICH CAHPS or Commitment to Health Equity

For assistance with general EQRS and ESRD QIP questions, please contact the ESRD QIP Team via the QualityNet Q&A Tool. For assistance with EQRS technical issues, please contact the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) Service Center. The CCSQ Service Center is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time and can be reached via phone at 866-288-8912, email at qnetsupport-esrd@cms.hhs.gov or online at the CCSQ Support Center.