AHA asks CMS to suspend VBP pain questions

Editor's Note

The American Hospital Association (AHA) on April 29 asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend their pain-related questions in the Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program until concerns are addressed that the questions may contribute to the opioid epidemic, AHA News Now reports.

The AHA says it wants to make sure the questions do not create pressure to prescribe opioids or punish providers who choose not to prescribe them.

The AHA today urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to suspend the pain-related questions in the Value-Based Purchasing Program while the agency works to address concerns the questions may inadvertently contribute to the opioid epidemic. The three questions are part of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Services.