The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 1,270-page 2027 Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program (ASCQR) Final Rule (opens in a new tab). This blog covers the changes finalized for ASCQR.
2027 Final Changes: 1 Measure Removal
The Appropriate Follow-Up Interval for Normal Colonoscopy in Average Risk Patients measure was finalized for removal, beginning in 2027.
CMS’ rationale for removing this measure is that it assesses documentation of a 10-year interval for a follow-up colonoscopy, rather than a patient outcome. Because there is already an ASCQR measure that evaluates whether patients return to the hospital within 7 days of a colonoscopy (Facility 7-Day Risk-Standardized Hospital Visit Rate after Outpatient Colonoscopy), CMS determined that the Follow-Up Interval measure is unnecessary.
There are no other measure changes to the ASCQR program for 2027.
Final 2027 ASCQR Measure Set
| ASC # | Measure Name | Mandatory/Voluntary |
|---|---|---|
| ASC-1 | Patient Burn | Mandatory |
| ASC-2 | Patient Fall | Mandatory |
| ASC-3 | Wrong Site, Wrong Side, Wrong Patient, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Implant | Mandatory |
| ASC-4 | All-Cause Hospital Transfer/Admission | Mandatory |
| ASC-11 | Cataracts Visual Function (Previously referred to as Cataracts: Improvement in Patient’s Visual Function within 90 Days Following Cataract Surgery) | Voluntary |
| ASC-12 | Facility 7-Day Risk-Standardized Hospital Visit Rate after Outpatient Colonoscopy | Mandatory |
| ASC-13 | Normothermia Outcome | Mandatory |
| ASC-14 | Unplanned Anterior Vitrectomy | Mandatory |
| ASC-15a-e | OAS CAHPS Measures | Mandatory |
| ASC-17 | Hospital Visits after Orthopedic Ambulatory Surgical Center Procedures | Mandatory |
| ASC-18 | Hospital Visits after Urology Ambulatory Surgical Center Procedures | Mandatory |
| ASC-19 | Facility-Level 7-Day Hospital Visits after General Surgery Procedures Performed at Ambulatory Surgical Centers | Mandatory |
| ASC-21 | Risk-Standardized Patient-Reported Outcome-Based Performance Measure (PRO– PM) Following Elective Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) and/or Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) in the ASC Setting (THA/TKA PRO–PM) | Voluntary (Mandatory starting in 2029) |
Next Steps
- Share this information with your colleagues.
- If you are an Anatomy IT client, contact your ASCQR Expert if you have any questions or if you plan on adding a new facility.
- If you are not an Anatomy IT client, contact us (opens in a new tab) to learn more about our services and to reap the rewards of our combined decades of experience.
If you have any questions on this, let us know!
Written By: Sarrah Hakim, MHSA
About the Author: Sarrah is the Director of Health Policy at Anatomy IT.