The agency signaled plans to have an expert panel review feedback and offer suggestions before any further changes are made.
Hospitals are thanking the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for deferring further changes to the controversial star ratings program until after a panel of technical experts can weigh in.
Although the methodology had typically been updated every six months, the ratings have been updated only once since 2017 amid long-running complaints over their accuracy.
"The AHA appreciates that CMS, as we have urged, is seeking further expert input on its star ratings methodology," Ashley Thompson, the American Hospital Association's senior vice president of public policy analysis and development, said in a statement.
"We continue to believe that the agency must improve the accuracy and meaningfulness of star ratings before they are republished," Thompson added.
A spokesperson for CMS told AHA Today that the agency would convene a panel to review feedback on potential changes to the star ratings methodology and to recommend next steps.