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.
The health system's leaders are considering a rebranding initiative that could cost more than $100 million.
As leaders at Boston-based Partners HealthCare refine the organization's strategic path forward, they are reportedly considering a potential name change to emphasize the nonprofit's academic clout.
"How we present ourselves as a system that resonates with our patients, our care teams, our staff, our communities, and the world at large is incredibly important," Klibanski told the Globe's Priyanka Dayal McCluskey.
One possible name under consideration is Mass General Brigham Health, a nod to the two teaching hospitals that founded Partners HealthCare 25 years ago, and the cost of a rebranding project could exceed $100 million, the Globe reported.