Press Release  Massachusetts Quality Measure Alignment Task Force Releases Health Equity Measure Accountability And Data Standards Recommendations

Today, the Massachusetts Quality Measure Alignment Task Force released a recommended health equity measure accountability framework and a set of data standards for use by all payers and providers across the Commonwealth in global risk-based contracts.

The framework outlines principles for developing and implementing key contractual measures, and the data standards provide specifications which data points payer and provider organizations need to track, as well as how it should be collected.

“Adoption of the health equity measure accountability framework and data standards are a critical step forward for payers and providers,” said Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Secretary Marylou Sudders. “This allows us to measure progress towards addressing and improving health and health care inequities experienced by residents of the Commonwealth.”

The task force was convened by EOHHS in collaboration with the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) and the Center for Health Information Analysis (CHIA). The recommended health equity measure accountability framework and full list of data standards can be found here.

The task force developed the health equity measure accountability framework and data standards through a rigorous process, including the procurement of two Health Equity Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs), extensive public comment, and 20 semi-structured cognitive interviews facilitated by Massachusetts Health Quality Partners with individuals of diverse backgrounds.

The Health Equity TAGs for Accountability and Data Standards each met regularly between February and June 2022, and produced recommendations finalized by the Task Force. In 2023, the Task Force will continue developing recommendations for equity-focused performance measures to incorporate into the Massachusetts Aligned Measure Set for voluntary adoption by payers and providers in global budget-based risk contracts in the Commonwealth.

The recommended framework and data standards go into effect on January 1, 2023. For the data standards specifically, the Task Force endorses implementation of the race, ethnicity (including granular ethnicity), and language data standards within one year of the effective date (January 1, 2024) and implementation of the disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex data standards within two years of the effective date (January 1, 2025). Payer and provider organizations should collect the data or validate the data with the patient or member annually, with the potential for greater frequency for individual data standards at their discretion.

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