RHQDAPU Program Overview
Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update
The Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update (RHQDAPU) program was initially developed as a result of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003. Section 5001(a) of Pub. 109-171 of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 set out new requirements for the RHQDAPU program, which build on the ongoing voluntary Hospital Quality Initiative.
The RHQDAPU program is intended to equip consumers with quality of care information to make more informed decisions about their health care. It is also intended to encourage hospitals and clinicians to improve the quality of inpatient care provided to all patients. The hospital quality of care information gathered through the program is available to consumers on the Hospital Compare website.
The RHQDAPU program requires "sub-section (d)" hospitals to submit data for specific quality measures for health conditions common among people with Medicare, and which typically result in hospitalization.
Hospitals that do not participate in the RHQDAPU program will receive a reduction of 2.0 percent in their Medicare Annual Payment Update for fiscal year 2011. To avoid the reduction in their Annual Payment Update, hospitals must meet specific requirements outlined in the RHQDAPU participation steps (Reference Checklist) for FY 2011 (PDF-104 KB). Annual Payment Update will be based on data submitted for the RHQDAPU FY 2011 Reporting Quarters (PDF–69 KB, Word–56 KB).