Officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced that VA hospitals outperformed non-VA hospitals in 2 major independent, nationwide reviews for patient satisfaction and care quality.
In a prepared statement,1 officials with the VA cited the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Patient Satisfaction Survey, which noted that 79% of VA facilities received a summary star rating of 4 or 5 stars compared with 40% of non-VA hospitals. This represents the ninth consecutive quarter in which VA facilities have outperformed non-VA counterparts.
The statement also cited the CMS’ Hospital Quality Ratings, which concluded that more than 58% of the included VA hospitals received 4- or 5-star ratings compared with 40% of non-VA hospitals.
Both CMS ratings aim to improve patients’ ability to make informed decisions about where they receive care. CMS awards ratings to hospitals based on 5 categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. CMS’ ratings combine information across 10 measures of patient experience, including staff communication and responsiveness, hospital environment, willingness to recommend the hospital, and overall hospital rating. This year’s Overall Star Ratings are based on data collected between July 2019 and March 2023, and this quarter’s HCAHPS star ratings are based on data collected between October 2022 and September 2023.
“We’ve made millions more veterans eligible for VA healthcare under the PACT Act – and now, we want to make sure that every one of them gets timely access to the world-class care they deserve,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in the prepared statement about the findings. “Whenever a veteran sets foot in a VA facility, we want them to know that they are getting the very best care this nation has to offer – and we won’t ever settle for anything less.”
In the 2 years following the enactment of the PACT Act, nearly 740,000 veterans have enrolled in VA healthcare, representing a 33% increase over the previous 2-year period. VA is on pace to deliver 127 million healthcare appointments in 2024, surpassing last year’s record of 120 million.
Reference
- Veterans Affairs. VA health care outperforms non-VA care in two independent, nationwide quality and patient satisfaction reviews. Press release. September 3, 2024. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-health-care-outperforms-non-va-care-in-two-independent-nationwide-quality-and-patient-satisfaction-reviews/