CMS ESRD quality incentive program has not improved patient dialysis vascular access.

Purpose: Over 468,000 patients in the United States use hemodialysis to manage End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the dialysis access Clinical Performance Measures (CPMs) of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP) have increased arteriovenous fistula (AVF) rates and decreased long-term tunneled hemodialysis catheter (TDC) rates among hemodialysis patients in United States.

Methods: Retrospective observational study: evaluated reported AVF and long-term TDC rates of 4804 dialysis facilities which reported dialysis access data as part of the ESRD QIP from Payment Year (PY) 2014-2020. Facilities were also sorted by specific additional criteria to examine disparities in dialysis access.

Results: Mean AVF rates of included facilities increased from 63.7% in PY 2014 to 67.2% in PY 2016 ( < 0.05), did not change in PY 2017 ( > 0.05), and declined significantly in PY 2018-2020 to 64.1% in PY 2020, near AVF rates at the inception of program. Long-term TDC rates decreased from 10.4% in PY 2014 to 9.88% in PY 2015 ( < 0.05), then increased in PY 2015-PY 2020 to rates higher than at the inception of program, at 11.8% in PY 2020 ( < 0.05). Facilities serving majority Black ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) or ZCTAs with median income <$45,000 achieved significantly lower AVF rates ( < 0.05) with no significant difference in long-term TDC rates ( > 0.05). AVF rates correlated positively and long-term TDC rates correlated negatively with star rating of facilities ( < 0.05).

Conclusion: As one of the first financial QIPs in healthcare, the ESRD QIP has not achieved the stated goals of the CMS to increase AVF access rates above 68% and reduce long-term TDC clinical rates below 10%. Systemic disparities in race, geographic region, economic status, healthcare access, and education of providers and patients prevent successful attainment of goal metrics.