The CMS Quality Roadmap: quality plus efficiency

In addition to demonstrating wide variations in costs, resource inputs, and quality in California hospitals, John Wennberg and colleagues demonstrate that higher quality of care might be associated with increased delivery system efficiencies and lower costs. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is attempting to address issues raised by Wennberg in implementation of its Quality Roadmap. The CMS is actively working with health care stakeholders to identify health care efficiency measures, to address opportunities for improvement in health care quality and efficiency, and to consider policy approaches for reducing regional variation in quality and efficiency.