I know this is short notice. Quickly submit a letter  TODAY JUNE 17 demanding that CMS not give in to industry pressure on this vital patient empowerment issue. Pick a template letter provided by Leapfrog Group and use it as is, or change as many words as you like:

How to submit:

1. Click on one of these template letters and edit it (or just write your own):
   • Safety Advocates
   • Employers
   • Patient and Consumer Groups
2. Go to the CMS comment page and in the “Comment*” field, write “Do not suppress safety data!!!  Consumers need it!” or anything you want. (You can type your whole comment here if you want.)
3. On the line “What is your comment about?” select “Consumer Group.”
4. If you’re uploading a document (instead of just typing it on step 2), use the Attach File thing
5. Add your email address.  To get an email confirmation, check the checkbox.

Spread the word. 

Today is the deadline.  Just forward this to friends and family and tell them to submit it today. They can even copy one of the standard letters above or whatever you send.

This is so important: how can patients be empowered healthcare consumers – and REWARD THE BEST HOSPITALS – if the the safety data starts getting suppressed??? See our 2016 post on why this is important:

Shop carefully for your momma’s hospital, or your baby’s, or your own! Use this information. Remember, nobody’s perfect, but we think consumers deserve to know – and we think great providers deserve recognition.

Look at the media coverage already:

• Fortune: Hospitals have become less safe during the pandemic. So why does the government want to suppress hospital safety data?
• MedPage Today: CMS Proposal to Suppress Hospital Safety Data Angers Advocates
• Forbes: Hospital Errors Worsened During The Pandemic, Say Federal Officials. Now They Want To Suppress The Data.
• Philadelphia Inquirer: The feds want to hide hospital safety scores during COVID, making it harder to evaluate yours
• USA Today: Groups object to Medicare push to suppress reporting of harm done to patients at hospitals
• Healthcare Dive: Leapfrog raises concerns about CMS proposal to suppress patient safety data
• Becker’s Hospital Review: Leapfrog to CMS: Don’t suppress hospital safety data
• Healthcare Finance: Leapfrog urges CMS not to suppress hospital safety data
• Axios: CMS seeks to suppress hospital safety data
• The Hill: Hospital complications kill thousands per year – CMS shouldn’t hide that data

Spread the word. Now.