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achievement scoring

achvmt_scr
quality·Updated Jun 23, 2026

Definition

ISO-11179 Definition

A quality performance scoring methodology that awards credit based on the absolute level of quality measure performance relative to national or regional benchmarks, used alongside improvement scoring in CMS Star Ratings and similar value based payment programs. Achievement scoring rewards health plans and providers that have already reached high absolute performance levels regardless of year-over-year change, recognizing that maintaining top performance is a meaningful accomplishment. CMS Star Ratings use achievement points for each HEDIS and CAHPS measure based on where the health plan performance falls relative to national percentile cut points, with the highest achievement scores awarded for performance in the top decile nationally.

Healthcare data teams calculate achievement scoring by comparing current measure rates against CMS published cut points, modeling achievement point contributions to summary star ratings, identifying opportunities to shift from three-star to four-star achievement on individual measures through targeted quality improvement, and projecting the quality bonus payment revenue impact of star rating improvements driven by achievement gains.

Standard Abbreviation

achvmt_scr

Category

quality

Production DDL — FACT_QUALITY_MEASURE

FACT_QUALITY_MEASURE.sql
CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE FACT_QUALITY_MEASURE (
    qlty_key        INTEGER        NOT NULL  -- surrogate key,
    mbr_key         INTEGER        NOT NULL  -- FK to DIM_MEMBER,
    plan_key        INTEGER        NOT NULL  -- FK to DIM_PLAN,
    meas_yr         SMALLINT                 -- measurement year,
    hedis_meas_cd   VARCHAR(20)              -- HEDIS measure code,
    denom_ind       CHAR(1)                  -- denominator eligible,
    numer_ind       CHAR(1)                  -- numerator met,
    excl_ind        CHAR(1)                  -- exclusion indicator,
    gap_open_ind    CHAR(1)                  -- care gap open,
    star_rtg_nbr    DECIMAL(3,1)             -- star rating,
    qlty_scr        DECIMAL(5,2)             -- quality score,
    perf_thrsh_pct  DECIMAL(5,2)             -- performance threshold,
    raf_scr         DECIMAL(10,3)            -- risk adjustment factor,
    outreach_cnt    SMALLINT                 -- outreach attempts,
    load_dt         TIMESTAMP_NTZ  NOT NULL  -- load timestamp
);

Standard Snowflake DDL for the canonical quality table. Convert to BigQuery or Databricks →

Why This Term Matters

Quality measure data determines how payers and providers are rated and reimbursed under CMS Stars, HEDIS, and value-based care contracts. Data engineers who understand quality terminology build measure calculation pipelines that correctly attribute patients, apply denominator exclusions, and flag documentation gaps before submission deadlines. Incorrect quality data directly affects star ratings, pay-for-performance bonuses, and Medicare Advantage plan bids.

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