What does “ASCQR (ASC Quality Reporting Program)” mean?
Short answer
ASCQR is the CMS quality reporting program for surgery centers. Centers that do not report take a 2.0 point cut in their Medicare payment update.
Also known as: ASCQR, ASC Quality Reporting Program, ASC QR
What it requires
42 CFR 416.300 sets the penalty: a 2.0 percentage point cut in a center's yearly payment update for not reporting as CMS requires. There are three kinds of measures:
- Claims-based: at least 50 percent of eligible Medicare claims must carry quality data codes (42 CFR 416.310(a)).
- Web-based: submit online from January 1 to May 15 of the year before the payment year (416.310(c)).
- Patient survey, such as OAS CAHPS: reported on a quarterly schedule CMS posts each year.
Web data covers services from two calendar years before the payment year. You need a CMS system account and a security official.
The event measures
CMS's schedule for the CY 2026 reporting period lists these web-based event measures:
- ASC-1: patient burn
- ASC-2: patient fall
- ASC-3: wrong site, side, patient, procedure or implant
- ASC-4: hospital transfer or admission for any cause
The submission period is January 1 to May 17, 2027. Check QualityNet each year for exact dates.
Example: a center that logs each burn and fall as an incident, with date and procedure, can answer ASC-1 and ASC-2 at year end without rebuilding events from memory.
Mix-up: ASCQR is a payment-reporting program. It is not accreditation, and it is not the QAPI condition in 42 CFR 416.43, though event data feeds both. The penalty is a lower payment update, not a fine.
Frequently asked questions
What is the penalty for not reporting under ASCQR?
A 2.0 percentage point cut in the center's yearly payment update (42 CFR 416.300), for the payment year tied to the data period.
When is the web-based data due?
42 CFR 416.310 sets January 1 to May 15 of the year before the payment year. CMS's CY 2026 schedule lists January 1 to May 17, 2027. Confirm dates on QualityNet.
Which events does the ASCQR Program track?
For CY 2026: patient burn (ASC-1), patient fall (ASC-2), wrong site, side, patient, procedure or implant (ASC-3) and hospital transfer or admission (ASC-4), plus other measures.
Sources
- 42 CFR 416.300: ASCQR Program basis and scope
- 42 CFR 416.310: ASCQR data collection and submission requirements
- CMS QualityNet: Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program
Reviewed against the sources above on Oct 5, 2026. Rules change: confirm current requirements with the issuing body or your counsel before relying on any summary.
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