Short Answer 
The Star Rating program by CMS assesses healthcare services quality through three main categories: Quality, Cost, and Promoting Interoperability. While “Staying Healthy” is important, it is not an official category in the program, which aims to enhance patient care outcomes.
Step 1: Understand the Star Rating Program
The Star Rating program, implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is a system designed to assess and enhance the quality of healthcare services provided by various healthcare organizations. The program focuses on critical aspects that influence patient care and outcomes, offering insights into areas for improvement.
Step 2: Explore the Key Categories
Within the Star Rating program, there are three primary categories utilized to evaluate healthcare performance:
- Quality: This category measures the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of care delivered to patients, ensuring that high standards are maintained.
- Cost: This aspect evaluates the economic factors of healthcare, such as the transparency and affordability of services provided to patients.
- Promoting Interoperability: Focuses on enhancing communication among healthcare providers through effective healthcare IT systems, which helps streamline patient care.
Step 3: Clarify the Role of Staying Healthy
While the concept of “Staying Healthy” is essential in the overall context of healthcare, it is crucial to note that it is not officially included as a category in the Star Rating program. According to CMS guidelines, the focus remains on the specified categories, aiding in the evaluation and improvement of healthcare services and patient outcomes.