OASIS-Central

Q: What is the CAHPS requirements and how can I find out about vendors?

A: The Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey is a standardized survey developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) with intent to assess patient perceptions about the quality of care provided by home care organizations. In an effort to require home care organizations to capture and report quality measures, CMS updated the Prospective Payment System in a Final Rule released in October 2009, requesting that Medicare-certified home care organizations implement CAHPS in the fourth quarter of 2010, with a “dry run” of the process conducted in the third quarter. Agencies are asked to survey 300 Medicare and Medicaid patients annually. A sampling method will be used for larger organizations, while smaller providers may be required to sample their entire population. Agencies with fewer than 60 CAHPS-eligible patients each year are exempt from the requirement.

The first year of data collection is voluntary. However, home care agencies that choose not to participate in CAHPS will be subject to a two-percentage-point reduction in the market basket update beginning in 2012. CMS plans to establish a reconsideration and appeals process for agencies that fail to meet the CAHPS requirements. CMS has approved a list of vendors with which home care agencies may contract to administer the CAHPS survey. The agency must prepare and submit to its survey vendor a file containing data on patients served the preceding month. The vendor will then mail the surveys, capture results, and report findings. The survey will be conducted on an ongoing basis and data submitted on a quarterly basis.

Use of a vendor is mandatory to prevent any conflict of interest that may arise from agencies administering the survey directly. Surveys may be delivered by phone, mail, or mailings combined with follow-up phone calls. Agencies will be responsible for the costs of the surveys, which may vary based on the vendor and mode of administration.

A list of CMS-approved vendors is available on the CAHPS website at www.homehealthcahps.org.