Please note that these notes are provided for your convenience.  Providers must be responsible for confirming all deadlines and instructions on the CMS Website.

HHCAHPS

• Three important updates scheduled for July 18
  • Home Health Compare will display refreshed data from December 2012 on the Website at: http://www.medicare.gov/. Providers can preview their data now on the HHCAHPS Website at: https://homehealthcahps.org
  • The patient mix adjustment factors will be recalculated on July 18
  • Data submission deadline for first quarter calendar year 2013 is July 18. Providers should be checking with their vendors to make sure the data is submitted on time.
• As a reminder to new HHCAHPS participants, agencies must authorize their survey vendors through the HHCAHPS Website. Vendors cannot submit data without permission.
• If providers have any questions about the HHCAHPS process they can use the following email addresses:
  • For agency/vendor information: HHCAHPS@RTI.ORG
  • CMS Mailbox at HomeHealthCAHPS@cms.hhs.gov

Hospice Quality

• The next deadline for hospice quality reporting will be April 1, 2014. Hospice providers will be required to submit data for the NQF 0209 Pain Measure and the Structural Measure.
• Hospices should be currently collecting data until December 26, 2013.

Home Health Quality

• The home health quality page has recently been updated with the following materials:
• The technical specifications for the Process Quality Measures have been revised, and are available to in the Download section here.
• The technical specifications for OASIS Based Patient Outcome Measures were revised and are available in the Download section here.
• A new errata sheet has been added to the Downloads section, indicating updates to the December 2012 OASIS-C Guidance Manual. It can be accessed here.