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Discrepancy Notification Report (DNR) Excel Template Has Been Updated for the CY 2027 APU
Other AnnouncementsPosted April 17, 2025

An updated Discrepancy Notification Report (DNR) Excel template, covering the sample months of January 2025 through March 2026 (for the calendar year 2027 annual payment update [APU] period), is now available. To access the template, HHCAHPS Survey vendors should log onto the HHCAHPS website, go to the “Forms for Vendors” tab, and select the “Discrepancy Notification Report” link. A link to the Excel template is available under Section III of the online DNR form.

As a reminder, the Excel template has prepopulated column headers that covers each piece of information that the Coordination Team and CMS need to evaluate a DNR submission. The updated Excel template still has three tabs: sample fielded late (“Late Start”), sample not fielded at all (“Missed Sampled Month”), and other situations (“Other”).

Below are some reminders for using the DNR Excel template:

Submit a new Excel template via email to the Coordination Team for each new DNR submission. The Excel template should only include information for the reported discrepancy (i.e., remove any information from previous DNR submissions).
If you need to update either the online DNR or the accompanying Excel template, you must update and resubmit both the accompanying online DNR and Excel template so the submission dates for both items match for auditing purposes.
We encourage vendors to use the Excel template with any DNR submissions, not just those with more than 5 CCNs.
If you use the Excel template, it is not necessary to repeat the information provided in the Excel template in Sections II and III of the online DNR form. Instead, you may point the reviewers to the Excel template for information by using language such as “see spreadsheet.”
Be sure to indicate that you are submitting an Excel template with a DNR submission by checking the box in Section III of the online form.
Do not add columns or change the order of columns in the Excel template.

If you have any questions, please contact the HHCAHPS Survey Coordination Team via email at hhcahps@rti.org or call toll-free at (866) 354-0985.

CY24 Quarter 4 Data Submission Deadline Reminder: One Week Left
Data SubmissionsPosted April 10, 2025

The next data submission deadline is Thursday, April 17, 2025. We are now one week away from the deadline for submitting HHCAHPS Survey data for Quarter 4 of calendar year 2024 (CY24,Q4).

We thank those HHCAHPS vendors that have already submitted CY24,Q4 data for their HHA clients. If you have not yet submitted CY24,Q4 data for all or most of your HHA clients, we encourage you to submit your files as soon as possible.

Important Points to Remember:

For each sample month an HHA has no eligible patients, please remember to request an email from them documenting that they had no eligible patients or have them submit a blank monthly patient information file, so that you can submit a 0-eligible file for that month.
Please remember to submit a DNR for any HHAs that do not send you a file.
Data files must pass both the initial and the secondary validation checks.
To ensure that files can be accepted by the deadline at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on April 17, 2025, you must submit all your Quarter 4 files on or before Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Since CMS will not accept any files after the data submission deadline, make sure you check your data submission reports to verify that all of your submitted files were accepted. And, correct and re-submit any files before the data submission deadline.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HHA even if their monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that each HHA client has authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.

Please feel free to contact us via email or through the toll-free number if you have any questions or need help with data submissions.

CY24 Qtr. 4 Data Submission Deadline Reminder
Data SubmissionsPosted April 3, 2025

The next data submission deadline is Thursday, April 17, 2025. We are now approximately 2 weeks away from the deadline for submitting HHCAHPS Survey data for Quarter 4 of calendar year 2024 (CY24,Q4).

We thank those HHCAHPS vendors that have already begun submitting CY24,Q4 data for their HHA clients. If you have not submitted any data for Quarter 4, we encourage you to begin submitting your files as soon as possible.

Important Points to Remember:

For each sample month an HHA has no eligible patients, please remember to request an email from them documenting that they had no eligible patients or have them submit a blank monthly patient information file, so that you can submit a 0-eligible file for that month.
Please remember to submit a DNR for any HHAs that do not send you a file.
Data files must pass both the initial and the secondary validation checks.
To ensure that files can be accepted by the deadline at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on April 17, 2025, you must submit all your Quarter 4 files on or before Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Since CMS will not accept any files after the data submission deadline, make sure you check your data submission reports to verify that all of your submitted files were accepted. And, correct and re-submit any files before the data submission deadline.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HHA even if their monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that each HHA client has authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.

Please feel free to contact us via email or through the toll-free number if you have any questions or need help with data submissions.

CY 2027 APU Participation Exemption Request (PER) Form for HHCAHPS Survey, with Updated Related Documents
Information for Home Health AgenciesPosted April 1, 2025

The purpose of this announcement is to alert home health agencies (HHAs) eligible for an exemption from participating in the HHCAHPS Survey that the Participation Exemption Request (PER) form for the calendar year (CY) 2027 annual payment update (APU) is now available on the HHCAHPS website at the following link:

Participation Exemption Request (PER) Form

Several informational documents (listed below) in the “Information for HHAs” box on the Home page of the HHCAHPS website have also been updated to reflect the CY 2027 APU participation period.

For more information, contact the HHCAHPS Survey Coordination Team via email at hhcahps@rti.org or call toll-free at (866) 354-0985.

HHCAHPS Coordination Team Quarterly Review (CTQR) Newsletter – April 2025 Edition
Other AnnouncementsPosted April 1, 2025

The next issue of the HHCAHPS Coordination Team Quarterly Review (CTQR) newsletter has been posted. This edition provides information about HHCAHPS to home health agencies and survey vendors.

This quarter’s issue includes:

Information for HHAs about participating in the new calendar year (CY) 2027 annual payment update (APU) period, which begins today, April 1, 2025 and runs through March 31, 2026.
Highlights from the 2025 HHCAHPS Update Training instant polls.
HHCAHPS website resources for HHAs and survey vendors.

CTQR newsletters are posted on the HHCAHPS website and updated quarterly. You can navigate to the April 2025 newsletter located under the General Information tab on the HHCAHPS website or click this link: CTQR Newsletter – April 2025.

The CTQR does not replace any source of information currently on the HHCAHPS website; instead, it highlights important information for readers. We encourage you to visit the HHCAHPS website for more information on the items mentioned in this newsletter.

Please contact the HHCAHPS Survey Coordination Team if you have any questions at hhcahps@rti.org or toll-free at (866) 354-0985.

HHCAHPS Preview Reports with Star Ratings Available
Information for Home Health AgenciesPosted March 20, 2025

The purpose of this announcement is to alert home health agencies (HHAs) that Preview Reports reflecting results from the Home Health Care CAHPS (HHCAHPS) Survey from October 2023 through September 2024 (Q4,2023-Q3,2024) are now available on https://homehealthcahps.org via the "Survey Preview Report” link under the “For HHAs” tab. HHA users must be logged into the website to view their report. These same data will be updated on Medicare’s compare tool on https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/ in April 2025.

The Preview Reports present the publicly reported results, which also include star ratings for those agencies with data for 40 or more patient surveys in the 4-quarter reporting period.

For more information about the Preview Reports, please refer to this document on the HHCAHPS website: Understanding the HHCAHPS Survey Preview Reports

For more information about HHCAHPS star ratings, including Frequently Asked Questions, please click here: Star Ratings Information

If HHA users need assistance accessing their Report, please contact the HHCAHPS Survey Coordination Team via email at hhcahps@rti.org or call toll-free at (866) 354-0985.

CY24 Qtr. 4 Data Submission Deadline Reminder
Data SubmissionsPosted March 20, 2025

The next data submission deadline is Thursday, April 17, 2025. We are now approximately 4 weeks away from the deadline for submitting HHCAHPS Survey data for Quarter 4 of calendar year 2024 (CY24,Q4).

We thank those HHCAHPS vendors who have already begun submitting CY24,Q4 data for their HHA clients. If you have not submitted any data for Quarter 4, we encourage you to begin submitting your files as soon as possible.

Important Points to Remember:

For each sample month an HHA has no eligible patients, please remember to request an email from them documenting that they had no eligible patients, so that you can submit a 0-eligible file for that month.
Please remember to submit a DNR for any HHAs that do not send you a file.
Data files must pass both the initial validation checks and the secondary validation checks.
To ensure that files can be accepted by the deadline at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on April 17, 2025, you must submit all your Quarter 4 files on or before Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Since CMS will not accept any files after the data submission deadline, make sure you check your data submission reports to verify that all your submitted files were accepted. And, correct and re-submit any files before the data submission deadline.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HHA even if their monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that each HHA client has authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.

Please feel free to contact us via email or through the toll-free number if you have any questions or need help with data submissions.

Deadline for Filing a Request for an Exemption from Participating in the HHCAHPS Survey for the CY 2026 APU: Final Reminder
Information for Home Health AgenciesPosted March 13, 2025

This is a final reminder to all Medicare-certified home health agencies (HHAs) that the deadline for submitting the CY 2026 APU exemption request is 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Monday, March 31, 2025.

As announced in the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update Final Rule for Calendar Year 2025 that was published in the Federal Register on November 7, 2024, Medicare-certified HHAs that served 59 or fewer unduplicated patients between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024 who met survey eligibility criteria can request a PER for the CY 2026 APU.

HHAs can access the online PER form on HHCAHPS website at the following link:

Participation Exemption Request (PER) Form

For more information about the HHCAHPS Survey, contact the HHCAHPS Survey Coordination Team via email at hhcahps@rti.org or call toll-free at (866) 354-0985.

Prepare NOW for the start of the Calendar Year 2027 Annual Payment Update (APU)
Information for Home Health AgenciesPosted February 20, 2025

The calendar year (CY) 2027 annual payment update (APU) data collection requirement for HHCAHPS Survey participation begins with the April 2025 sample month. Medicare-certified home health agencies (HHAs) that are not yet participating in HHCAHPS and served 60 or more survey-eligible patients between April 1, 2024-March 31, 2025 should complete these preparatory steps as soon as possible:

Designate a staff person to serve as the agency’s HHCAHPS Survey Administrator (SA) and have that person register for login credentials on this website at the following link: https://homehealthcahps.org/For-HHAs/Register-for-Login-Credentials.
Then, register the agency’s CCN(s) via the “Register CCNs” link in the For HHAs menu tab after logged in.
Contract with an HHCAHPS Survey vendor listed on the website, beginning with the April 2025 sample month. (https://homehealthcahps.org/General-Information/Approved-Survey-Vendors)
Then, complete the online Vendor Authorization form for that vendor on this website by selecting the “Authorize a Vendor” link in the For HHAs menu after logging in.

For more information on these start-up activities, please refer to the following documents:

Getting Started (this document will be updated early April 2025 to reference the CY 2027 APU participation period): https://homehealthcahps.org/Portals/0/Docs/HHAResponsibilities_and_FAQs.pdf
How to Authorize a Vendor: https://homehealthcahps.org/Portals/0/HHAs_Vendor_Auth_instructions.pdf

On the other hand, Medicare-certified HHAs that served fewer than 60 survey-eligible patients between April 1, 2024-March 31, 2025 are eligible for an exemption from participating in the HHCAHPS Survey. Such HHAs must complete the online HHCAHPS Participation Exemption Request (PER) form for the CY 2027 APU period, which will be available on the HHCAHPS website early April 2025. An announcement will be posted with more information about filing for an exemption and when the online PER form for the CY 2027 APU period is available.

Please contact the HHCAHPS Survey Coordination Team if you have any questions at hhcahps@rti.org or telephone (866) 354-0985.

Deadline for Filing a Request for an Exemption from Participating in the HHCAHPS Survey for the CY 2026 APU
Information for Home Health AgenciesPosted February 6, 2025

This is a reminder to all Medicare-certified home health agencies (HHAs) seeking an exemption from participating in the HHCAHPS Survey for the calendar year (CY) 2026 annual payment update (APU) period to submit a Participation Exemption Request (PER) form on the HHCAHPS website.

The deadline for submitting the CY 2026 APU exemption request is 11:59 PM Eastern Time March 31, 2025.

As announced in the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update Final Rule for Calendar Year 2025 that was published in the Federal Register on November 7, 2024, Medicare-certified HHAs that served 59 or fewer unduplicated patients between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024 who met survey eligibility criteria can request a PER for the CY 2026 APU.

HHAs can access the online PER form on HHCAHPS website at the following link: Participation Exemption Request (PER) Form

For more information about the HHCAHPS Survey, contact the HHCAHPS Survey Coordination Team via email at hhcahps@rti.org or call toll-free at (866) 354-0985.

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