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Announcement about HHAs Submitting a Monthly Patient Information File for Each Sample Month to Their HHCAHPS Survey Vendor
folder_openData Submissions, Information for Home Health Agenciescalendar_todayPosted October 21, 2011

HHCAHPS Survey vendors and Medicare-certified home health agencies (HHAs) are reminded that HHAs must submit a monthly patient information file to their HHCAHPS Survey vendors each sample month, even though the HHA may not have served any patients eligible for the survey during the sample month. The HHA must submit the monthly patient information file to the vendor in time for the vendor to initiate the survey within 21 days after the sample month ends.

If an HHA does not submit a monthly patient information file for a given sample month in time for the survey to be fielded within 21 days after the sample month ends, HHAs should provide the file in time for the vendor to initiate the survey within 26 days after the sample month ends. If the HHA did not provide home care to any patients during the sample month or did not serve any patients who met survey eligibility criteria during the sample month, the HHA must still submit a monthly patient information file to its HHCAHPS vendor with an indication that no survey-eligible patients were served during that sample month. According to HHCAHPS Survey protocols, HHCAHPS Survey vendors must retain the monthly patient information file provided by each of its client HHAs for a minimum of 18 months.

If none of the patients on the monthly patient information file is eligible for the HHCAHPS Survey, the vendor must still prepare and submit an XML file for that sample month. The vendor must indicate on the file that there were 0 eligible cases in the number eligible variable, and enter all other information required in the Header Record Section of the XML file.

If the vendor does not submit a file to this effect, CMS and the Coordination Team will view the HHA as having “missed” a sample month. That is, there will be no documentation on file that the HHA met the participation requirements for that sample month. Note that a Discrepancy Notification Report should not be submitted for situations where there are 0 eligible patients.

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