Menu

Announcement

Protocol for Submitting a Discrepancy Notification Report (DNR) for HHAs that do not Submit a Monthly Patient Information File
folder_openChanges to Protocols and Guidelinescalendar_todayPosted April 4, 2012

Some HHCAHPS Survey vendors have reported to the HHCAHPS Coordination Team that some of their client home health agencies (HHAs) sometimes do not submit a monthly patient information file for 2 or more months. The vendors have reported that the HHAs do not respond to the vendors’ efforts to determine why a monthly patient information file is not being submitted. Therefore, the vendor does not know if the HHA switched vendors, closed, or stopped participating in the HHCAHPS Survey for some other reason.

As per current HHCAHPS protocol, HHCAHPS Survey vendors are required to submit a Discrepancy Notification Report (DNR) whenever an HHA client does not submit a monthly patient information file for a sample month. CMS and the Coordination Team are amending this protocol to allow HHCAHPS Survey vendors to stop submitting DNRs for HHAs that are not submitting monthly patient information files once the HHA has failed to submit a monthly patient information file for 3 consecutive sample months. If the HHA fails to submit a monthly patient information file thereafter, the authorized vendor is no longer required to submit a DNR. It is the responsibility of the HHCAHPS Survey vendor to track the number of months the HHA has failed to submit a monthly patient information file and to submit a DNR for the first 3 months that this occurs.

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