Feb 7 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services invites comments by April 10, 2023 regarding the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and Medicare Fee-For-Service Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey.
CMS is required to collect and report information on the quality of health care services and prescription drug coverage available to persons enrolled in a Medicare health or prescription drug plan under provisions in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). Specifically, the MMA under Sec. 1860D-4 (Information to Facilitate Enrollment) requires CMS to conduct consumer satisfaction surveys regarding Medicare prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans and report this information to Medicare beneficiaries prior to the Medicare annual enrollment period. The Medicare CAHPS survey meets the requirement of collecting and publicly reporting consumer satisfaction information. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 also requires the collection of information about fee-for-service plans.
The primary purpose of the Medicare CAHPS surveys is to provide information to Medicare beneficiaries to help them make more informed choices among health and prescription drug plans available to them. Survey results are reported by CMS in the Medicare & You Handbook published each fall and on the Medicare Plan Finder website. Beneficiaries can compare CAHPS scores for each health and drug plan as well as compare MA and FFS scores when making enrollment decisions. The Medicare CAHPS also provides data to help CMS and others monitor the quality and performance of Medicare health and prescription drug plans and identify areas to improve the quality of care and services provided to enrollees of these plans. CAHPS data are included in the Medicare Part C & D Star Ratings and used to calculate MA Quality Bonus Payments.
Number of Respondents: 794,500
CAHPS:
https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Research/CAHPS
Draft survey instruments and technical documentation:
https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/paperworkreductionactof1995/pra-listing-items/cms-r-246
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-02580 #4
