Updated: May 22
As you may know, CMS will be mandating OAS CAHPS for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) and Hospital Outpatient Departments (HOPDs) soon. In this blog, we are providing vital information for you to know as you search for the right vendor.
Definition of OAS CAHPS - eligible facility
HOPD: A unit of a hospital whose primary focus is to perform outpatient surgeries and procedures, is Medicare-certified, has a CMS Certification Number (CCN), and bills CMS under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS).
ASC: A freestanding medical facility that performs outpatient surgeries and procedures, is Medicare-certified, has a CCN, and meets the general conditions and requirements in accordance with 42 CFR 416 subpart B.
Who is encouraged or mandated to participate?
HOPDs will be mandated to report starting January 2024. ASCs will be mandated in January of 2025 to report.
Is there a punishment for not participating when it becomes mandatory?
OAS CAHPS becomes a mandatory measure as part of the OQR in 2024 for HOPDs and as part of the ASCQR beginning in 2025 for ASCs. HOPDs and ASCs that do not administer and report OAS CAHPS when it becomes mandatory could be subject to a penalty of 2% of their annual Medicare payment update.
What are the benefits of starting OAS CAHPS before it's required?
We’ve had the opportunity to work with many ASC’s and HOPD’s who are now participating in OAS CAHPS during the voluntary reporting phase. The biggest benefit is that they are positioning themselves for success by a) knowing where they score relative to other facilities. This is important to help them b) understand where improvements need to be made so that they c) don’t end up on the wrong end of the reimbursement model when CMS implements the pay-for-performance standard.
What is the purpose for the OAS CAHPS Survey?
The goals for designing the survey include producing a standardized instrument for generating data which:
can be used by HOPDs and ASCs for quality improvement initiatives
allows objective and meaningful comparisons between HOPDs and free-standing ASCs
enhances the ability of consumers to gain more insights into choices between HOPDs or ASCs from the public reporting of the results
What type of survey methodologies are approved for the mandated CMS CAHPS programs?
Web-based with telephone follow up
Web-based with mail follow up
Telephone only
Mail only
We offer all methodologies, but mail. We tend to see a higher survey response rate by conducting telephone and web-based surveys with a telephone follow-up.
IMPORTANTLY: Text Survey Methodology IS NOT an approved survey process for OAS CAHPS program compliance.
What types of questions are contained in the OAS CAHPS survey?
The survey contains 34 questions that allow patients to rate their service on the topics of communication and care provided by healthcare providers and office staff; preparation for the surgery or procedure, and preparations for discharge and recovery. All these topics are important to patients when choosing an outpatient or ambulatory surgery provider.
Are we allowed to add other questions to the survey?
Facilities may add up to 15 supplementary questions at the end of the survey and can choose to replace their internal patient experience of care surveys with the OAS CAHPS Survey. Some vendors may charge per question you add to the survey. We offer our clients the opportunity to add five additional survey questions at no additional cost.
Are real time reports available to the client partner at no additional cost?
When partnering with JLM, we allow all our clients to have access to real time data and reports at no additional cost or fees.
Is raw data available for download at no additional cost to the client partner in real time?
Yes, CMS approved raw patient data can be accessed and downloaded in our private solutions website at anytime.
Are there additional costs for reporting data to CMS to ensure compliance with CMS program mandates?
There is no additional cost for creating the XMLs and reporting the data to CMS. This is included when partnering with us!
J.L. Morgan and Associates is a proud CMS-approved vendor conducting OAS CAHPS surveys across varied methodologies. Contact Kristi Burgess at Kristi.Burgess@JLM-Solutions.com with any questions about OAS CAHPS. She will be happy to help you!