Beginning in January 2025, the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems will be mandatory for ASCs and HOPDs. The new survey from CMS will gauge patient satisfaction in Medicare-certified HOPDs and ASCs, focusing on communication, care quality and facility conditions, VMG Health reported Oct. 14.
Here are five things to know about the new survey:
1. Voluntary participation in the OAS CAHPS begins this year, with mandatory participation starting Jan. 1. Medicare-certified ASCs that fail to participate could see a cut in their reimbursement rates. Participants can use mail-only, telephone-only or mixed-mode administration of the survey with an annual target of 200 surveys to be completed.
2. An ASC is eligible to participate if it performs procedures within the OAS CAHPS range of 10004 and 69990 or G-codes G0104, G0105, G0121 or G0260; is Medicare-certified, has a CCN or an agreement with CMS obtained in accordance with 42 CFR 416 subpart B; bills under ASC Payment System when billing CMS; is eligible to participate in the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program.
3. Patients can participate in the survey if they have had at least one eligible outpatient surgery or procedure within the sample month, are 18 years old, have a U.S. mailing address, are patients regardless of insurance or payment method, meet eligible CPT and G codes, are not deceased, in prison or identify as no 'publicity,' do not reside in a nursing home or were not discharged to hospice or psychiatric care after their procedure, or cannot be surveyed because of state regulations. ASCs that serve fewer than 60 OAS CAHPS survey-eligible patients the year prior to the data collection year qualify for an exemption from participation, as do ASCs that qualify for exemptions from the ASCQR program.
4. No ASC can administer the survey itself. OAS CAHPS must be facilitated by a CMS-approved vendor. The vendor will confirm submission dates for monthly data files, complete data collection and activities timeline, per CMS regulations and submit the data files to the OAS CAHPS data center,
5. ASCs cannot send or provide information to patients in advance, provide a copy of the OAS CAHPS survey, include words or phrases verbatim from the survey, attempt to influence their patients OAS CAHPS questions, offer patients incentives for answers to the OAS CAHPS, ask patients why they gave a certain response or rating, include any messages or materials promoting the survey.
However, ASCs may communicate that the survey will be used to learn more about the quality of healthcare for patients and inform them that they may be selected for a survey that they will receive via email or telephone call.