CAHPS Insider: March 2026

HCAHPS

Public Reporting Refresh

CMS has refreshed HCAHPS data on Care Compare, incorporating survey results from Q2 2024 – Q1 2025 (April 2024 – March 2025).

Due to implementation of the revised HCAHPS survey, only the eight unchanged legacy measures are currently publicly reported. As part of this transition, the Care Transitions and Responsiveness of Hospital Staff composites are no longer displayed.

CMS has indicated that the three new HCAHPS measures are expected to be introduced in public reporting beginning with the October 2026 Care Compare refresh, as public reporting continues to transition to the updated survey instrument.

Preview Reports

The April 2026 Public Report Preview Reports are now available through the Hospital Quality Reporting (HQR) System.

The Preview Reports will be available for review from February 19, 2026 through March 20, 2026.

Data displayed in the Preview Reports are scheduled for public reporting on Care Compare in April 2026. Providers are encouraged to review their Preview Reports carefully during the review period to understand how their data will appear prior to public release.

Patient-Mix Adjustments and National Means

Patient-Mix Adjustments and National Means for the April 2026 HCAHPS public reporting results were posted on February 19, 2026.These materials support interpretation of publicly reported HCAHPS scores by outlining the adjustments applied for patient characteristics and survey administration modes, as well as the national reference values used for comparison.

The documents are available on the Mode & Patient–Mix Adjustment page on the HCAHPS website.

OAS CAHPS

CMS Adds OAS CAHPS to Overall Hospital Star Ratings for 2026

Beginning with the 2026 update, CMS has incorporated OAS CAHPS measures into the Patient Experience domain of the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.

OAS CAHPS is included in the Patient Experience measure group, which previously relied solely on inpatient HCAHPS measures. For 2026, CMS added OAS CAHPS measures, expanding the Patient Experience domain to reflect care delivered in HOPDs.

With this change, the Patient Experience group will use publicly reported linear mean scores for all measures, creating a consistent scoring approach across inpatient and outpatient patient experience data.

These updates are reflected in the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings preview reports, which are available in the Hospital Quality Reporting (HQR) System until March 20. Hospitals are encouraged to review their preview reports carefully to understand how the addition of OAS CAHPS measures may affect Patient Experience scores and overall Star Ratings ahead of public reporting.

CMS shared this update during a recent webinar that outlined broader methodology changes for the 2026 Star Ratings. The updated ratings are scheduled for public release on May 13, 2026. This change applies only to HOPDs. ASCs are not eligible for inclusion in the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.

Public Reporting Refresh

OAS CAHPS Survey results based on Q2 2024 – Q1 2025

(April 2024 – March 2025) patient responses are now publicly available.

Data for both ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) can be accessed through the Provider Data Catalog, with results available at the facility, state, and national levels.

For HOPDs, OAS CAHPS data that are tied to Medicare reimbursement are also displayed on Care Compare.

CMS updates OAS CAHPS public reporting on a quarterly basis. Hospitals and outpatient facilities are encouraged to review the latest results and monitor future refreshes as part of ongoing patient experience improvement efforts.

ACO REACH

ACO REACH CAHPS 2025 Annual Quality Reports

CMS plans to release the Performance Year (PY) 2025 ACO REACH Annual Quality Reports in approximately August 2026. The reports will be distributed to participating ACOs through the 4i portal.

The Annual Quality Reports will include all PY 2025 model quality measures, including CAHPS results. Within the reports, the CAHPS section will present de-identified individual survey results across all domains, providing a comprehensive view of patient experience performance.

External Submission Deadlines

If you have any questions regarding the information included in this edition of the CAHPS Insider, please contact NRC Health CAHPS Compliance at CAHPSCompliance@nrchealth.com.