CAHPS Insider: November 2025

OAS CAHPS

ASC Preview Reports Now Available

Preview Reports for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) reflecting results from the OAS CAHPS Survey for Q1 2024 – Q4 2024 (January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024) are now available. Facilities can access these reports by logging in to the OAS CAHPS website.

Please note the following reporting details:

• Facilities with fewer than 25 completed surveys will have a footnote on public reporting.
• Facilities with fewer than 200 completed surveys will include a footnote indicating possible lower precision of results.

Beginning with this refresh, Preview Reports on the OAS CAHPS website are available only to ASCs. Reports for Hospital Outpatient Departments (HOPDs) are now posted in the Hospital Quality Reporting (HQR) system, accessible here.

Option to Suppress OAS CAHPS Data

The next refresh of publicly reported OAS CAHPS data in the Provider Data Catalog is scheduled for January 2026 and will include results from Q2 2024 through Q1 2025 (April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025). While participation in the OAS CAHPS survey is voluntary, CMS allows Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) to opt out of public reporting.

If you would like to keep your ASC’s results private for this upcoming refresh, please notify NRC Health CAHPS Compliance no later than November 13, 2025. No action is required if you prefer your results to be published.

Please note: Because this reporting period includes four full quarters of mandatory data, Hospital Outpatient Departments (HOPDs) are no longer eligible to suppress results.

ICH CAHPS

Fielding Update

Initial questionnaires for the ICH CAHPS survey have been sent for both mail-only and mixed-mode protocols.

Telephone data collection has begun for facilities using phone-only mode.

ACO REACH CAHPS

Fielding Update

The second round of ACO REACH CAHPS questionnaires has been mailed, marking continued progress in the survey cycle.

CAHPS for MIPS

Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

CMS has released the CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, introducing important changes to CAHPS for MIPS Survey Administration. Beginning in 2027, CMS-approved survey vendors will be required to use a mixed-mode protocol that incorporates web, mail, and phone outreach for survey administration. This update aims to improve accessibility and response rates across diverse patient populations.

The decision follows a 2023 mode experiment, where CMS added web outreach to the existing mail-phone protocol.

Results showed higher response rates and positive feedback from stakeholders. Public comments collected in 2025 further supported the transition to a web-inclusive approach.

For full details, view the Final Rule on the Federal Register.

Fielding Update

Fielding for the CAHPS for MIPS survey is underway, and the first questionnaires have been mailed to participants. Data collection is progressing as planned, ensuring timely reporting for the upcoming cycle.

External Submission Deadlines