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Announcements

Notice of Publication of the Proposed Rule for Calendar Year 2026
Final/Proposed RulesPosted July 17, 2025

The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs CY 2026 Proposed Rule has been published in the Federal Register today, July 17, 2025. The Proposed Rule is available on the OAS CAHPS website at the link provided here.

In this Proposed Rule, CMS announces no changes to requirements for participation in the OAS CAHPS Survey from previous Rules. OAS CAHPS Survey participation will continue to be linked to reimbursement in CY 2026 for HOPDs and ASCs. Confirmation of plans will be published in the CY 2026 Final Rule in November 2025.

The OPPS and ASC Rules are updated annually. The next update (CY 2027 Rule) will be proposed in July or August 2026 and finalized in November 2026. The CY 2027 Rule will reflect any planned changes that would impact the 2027 data collection period (CY 2029 payment determination).

If you have questions, you can contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call 1-866-590-7468.

Update to Excluded CPT Codes for OAS CAHPS
Survey Specifications and GuidelinesPosted July 16, 2025

CMS has approved the exclusion of two additional CPT codes in the Codes for Musculoskeletal System range between 20100-29999. A brief description of the newly excluded codes is provided below.

20560, Needle insertion without injection into 1 or 2 muscles
20561, Needle insertion without injection into 3 or more muscles

We plan to update Appendix P in the next version of the OAS CAHPS Protocols & Guidelines Manual, Version 10.0 this fall. Approved vendors are advised to update their systems and patient eligibility criteria to exclude these codes.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions.

Process to Suppress OAS CAHPS Survey Data from Public Reporting for October 2025 Refresh
Public ReportingPosted July 15, 2025

During voluntary implementation, CMS allows participating ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) to have their data suppressed, that is, not displayed on data.CMS.gov/provider-data.

The next refresh of OAS CAHPS Survey data (scheduled for October 2025) includes data from Quarter 1, 2024 – Quarter 4, 2024.

NOTE: The October 2025 refresh includes data for a full year that participation was linked to reimbursement (not voluntary) for HOPDs (Quarter 1, 2024 – Quarter 4, 2024). HOPDs can no longer choose to have their data suppressed, that is, not displayed on data.CMS.gov/provider-data, as there is no longer data linked to voluntary implementation for HOPDs.

For the October 2025 refresh, vendors must notify the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team (via email at oascahps@rti.org) by August 15, 2025, of any ambulatory surgery center (ASC) CCNs that choose to exclude their data from public reporting. Please note that the deadline for suppression is earlier than the date by which the Preview Reports are posted on oascahps.org.

The e-mail message to the Coordination Team for suppression requests should include the HOPD’s or ASC’s name and CMS Certification Number (CCN).

Future plans for Public Reporting: ASCs will continue to have the ability to choose to suppress data as long as any voluntary data are being reported, which will go through the July 2026 refresh. Starting with the October 2026 refresh, which will include data from Quarter 1, 2025 – Quarter 4, 2025, ASCs will no longer be able to choose to have their data suppressed as that refresh will include data for the full year that participation was linked to reimbursement (not voluntary) for ASCs.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions.

Calendar Year (CY) 2025, Quarter 1 Data Submission Deadline Reminder – July 9, 2025
Data SubmissionPosted July 2, 2025

The data submission deadline for submitting Quarter 1 of calendar year 2025 data (CY25, Q1) to the OAS CAHPS Data Center is Wednesday, July 9, 2025. We thank those OAS CAHPS Survey vendors who have already begun submitting CY25, Q1 data for their client facilities. If you have not submitted any data for Quarter 4, we encourage you to begin submitting your files as soon as possible.

As we approach the next data submission deadline, please note the important points provided below.

Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client facilities have authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.
CMS will not accept any data files for the January, February, and/or March 2025 sample months after 11:59 PM Pacific Time on July 9, 2025.
Survey vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as possible to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. You may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
Each time a data file for an HOPD or ASC is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same facility for that survey period.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HOPD or ASC facility even if the corresponding monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
After each file upload, you will receive an email confirmation within several minutes notifying you whether the upload was successful.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. After the validation check is conducted, you will receive a second e-mail confirmation message notifying you whether your file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Survey vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the OAS CAHPS Data Center at oascahps@rti.org.

For additional information about data file preparation and data submission processes, please review Chapter XIII of the OAS CAHPS Survey Protocols and Guidelines Manual available under the Survey Materials tab on the OAS CAHPS website. Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468 if you have any questions or trouble submitting data files.

RTI International will be closed July 4, 2025
Other AnnouncementsPosted July 1, 2025

RTI International will be closed on July 4, 2025, in observance of Independence Day. The OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team will respond to email and telephone inquiries that are received on that date after RTI re-opens.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions.

OAS CAHPS Data Submission Deadline Status Notifications
Data SubmissionPosted June 26, 2025

In anticipation of the Quarter 1, 2025 data submission deadline (July 9, 2025), CMS will begin notifying ASCs of the status of their OAS CAHPS data submissions to the OAS CAHPS Data Center. HOPDs have been receiving these notifications at regular intervals of 30, 15, 10, and 5 days in advance of each quarterly data submission, and 1 day following the quarterly deadline since July 2024. Participating ASCs may have already received the initial notifications related to the status of the upcoming data submission.

Please note that these status updates are snapshots in time base on the intervals stated above and may not reflect the most recent activities from vendors. Survey Administrators, for each participating CCN, can verify real-time data submission details on the OAS CAHPS website by logging in and accessing their data submission reports here: https://oascahps.org/For-Facilities/Data-Submission-Reports. Additionally, survey vendors can submit quarterly data ahead of the data submission deadline to prevent notifications being sent to their client facilities.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions.

Calendar Year (CY) 2025, Quarter 1 Data Submission Deadline Reminder – July 9, 2025
Data SubmissionPosted June 25, 2025

The data submission deadline for submitting Quarter 1 of calendar year 2025 data (CY25, Q1) to the OAS CAHPS Data Center is Wednesday, July 9, 2025. We thank those OAS CAHPS Survey vendors who have already begun submitting CY25, Q1 data for their client facilities. If you have not submitted any data for Quarter 1, we encourage you to begin submitting your files as soon as possible.

As we approach the next data submission deadline, please note the important points provided below.

Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client facilities have authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.
CMS will not accept any data files for the January, February, and/or March 2025 sample months after 8:00 PM Eastern Time on July 9, 2025.
Survey vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as possible to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. You may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
Each time a data file for an HOPD or ASC is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same facility for that survey period.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HOPD or ASC facility even if the corresponding monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
After each file upload, you will receive an email confirmation within several minutes notifying you whether the upload was successful.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. After the validation check is conducted, you will receive a second e-mail confirmation message notifying you whether your file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Survey vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the OAS CAHPS Data Center at oascahps@rti.org.

Calendar Year (CY) 2025, Quarter 1 Data Submission Deadline Reminder – July 9, 2025
Data SubmissionPosted June 11, 2025

The data submission deadline for submitting Quarter 1 of calendar year 2025 data (CY25, Q1) to the OAS CAHPS Data Center is Wednesday, July 9, 2025. We thank those OAS CAHPS Survey vendors who have already begun submitting CY25, Q1 data for their client facilities. If you have not submitted any data for Quarter 1, we encourage you to begin submitting your files as soon as possible.

As we approach the next data submission deadline, please note the important points provided below.

Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client facilities have authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.
CMS will not accept any data files for the January, February, and/or March 2025 sample months after 8:00 PM Eastern Time on July 9, 2025.
Survey vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as possible to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. You may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
Each time a data file for an HOPD or ASC is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same facility for that survey period.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HOPD or ASC facility even if the corresponding monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
After each file upload, you will receive an email confirmation within several minutes notifying you whether the upload was successful.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. After the validation check is conducted, you will receive a second e-mail confirmation message notifying you whether your file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Survey vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the OAS CAHPS Data Center at oascahps@rti.org.

RTI International will be closed May 26, 2025
Other AnnouncementsPosted May 22, 2025

RTI International will be closed on Monday, May 26, 2025, in observance of Memorial Day. The OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team will respond to email and telephone inquiries that are received on that date after RTI re-opens.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions.

Reminder: OAS CAHPS 2025 Annual QAP updates are due Friday, May 30, 2025
Other AnnouncementsPosted May 2, 2025

This is a friendly reminder that the deadline for OAS CAHPS Survey vendors to submit their Annual Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) Update is 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Friday, May 30th, 2025.

To ensure prompt review and acceptance of your QAP, please follow the procedures listed below:

Locate the version of your most recently approved QAP; that is, the version that was accepted by CMS and the Coordination Team.
Make a copy of that version and accept all tracked changes, creating a clean copy of your QAP.
Make any new updates to this clean version using track changes , so that your document reflects only the changes made since your last approved QAP.
Make sure to include updates to your QAP if your organization has had changes in OAS CAHPS Survey personnel, changes to protocols or procedures, and/or changes in approved survey mode(s).
Make sure your QAP follows the format shown in the Model QAP posted on the OAS CAHPS website. Also make sure that you provide information for every topic included in the Model QAP.
Before submitting your annual QAP, check it carefully to make sure that it reflects all OAS CAHPS Survey protocols disseminated via announcements posted on the OAS CAHPS Web site and/or described in the latest version of the Protocols and Guidelines Manual.
Submit your QAP in MS Word format online via the OAS CAHPS website (https://oascahps.org/).

Remember that you must also update your online OAS CAHPS Vendor Application Form if you have been approved to add/drop survey modes, changed key personnel and/or subcontractors, and/or have changed your business name or location.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team at 1-866-590-7468 or via email at oascahps@rti.org if you have any questions about the QAP Update submission or review process.

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