The Exception Request process provides survey vendors with more flexibility to meet individual organizations’ need for certain variations from protocols, while still maintaining the integrity of the data for standardized data reporting. Survey vendors must request an exception from CMS prior to pursuing any variations from protocols.
On occasion, a survey vendor may identify discrepancies from CAHPS Hospice Survey protocols that require corrections to procedures and/or electronic processing to realign the activity to comply with CAHPS Hospice Survey protocols. Survey vendors are required to notify CMS of these discrepancies immediately upon discovery.
All approved survey vendors must have user account information and be granted access to the CAHPS Hospice Survey Data Warehouse. Beginning January 1, 2024, the CAHPS Hospice Survey Data Warehouse Access Form will be submitted online.
The CAHPS Hospice Survey Participation Form for Survey Vendors is available beginning on June 4, 2026 through June 25, 2026.
Please note, survey vendors that are currently approved to administer the CAHPS Hospice Survey are not required to submit a CAHPS Hospice Survey Participation Form (unless the survey vendor is requesting to be approved for additional modes of survey administration or the survey vendor does not have any contracted hospice clients and it has been two years since the survey vendor received approval to administer the CAHPS Hospice Survey).
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offers CAHPS Hospice Survey Training in the Fall of each year. The training sessions are intended for hospices, survey vendors that participate in the CAHPS Hospice Survey, as well as other interested individuals and organizations. Additional information will be available in the future.