IMPORTANT: CAHPS Hospice Survey Data Submission Deadline Approaching (posted 1/21/2026)
The data submission deadline for patients that passed away in July, August, and September (Quarter 3, 2025) is February 11, 2026. Survey vendors are responsible for successfully submitting files by 8:00 PM Eastern Time on February 11, 2026. Please make sure to allow adequate time to submit data in case resubmissions are necessary.
A series of edit checks will be applied to successfully submitted files. All files that are able to be decrypted will receive reports containing the results of these edit checks. Survey vendors and hospices will receive an email indicating CAHPS Hospice Survey Data Submission Reports are available for viewing in their respective folders in the CAHPS Hospice Survey Data Warehouse. Reports will be posted by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on the next business day after submission by the survey vendor.
Should you encounter any data submission issues, please contact the CAHPS Hospice Survey Data Coordination Team at cahpshospicetechsupport@rand.org.
In addition, hospices must have a CAHPS Hospice Survey Vendor Authorization Form on file with the RAND Corporation in order for the survey vendor to submit data on behalf of the hospice. Contact the CAHPS Hospice Survey Project Team (hospicecahpssurvey@hsag.com) immediately if your organization has not already submitted the CAHPS Hospice Survey Vendor Authorization Form.
UPDATED: CY 2026 Participation Exemption for Size Form Now Available (posted 01/09/2026)
The Participation Exemption for Size Form for the calendar year (CY) 2026 CAHPS Hospice Survey data collection and reporting requirements is available to complete and submit on the CAHPS Hospice Survey Website (www.hospicecahpssurvey.org). Hospices that served fewer than 50 survey-eligible decedents/caregivers in CY 2025 (January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025 [or from assignment of CCN]) can apply for an exemption from participation in the CAHPS Hospice Survey for CY 2026.
To view or complete the 2026 Participation Exemption for Size Form, please click here. The Participation Exemption for Size Form will be available to complete and submit online until December 31, 2026.
Please note, exemptions on the basis of size are active for one year only. If a hospice continues to meet the eligibility requirements for this exemption in subsequent years, the organization will need to again request the exemption.
If a hospice has questions regarding the Participation Exemption for Size process or how to complete the Participation Exemption for Size Form, please contact the CAHPS Hospice Survey Project Team: hospicecahpssurvey@hsag.com or 1-844-472-4621.
UPDATED: Technical Corrections and Clarifications to the CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines V11.0 (QAG V11.0) and V12.0 (QAG V12.0) Documents Posted (posted 01/05/2026)
The CAHPS Hospice Survey Technical Corrections and Clarifications to the CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines V11.0 (QAG V11.0) and V12.0 (QAG V12.0) documents have been posted. Following the release of the CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines V11.0 (QAG V11.0) and V12.0 (QAG V12.0), it has been determined that specific survey material items require correction, addition, and/or further clarification.
The Technical Corrections and Clarifications documents detailing these changes may be accessed by clicking here.
UPDATED: CAHPS Hospice Survey Podcasts (posted on 12/17/2025)
The CAHPS Hospice Survey Project Team has added the following podcast:
The podcasts and transcript are available on the Podcast tile on the Home Page or in the Information for Hospices dropdown.
UPDATED: CAHPS Hospice Survey Response Rate (posted on 12/16/2025)
The CAHPS Hospice Survey response rate for the Quarter 2 2023 – Quarter 1 2025 public reporting period is available here.
UPDATED: Case-Mix Adjustment Methods for CAHPS Hospice Survey Measures Document Posted (posted on 12/16/2025)
Click here to view or download the document that describes how a survey vendor or hospice can closely approximate the effect of case-mix adjustment on CAHPS Hospice Survey results using publicly reported adjustors and national means.
Click here to download adjustors and means for the Quarter 2 2023 – Quarter 1 2025 public reporting period.
UPDATED: CAHPS Hospice Survey State Scores Posted (posted on 12/16/2025)
Average CAHPS Hospice Survey measure scores for each state for the Quarter 2 2023 – Quarter 1 2025 public reporting period are available here.
UPDATED: CAHPS Hospice Survey National Percentiles Posted (posted on 12/16/2025)
National percentiles of hospice performance on CAHPS Hospice Survey measures for the Quarter 2 2023 – Quarter 1 2025 public reporting period are available here.
UPDATED: CAHPS Hospice Survey Star Ratings Posted (posted on 12/16/2025)
The Technical Notes for Star Ratings and the national and state distributions of Family Caregiver Survey Ratings Summary Stars for the February May 2025 Reporting Periods (Quarter 2 2023 – Quarter 1 2025) are available here.
2025 CAHPS Hospice Survey Vendor Training Q&A Summary Now Available (10/07/2025)
CMS and the CAHPS Hospice Survey Project Team are providing a Q&A Summary document that includes questions and answers from the 2025 CAHPS Hospice Survey Vendor Training session on September 25, 2025. Please click here to view the Q&A Summary document.
CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines Version 12.0 is Now Available (posted 09/18/2025)
The CAHPS Hospice Survey administration protocols are contained in the CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines Version 12.0 (QAG V12.0). To view or download the QAG V12.0, please click here.
Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Final Rule Released (posted 08/13/2025)
CMS issued the final rule to update the Medicare hospice wage index, Medicare hospice payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. The final rule has been posted and is available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/05/2025-14782/medicare-program-fy-2026-hospice-wage-index-and-payment-rate-update-and-hospice-quality-reporting.
This page was last modified on 01/21/2026