(a) Data submission. An HHA must submit the following data to CMS:
(1) The OASIS data described at Sec. 484.55(b)(1) and (d)(1) for CMS to administer the payment rate methodologies described in Sec. Sec. 484.215, 484.230, and 484.235, and to meet the quality reporting requirements of section 1895(b)(3)(B)(v) of the Act.
(2) The Home Health Care CAHPS survey data for CMS to administer the payment rate methodologies described in Sec. 484.225(i) of this subpart, and to meet the quality reporting requirements of section 1895(b)(3)(B)(v) of the Act.
(b) Patient count. An HHA that has less than 60 eligible unique HHCAHPS patients annually must annually submit to CMS their total HHCAHPS patient count to CMS to be exempt from the HHCAHPS reporting requirements for a calendar year period.
(c) Survey requirements. An HHA must contract with an approved, independent HHCAHPS survey vendor to administer the HHCAHPS Survey on its behalf.
(1) CMS approves an HHCAHPS survey vendor if such applicant has been in business for a minimum of 3 years and has conducted surveys of individuals and samples for at least 2 years.
(i) For HHCAHPS, a ``survey of individuals'' is defined as the collection of data from at least 600 individuals selected by statistical sampling methods and the data collected are used for statistical purposes.
(ii) All applicants that meet these requirements will be approved by CMS.
(2) No organization, firm, or business that owns, operates, or provides staffing for a HHA is permitted to administer its own Home Health Care CAHPS (HHCAHPS) Survey or administer the survey on behalf of any other HHA in the capacity as an HHCAHPS survey vendor. Such organizations will not be approved by CMS as HHCAHPS survey vendors.
(3) Approved HHCAHPS survey vendors must fully comply with all HHCAHPS oversight activities, including allowing CMS and its HHCAHPS program team to perform site visits at the vendors' company locations. [76 FR 68606, Nov. 4, 2011, as amended at 77 FR 67164, Nov. 8, 2012; 79 FR 66118, Nov. 6, 2014]