Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance
The 2025 Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan CAHPS Survey administration protocols are contained in the Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan CAHPS Survey Quality Assurance Protocols & Technical Specifications V15.0 (QAP&TS V15.0) manual.
View or download the Quality Assurance Protocols & Technical Specifications V15.0.
MA & PDP CAHPS Technical Corrections and Clarifications
Subsequent to the production of the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey Quality Assurance Protocols & Technical Specifications V15.0 (QAP&TS V15.0), it has been determined that there are specific items that require content corrections and clarifications. The response for one of the MA & PDP CAHPS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Customer Support has been updated. View or download the March 2025 version of the MA & PDP CAHPS Technical Corrections and Clarifications document.
MA & PDP CAHPS Summary of Updates
The MA & PDP CAHPS Survey Quality Assurance Protocols & Technical Specifications V15.0 (QAP&TS V15.0) Summary of Updates document is a reference tool that highlights the major changes from the QAP&TS V14.1 to V15.0. This document is not a substitute for reviewing the MA & PDP CAHPS QAP&TS V15.0 in its entirety.
View or download the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey Summary of Updates from V14.1 to V15.0.
MA & PDP CAHPS 5 Call Attempts Protocol Clarification
The MA & PDP CAHPS Survey project team has clarified the guidance regarding dialing multiple phone numbers and the 21 day rule for call attempts. The guidance has been revised to include a new example regarding the timing of attempts.
View or download the 5 Call Attempts Protocol Clarification.
English MA & PDP CAHPS QAP&TS V15.0 Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support (FAQs) Is Now Available
CMS has provided the FAQs for Customer Support for vendors administering the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey.
View or download the Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support.
Spanish Translation of the MA & PDP CAHPS QAP&TS V15.0 Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support (FAQs) Is Now Available
CMS has provided a Spanish translation of the FAQs for Customer Support for vendors administering the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey in Spanish.
View or download the Spanish Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support.
Chinese Translation of the MA & PDP CAHPS QAP&TS V15.0 Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support (FAQs) Is Now Available
CMS has provided a Chinese translation of the FAQs for Customer Support for vendors administering the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey in Chinese.
View or download the Chinese Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support.
Korean Translation of the MA & PDP CAHPS QAP&TS V15.0 Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support (FAQs) Is Now Available
CMS has provided a Korean translation of the FAQs for Customer Support for vendors administering the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey in Korean.
View or download the Korean Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support.
Tagalog Translation of the MA & PDP CAHPS QAP&TS V15.0 Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support (FAQs) Is Now Available
CMS has provided a Tagalog translation of the FAQs for Customer Support for vendors administering the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey in Tagalog.
View or download the Tagalog Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support.
Vietnamese Translation of the MA & PDP CAHPS QAP&TS V15.0 Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support (FAQs) Is Now Available
CMS has provided a Vietnamese translation of the FAQs for Customer Support for vendors administering the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey in Vietnamese.
View or download the Vietnamese Frequently Asked Questions for Customer Support.
2025 Data Collection Schedule
The basic tasks and timing for conducting the 2025 MA & PDP CAHPS Survey are summarized below. Survey vendors are required to adhere to the data collection schedule as outlined and may not depart from or modify this schedule in any way.
Pre-Data Collection Tasks
|
Task |
Date |
Time Frame in Survey Field Period |
|
Survey vendors must complete and email a Vendor Access to MA & PDP CAHPS Data Warehouse Form to MA-PDPCAHPSTECHSUPPORT@rand.org |
11/18/2024 |
-100 days |
|
English pre-notification letters and mail survey materials: Survey vendors must submit the English pre-notification letters, pre-notification letter envelope, English cover letters, mail survey envelope, and mail MA-Only, MA-PD, and PDP surveys to MA-PDPCAHPS@hsag.com |
11/22/2024 |
-96 days |
|
Survey vendors must submit any supplemental questions for approval |
11/27/2024 |
-91 days |
|
English web survey materials: Survey vendors must submit web invitation and reminder emails (for enrollees with emails), web invitation mail letter (for enrollees without emails), and web survey test links for the MA-Only, MA-PD, and PDP surveys |
12/2/2024 |
-86 days |
|
Plan request for contract-level oversample (authorized contract staff submit a web-based request in which they select the desired contract then enter the size of the requested oversample) |
12/9/2024 |
-79 days |
| Contract must complete the web-based survey vendor authorization process to designate a survey vendor for each contract eligible for the 2025 MA & PDP CAHPS Survey |
12/9/2024 |
-79 days |
|
English CATI materials: Survey vendors must submit CATI test links for the English MA-Only, MA-PD, and PDP CATI surveys; test links must remain available for testing until CATI is approved by the project team and allow for multiple testers to conduct tests simultaneously. Screenshots that include skip logic and reflect the programmed survey that will be used for 2025 telephone survey administration may be submitted if provision of test links is not possible to MA-PDPCAHPS@hsag.com |
12/13/2024 |
-75 days |
|
Spanish and optional language web and mail materials: |
12/20/2024 |
-68 days |
|
Survey vendors must complete and submit a new DUA or update existing DUA to CMS and provide a copy of the new or updated DUA to the MA & PDP CAHPS Technical Assistance email (MA-PDPCAHPS@hsag.com). Subcontractors that come into direct contact with an enrollee and/or data about or from an enrollee (e.g., name, address, telephone number) must also have a DUA Addendum in place with CMS. |
1/2/2025 |
-55 days |
|
Spanish and optional language CATI materials: Survey vendors must submit test links to the Spanish MA-Only, MA-PD, and PDP CATI surveys that must remain available for testing until CATI is approved by the project team and allow for multiple testers to conduct tests simultaneously (screenshots may be submitted if provision of test links is not possible), and screenshots of Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and/or Vietnamese, if applicable, MA-Only, MA-PD, and PDP telephone surveys that include skip logic and reflect the programmed survey that will be used for 2025 telephone survey administration to MA-PDPCAHPS@hsag.com |
1/6/2025 |
-51 days |
|
Survey vendors must submit QAP to the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey Project Team via MA-PDPCAHPS@hsag.com |
1/13/2025 |
-44 days |
Data Collection Tasks
|
Survey Vendor Task |
Date |
Time Frame in Survey Field Period |
|
Vendors download 2025 sample file |
2/7/2025 |
-20 days |
|
Mail out a pre-notification letter to all sampled enrollees |
2/26/2025 |
day 1 |
|
Customer support telephone center opens (toll-free number required); customer support email address is activated |
2/27/2025 |
days 2-95 |
|
Mail out web invite letter to enrollees without an email address. Begin inbound computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) protocol. |
2/28/2025 |
day 3 |
|
Email web survey invitation (to enrollees with an email address) |
3/3/2025 |
day 6 |
|
Email web survey reminder |
3/6/2025 |
day 9 |
|
Mail-out of the first questionnaire with cover letter |
3/11/2025 – 3/12/2025 |
days 14-15 |
|
Survey vendors must submit the first Vendor Report of Web and Mail Survey Activity & Returns to the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey Project Team via MA-PDPCAHPS@hsag.com. Additional reports are due every two weeks after the first report until the end of data collection. |
3/25/2025 |
day 28 |
|
Mail-out of second mailing of questionnaire with cover letter to all non-respondents |
3/31/2025 – 4/1/2025 |
days 34-35 |
|
Submit interim data files with returned web, mail, and inbound CATI survey data to CMS (RAND). Survey vendors may begin to submit data on 4/22/2025 but must have an interim data file submitted, and deemed to be fully correct and accepted, by 4/24/2025. No interim submission of MMP data is required. |
4/22/2025 – 4/24/2025 |
days 56-58 |
|
Initiate telephone follow-up by CATI for all non-respondents to the web or mail survey (First attempt must occur during this time) |
4/23/2025 – 5/3/2025 |
days 57-67 |
|
Survey vendors must submit the first Vendor Report of Outbound CATI to the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey Project Team via MA-PDPCAHPS@hsag.com |
5/5/2025 |
day 69 |
|
Submit interim data files with web, mail, and CATI (inbound and outbound) survey data to CMS (RAND). Survey vendors may begin to submit data on 5/6/2025 but must have an interim data file submitted, and deemed to be fully correct and accepted, by 5/8/2025. No interim submission of MMP data is required. |
5/6/2025 – 5/8/2025
|
days 70-72 |
|
Conduct additional telephone attempts by CATI according to the following specifications:
The 5th call attempt must occur no sooner than 21 days after the 1st call attempt, if a 5th call attempt is necessary. |
5/4/2025 – 5/31/2025 |
days 68-95 |
| Survey vendors must submit the second Vendor Report of Outbound CATI to the MA & PDP CAHPS Survey Project Team via MA-PDPCAHPS@hsag.com |
5/12/2025 |
day 76 |
|
Cutoff date to complete the web survey and for returned mail surveys |
5/31/2025 |
day 95 |
|
Customer support toll-free line and customer support email close |
5/31/2025 |
day 95 |
|
Outbound telephone interviewing ends |
5/31/2025 |
day 95 |
|
Submit final MA & PDP CAHPS data files to CMS approximately two weeks after close of data collection via the Data Submission website provided by the RAND Corporation. Data can be submitted as early as 6/10/2025 but vendors must have a final data file submitted, and deemed to be fully correct and accepted, by 6/12/2025. |
6/10/2025 – 6/12/2025 |
days 105-107
|
|
Vendors serving MMP contracts submit the data from the fixed set of national MMP supplemental items approximately three weeks after the close of data collection via the Data Submission website provided by the RAND Corporation. Data can be submitted as early as 6/17/2025 but vendors must have a final data file submitted, and deemed to be fully correct and accepted, by 6/19/2025. |
6/17/2025 – 6/19/2025 |
days 112-114 |
|
Vendors serving Massachusetts and Minnesota D-SNP contracts submit the data from supplemental items approximately four weeks after the close of data collection via the Data Submission website provided by the RAND Corporation. Data must adhere to the file format and file layout communicated in the memos “2025 Supplemental Items for Massachusetts Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs)” and “2025 Supplemental Items for Minnesota Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs).” |
6/27/2025 |
day 121 |
This page was last modified on 3/25/2025