HCAHPS Implementation Timeline—Upcoming Dates and History

Here's a timeline of major milestones to date-and a look at what lies ahead.

• Estimated Release of Public Reporting of HCAHPS: March 2009. Hospital results for 2nd Quarter 2007 removed and results for 2nd Quarter 2008 added. Includes July 2007 – June 2008 discharges. This is the first public reporting of HCAHPS results for hospitals that joined HCAHPS in July 2007. Participation is linked to payment.

• Estimated Release of Preview Report of HCAHPS Data for Public Reporting: January 2009. This is the first preview report for hospitals that joined HCAHPS in July 2007.

  • Estimated Release of Fourth Public Reporting of HCAHPS: December 2008. Hospital results for 1st Quarter 2007 removed and results for 1st Quarter 2008 added. Includes April 2007 – March 2008 discharges.

  • Hospitals Participating in Voluntary National Implementation will Receive a Preview Report of HCAHPS Data for Fourth Public Reporting: October 2008

  • Third Public Reporting of HCAHPS: September 18, 2008. Hospital results for 4th Quarter 2006 removed and results for 4th Quarter 2007 added. Includes January 2007 – December 2007 discharges.

  • Hospitals Participating in Voluntary National Implementation Receive a Preview Report of HCAHPS Data for Third Public Reporting: July 16 to August 14, 2008.

  • Second Public Reporting of HCAHPS: August 19, 2008. Originally scheduled to be released on July 17. Hospital results for 3rd Quarter 2007 are added to the nine months of HCAHPS results included in the initial round of public reporting. Includes October 2006 –September 2007 discharges. Going forward, HCAHPS public reporting will be refreshed quarterly on the Hospital Compare website with a new quarter rolled in and the oldest quarter rolled out.

  • Hospitals Participating in Voluntary National Implementation Receive a Preview Report of HCAHPS Data for Second Public Reporting: April 14 to May 13, 2008

  • First Public Report of HCAHPS: March 28, 2008. Public reporting of HCAHPS results on Hospital Compare website for hospitals that participated in the voluntary data collection period. Includes October 2006 - June 2007 discharges.

  • Hospitals Participating in Voluntary National Implementation Receive a Preview Report of Data for First Public Reporting: January 17, 2008 to February 15, 2008

  • Dry Run: December 2007. New hospitals that have not yet participated in a Dry Run can do so in December 2007.

  • CMS Finalizes the HCAHPS Reporting Format for Public Reporting October 2007. Hospitals must upload MS-DRG codes for all patients discharged on or after October 1, 2007. To use an alternate method to determine service line, an Exceptions Request must be submitted.

  • Dry Run: September 2007. Hospitals that had not yet participated in a dry run of HCAHPS can take part in the September dry run. Participating hospitals begin submitting data for National Implementation with October 2007 discharges. September 2007 dry run participants do not qualify as meeting requirements for the Fiscal Year 2008 annual payment update

  • RHQDAPU Notice of Participation Form Due: August 15, 2007. Previous Notice of Participation forms included clinical measures but not HCAHPS. For FY 2008, participating hospitals need to sign and submit a new form to the appropriate QIO.

  • National Implementation Linked to Payment: July 2007 Discharges. HCAHPS data collection begins for annual payment update for FY 2008.

  • Dry Run: March 2007 Discharges. Prerequisite to July 2007 national implementation for those hospitals that did not participate in 2006; dry run data is submitted to CMS but not publicly reported.

  • Voluntary National Implementation: October 2006 Discharges. Data collection for voluntary national implementation of HCAHPS begins. For initial phase, nine months of data are collected.

  • Dry Run: April/May/June 2006 Discharges. Prerequisite to October 2006 national implementation that allows hospitals to test the HCAHPS survey and data submission process without publicly reporting results.