Response Rates

Medicare HOS Survey Status Information 1
Cohort

Date
Fielded

Population

Reporting
Units
(MAOs)2
287

Sample
Size

Ineligible
Surveys3

Completed
Surveys4

Response
Rate5

Cohort 1 Baseline

May 1998

M+CO

279,135

7,196

167,096

61.4%

Cohort 1 Follow Up

April 2000

Cohort 2 Baseline

March 1999

Cohort 2 Follow Up

June 2001

Cohort 3 Baseline

April 2000

Cohort 3 Follow Up

May 2002

Cohort 4 Baseline

May 2001

Cohort 4 Follow Up

May 2003

Cohort 5 Baseline

April 2002

Cohort 5 Follow Up
Cohort 6 Baseline

May 2004
April 2003

M+CO
M+CO
PACE
EverCare
M+CO
M+CO
PACE
M+CO
M+CO
PACE
M+CO
M+CO
PACE
MA
M+CO

188
312
20
6
160
306
20
146
197
17
152
177
20
153
163

89,332
301,184
4,225
5,015
88,468
298,883
3,831
87,091
190,523
3,943
71,549
171,504
4,834
74,562
161,409

1,203
8,829
435
655
1,539
7,662
564
1,523
6,041
362
951
5,963
710
1,265
5,579

75,593
194,378
1,752
1,226
73,015
208,655
1,672
65,992
126,255
1,321
55,480
106,168
1,385
58,417
100,669

85.8%
66.5%
46.2%
28.1%
84.0%
71.6%
51.2%
77.1%
68.4%
36.9%
78.6%
64.1%
33.6%
80.0%
64.6%

Cohort 6 Follow Up
Cohort 7 Baseline
Cohort 7 Follow Up
Cohort 8 Baseline
Cohort 8 Follow Up
Cohort 9 Baseline

May 2005
March 2004
May 2006
April 2005
May 2007
April 2006

MA
MA
MA
MA
MA
MA

154
161
151
164
154
203

69,865
159,311
70,022
162,902
66,292
188,515

854
6,777
1,084
6,966
1,351
7,725

56,075
99,649
57,214
101,588
53,112
120,708

81.3%
65.3%
83.0%
65.1%
81.8%
66.8%

Cohort 9 Follow Up
Cohort 10 Baseline
Cohort 10 Follow Up
Cohort 11 Baseline
Cohort 11 Follow Up
Cohort 12 Baseline

May 2008
April 2007
May 2009
April 2008
May 2010
April 2009

MA
MA
MA
MA
MA
MA

187
286
268
361
330
424

77,669
321,005
114,405
414,655
114,733
487,861

819
19,273
2,026
18,420
901
26,162

62,875
191,308
93,286
233,945
96,106
288,794

81.8%
63.4%
83.0%
59.0%
84.4%
62.6%

Cohort 12 Follow Up
Cohort 13 Baseline
Cohort 13 Follow Up
Cohort 14 Baseline
Cohort 14 Follow Up
Cohort 15 Baseline

May 2011
April 2010
May 2012
April 2011
April 2013
April 2012

MA
MA
MA
MA
MA
MA

382
471
432
493
444
506

142,030
546,931
168,801
577,874
154,291
591,823

1,330
14,079
1,669
14,222
1,263
13,602

106,056
337,249
123,247
297,570
115,102
297,974

75.4%
63.3%
73.7%
52.8%
75.2%
51.5%

Cohort 15 Follow Up
Cohort 16 Baseline
Cohort 16 Follow Up
Cohort 17 Baseline
Cohort 18 Baseline

April 2014
April 2013
April 2015
April 2014
April 2015

MA
MA
MA
MA
MA

421
495
364
491
483

147,235
578,074
128,455
575,422
565,150

1,295
13,080
1,371
13,471
15,243

105,432
272,936
92,258
261,638
256,735

72.2%
48.3%
72.6%
46.6%
46.7%

1

Over the course of time, the refinement of the HOS measure has resulted in changes to the definition of a "completed
survey." The information in the table provides a presentation of how a completed survey and response rate were calculated at

Medicare Health Outcomes Survey Status Information
July 2016

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the time of reporting for each of the baseline and follow up cohorts. Given that the definition of a completed survey has
evolved over time, this table should not be utilized for response rate comparisons across the cohorts. If you are interested in
comparative response rate information, please contact the Medicare HOS Information and Technical Support Line.
2

For the baseline cohorts, the reporting units represent the individual MAOs sampled for the survey. However for the follow up
cohorts, the reporting units have been adjusted to accommodate selected MAO consolidations and service area reductions at
the time of performance measurement reporting (which typically occurs in the year subsequent to the collection of the follow
up data).

3

For the baseline cohorts, the ineligible beneficiaries met one of the following criteria: deceased; not enrolled in the MAO; had
an incorrect address and phone number; had a language barrier; or were removed from the sample due to age less than 18
years. For the follow up cohorts, the ineligible beneficiaries met one of the following criteria: not enrolled in the MAO; had an
incorrect address and phone number; or had a language barrier.
4

In general, for Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 Baseline a completed survey was defined as a survey that has at least 80% of the questions
answered. However, beginning with Cohort 1 Follow Up and Cohort 4 Baseline, a completed survey was defined as a survey that
can be used to calculate physical or mental health summary scores.

5

Please note, ineligible beneficiaries were removed from the denominator in the response rate calculations. In other words,
Response Rate = [Number of Respondents / (Total Sample - Ineligibles)] x 100%.

Medicare Health Outcomes Survey Status Information
July 2016

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