CMS is requesting clearance to
implement a revised Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and
Systems (CAHPS) Survey for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System
(MIPS). Section 1848(q) of the Social Security Act, as amended by
section 101 of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of
2015, authorizes the establishment of the MIPS for eligible
clinicians. The CAHPS for MIPS survey counts for one measure
towards the MIPS quality performance category, and groups of two or
more MIPS eligible clinicians can voluntarily elect to participate
in the CAHPS for MIPS survey as one of their six required quality
measures as finalized in the CY 2017 Quality Payment Program final
rule. The use of a CAHPS survey (including the CAHPS for MIPS
survey) would be counted as a high- weighted activity under the
improvement activities performance category. We are requesting
approval to use a revised, shorter version of the CAHPS for MIPS
survey that will maintain or improve reliability while reducing
beneficiary burden.
We assume that 282 groups will
enroll in the MIPS for CAHPS survey based on the number of groups
which elected to register during the CY 2018 registration period; a
decrease of 179. Although the registration process remains
unchanged from the CY 2018 Quality Payment Program final rule,
after we reviewed the steps required for registration more
thoroughly, we believe that the burden was less than we had
originally estimated. Therefore, we have adjusted the estimated
burden from 1.5 hours to 0.75 hours per respondent. We have also
adjusted the number of groups electing to report on the CAHPS for
MIPS survey as well as the average number of beneficiaries per
group based on more recent data. We assume that 143 groups will
elect to report on the CAHPS for MIPS survey, which is equal to the
number of groups that have registered and have a sufficient
beneficiary sample size to conduct the CAHPS for MIPS survey in the
2018 MIPS performance period; a decrease of 318 from the 461 groups
currently approved by OMB. The survey will be administered to
approximately 39,039 beneficiaries per year (143 groups x an
average of 273 beneficiaries per group responding). This is a
decrease of 93,268 from our currently approved 132,307 beneficiary
estimate.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.