CAHPS Registration Guide

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2026 Registration Guide for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey

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Table of Contents
Section

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Page Number

I.

Introduction

3

II.

Get Started

6

III.

Access the CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration System

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IV.

Submit a New Registration for Your CAHPS for MIPS Survey

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V.

Modify Information for an Existing Registration

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VI.

View Your CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration Summary

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VII.

Delete Your Registration for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey

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VIII.

For More Information

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IX.

Version History

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I. Introduction
This guide provides information and instructions on the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) for Merit-based Incentive
Payment System (MIPS) Survey registration process for the 2026 performance period.
Please review the 2026 CAHPS for MIPS Survey Overview Fact Sheet on the QPP Resource Library for more information about administering the CAHPS
for MIPS Survey.

Registration Information
To register to administer the CAHPS for MIPS Survey, sign in to the Quality Payment Program website.
Registration opens on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 10 a.m. ET and closes on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.
To complete your organization’s registration, you need a Health Care Quality Information System (HCQIS) Access Roles and Profile (HARP) account and
the Security Official role for your organization. More information is provided in Section III: Access the CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration System of
this guide.

Definitions
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Group: A single Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with 2 or more eligible clinicians (including at least one MIPS eligible clinician), as identified by
their individual National Provider Identifier (NPI), who have reassigned their Medicare billing rights to the TIN.

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Virtual group: A combination of 2 or more whole TINs (solo practitioners and/or groups with 10 or fewer clinicians, including at least one MIPS eligible
clinician) whose clinicians elected to participate in MIPS as part of a virtual group. Only virtual groups that CMS approves for the 2026 performance year
and identifies as official virtual groups can participate in MIPS as a virtual group for the 2026 performance year.

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Subgroup: A subset of clinicians within a group (identified by a single TIN), which contains at least 2 clinicians, one of whom is an individually eligible
MIPS eligible clinician (based on initial eligibility results). Subgroup participation is only available for reporting a MIPS Value Pathway (MVP).

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Alternative Payment Model (APM) Entity: The group of eligible clinicians participating in an APM Entity, as identified by a combination of the APM
identifier, APM Entity identifier, TIN, and NPI for each participating eligible clinician.

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Who doesn’t need to register for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey?
Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).
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Shared Savings Program ACOs are required to report the APM Performance Pathway Plus (APP Plus) quality measure set so they’re automatically
registered for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey (which is a required measure in the APP Plus).

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Shared Savings Program ACOs don’t need to register but will still need to contract with a CMS-approved vendor to administer
the CAHPS for MIPS Survey.

Who must register for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey?
APM Performance Pathway (APP) and APP Plus: Groups and APM Entities (excluding Shared Savings Program ACOs) that choose to report the APP or
APP Plus must register because the CAHPS for MIPS Survey is a required measure when reporting the APP or APP Plus quality measure sets.

Who can register for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey?
Traditional MIPS: The CAHPS for MIPS Survey is an optional measure available to groups, virtual groups, and APM Entities with 2 or more eligible
clinicians reporting traditional MIPS.
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The CAHPS for MIPS Survey can be reported as 1 of the 6 required quality measures in traditional MIPS.

•

It also fulfills part of the requirement for the ‘Regularly Assess Patient Experience of Care and Follow Up on Findings’
improvement activity (IA_BE_6).

•

Interested groups, virtual groups and APM Entities can follow the registration directions in this resource; they must
register by June 30, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs): The CAHPS for MIPS Survey is an optional measure available to groups, subgroups*, and
APM Entities with 2 or more eligible clinicians that are registered to report certain MVPs.
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If the CAHPS for MIPS Survey is available within your selected MVP, it can be reported as 1 of the 4 required quality
measures.
− The CAHPS for MIPS Survey is available in the following 5 MVPs for the 2026 performance year:
♦ Adopting Best Practices and Promoting Patient Safety within Emergency Medicine MVP
♦ Advancing Cancer Care MVP
♦ Optimal Care for Patients with Urologic Conditions MVP
♦ Value in Primary Care MVP

Before You Register: The
CAHPS for MIPS Survey
assesses the experience
of patients receiving
primary care services and
is, therefore, most
appropriate for groups,
virtual groups,
subgroups*, and APM
Entities that provide
primary care services.

♦ Vascular Surgery MVP
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Interested groups and APM Entities can follow the registration directions in this resource; they must complete their MVP and CAHPS for MIPS
registrations by June 30, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

*Subgroups. Subgroups interested in administering the CAHPS for MIPS Survey as 1 of their 4 required quality measures will need to complete their MVP
registration prior to registering for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey. After completing their MVP registration, they will need to contact the QPP Service Center
by emailing [email protected], creating a QPP Service Center ticket, or calling 1-866-288-8292 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET) to register
for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey.
For more information about MVP registration, please review the Learn about MVP Registration webpage or 2026 MVP Registration User Guide on the
QPP Resource Library.

Is it possible we won’t be able to administer the CAHPS for MIPS Survey even if we register?
Yes. We conduct an assignment and sampling methodology process for organizations that are registered to administer the CAHPS for MIPS Survey.
Groups, subgroups, virtual groups, and APM Entities must meet the minimum patient sampling requirements to administer the 2026 CAHPS for MIPS
Survey.
If an organization doesn’t meet the minimum patient sampling requirements for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey, we’ll notify those organizations to let them
know they won’t be able to administer the CAHPS for MIPS Survey. We anticipate sending notifications in the fall of 2026.
Groups, virtual groups, subgroups, and APM Entities (including Shared Savings Program ACOs reporting the APP Plus) that don’t meet the minimum
patient sampling requirements will qualify for a denominator reduction and the CAHPS for MIPS Survey measure will be excluded from scoring.
Registered groups, virtual groups, subgroups, and APM Entities (including Shared Savings Program ACOs) are required to contract with a CAHPS for MIPS
Survey vendor to administer the survey in English and Spanish, using the survey templates provided by CMS.
We also recommend that groups, virtual groups, subgroups, and APM Entities (including Shared Savings Program ACOs) administer the other translations
of the CAHPS for MIPS Survey provided by CMS (Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Vietnamese) based on the language needs of
their patients.
NOTE: Groups, subgroups, virtual groups, and APM Entities (including Shared Savings Program ACOs) will receive instructions from CMS on how to
authorize a CMS-approved vendor after the registration period closes. CMS will conduct random sampling to produce your patient sample and send it to
the vendor you authorize. Once you authorize a survey vendor, we’ll proceed with data collection, and you’ll be accountable for the costs associated
with administering the survey.

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II. Get Started
Note: This user guide may use the term “organization” when referring to information that applies to APM Entities, groups,
virtual groups, and subgroups.

Obtain Access
A representative of the organization will need an account that allows the representative to sign in to the Quality Payment
Program website and have the Security Official role for the organization to submit, modify, or cancel a registration.

Start the account
creation process now
to avoid any delays in
obtaining an account
and a role with your
organization. The
registration period
closes on June 30,
2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

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If you’re a returning user, sign in with your existing QPP account credentials.

•

If you’re a new user, you must first create a HARP account. Then you’ll sign in to the Quality Payment Program website to request the Security
Official role for your organization.

Review the documents specified below in the Quality Payment Program Access User Guide (ZIP, 5MB) for instructions to create an account and/or
request the Security Official role for your organization.
•

Register for a HARP Account provides information about creating a new HARP account.

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Connect to an Organization provides information about requesting the Security Official role for your organization.

To determine if your organization already has an individual who can register the group, virtual group, subgroup, or APM Entity to administer the CAHPS for
MIPS Survey, please contact QPP and provide the group's TIN, the virtual group identifier, the subgroup identifier, or the APM Entity identifier, and the
name of the organization.

Prepare to Register for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey
Gather the following information before you begin to register your organization:
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Determine Organization Size: 2-24 clinicians, 25-99 clinicians, or 100 or more clinicians.

•

Contact Information: First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, and Email.
− Note: You must provide complete information for at least one contact to submit your registration.

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III. Access the CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration System
You’ll be able to access the registration system between April 1, 2026 (10 a.m. ET) and June 30, 2026 (8 p.m. ET) by signing in to the Quality Payment
Program website.
Signing in will allow you to create new registrations, view or delete existing registrations, or modify information for existing registrations for a group,
virtual group, or APM Entity.
Reminder: Subgroups must first complete their MVP registration and then contact the QPP Service Center by emailing [email protected], creating a
QPP Service Center ticket, or calling 1-866-288-8292 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET) to complete their CAHPS for MIPS Survey registration.
1. Go to the Quality Payment Program website and click Sign In in the upper right-hand corner.
2. Enter your HARP User ID and Password in the requested fields and click Sign In.
3. Click Yes, I agree for the Statement of Truth.

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4. Complete the Two-Factor Authentication
If this is your first time signing in, you’ll be prompted to set up
two-factor authentication which will be completed in your HARP
account. You’ll select a verification device (i.e., your cell phone)
where you want to have your one-time code sent each time you
sign in.
If you’re a returning user, you’ll simply select the registered
verification device where you want the one-time code to be sent.
Request a one-time code by selecting your preferred device from
the device dropdown, click Send Code, enter the one-time code,
and click Verify.

Step 1. Select device from device drop down and
send code.

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Step 2. Type in code and verify.

5. Select Registration from the left-hand navigation panel.

Alternatively, you can select Go to Registration Portal from the home screen.

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6. From the Registration screen, select Register or Edit CAHPS Registration.

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7. If you have access to multiple organization types (“practices”, “virtual groups”, “subgroups” or “APM Entities”), you need to select the organization type
before you can complete the CAHPS registration for a specific organization.

In this example, the user’s account is
associated with APM Entities and
practices.
After selecting the Practices tab, the user
would click Register Group for CAHPS
next to the appropriate practice to start
the CAHPS registration.
You’ll only see tabs for the organization
types (APM Entities, Virtual Groups,
Practices) associated with your account.
Most users will only see one organization
type.
If you’ve registered for MVP reporting
and registered a subgroup, you can also
access any subgroups for the practice.

If you don’t have the ability to select Register and Edit CAHPS Registration, then you don’t have the required Security Official role
for the connected organization(s). This role is necessary to submit, modify, or delete a registration.
Review the Connect to an Organization section in the Quality Payment Program Access User Guide (ZIP, 5MB) for information
about obtaining the correct Security Official role.

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8. At the top of the Register for CAHPS page, you’ll find your unique Registration ID and the number of contacts receiving updates for this registration.
You may delete the CAHPS registration at any time during the registration process by clicking the button on the upper right-hand side.
IMPORTANT: Changes made within the registration form will automatically be saved as the registration is completed in real time.

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IV. Submit a New Registration for Your CAHPS for MIPS Survey
Please follow the steps below when registering an organization for the first time or re-registering an organization that deleted a previous registration.

If you don’t see the connected organization you’re attempting to register for, you don’t have the required Security Official
role for that organization. This role is necessary to submit or delete a registration.
Review Connect to an Organization in the Quality Payment Program Access User Guide (ZIP, 5MB) for information about
obtaining this role.

1. Organization Size
Select the Organization Size for the organization you want to register.

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2. Register for CAHPS: Add a Contact
Identify a contact to complete all required fields for the CAHPS registration marked with an asterisk. The contact will receive important information
and updates about the organization’s registration and provide next steps for administering the CAHPS for MIPS Survey.

You can add additional contacts by using the + Add another contact, at the bottom of the screen. As more contacts are added, the number of
contacts will update in the Registration header.

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As you proceed through the registration process, the Registration header will update as all changes are saved in real time.

3. Registration Confirmation
After a contact has been added with all the required fields, the CAHPS Registration is complete. You may select the CAHPS For MIPS Survey
Registration on the left-hand navigation to view your completed registration. The CAHPS Registration Status will now show as Complete under the
connected organization.

IMPORTANT: A Summary of the Group’s CAHPS Registration will be available to download once registration is complete, but a confirmation email
won’t be provided.

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V. Modify Information for an Existing Registration
You may modify information for your existing CAHPS for MIPS Survey registration at any time during the registration period between Wednesday, April
1, 2026, at 10 a.m. ET and Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

Update Organization Size
To edit the size of your organization, select the appropriate size option from the list. The application will automatically save the changes made.

Add, Update or Remove Contact Information
To add, update or remove contact information from your completed registration, choose to edit your group’s CAHPS registration and make the
necessary changes. The system requires at least one contact for a registration. If your organization has one contact identified and the contact needs to
be changed, you’ll need to edit the existing contact, or you may add a new contact and delete the previous contact.
To delete a contact, select Delete Contact.

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You’ll be asked to confirm the deletion, please select Delete.

Add New Contact
You can add additional contacts by using the + Add another contact at the bottom of the screen. As more contacts are added, the number of contacts
will update in the Registration header.

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VI. View your CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration Summary
You’ll have access to view information about the CAHPS for MIPS Survey registrations for all organizations for which you have a Security Official role.
A summary of the CAHPS Registration is available to be downloaded once registration is marked as complete. Select Download Registration Summary
from the Registration page under the organization.

A green checkmark indicates a complete registration.
A red x indicates the registration is incomplete.

No status information indicates no registration has been
started.

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On the CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration page, you can filter and
search by the registration status to find the status of connected
organizations’ registrations.

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•
•
•

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Important
Groups, subgroups, virtual groups, and APM Entities (including Shared Savings Program ACOs) will receive instructions from CMS on
how to authorize a CMS-approved vendor after the registration period closes.
CMS will conduct random sampling to produce your patient sample and send it to the vendor you authorize.
Once you authorize a survey vendor, we’ll proceed with data collection, and you’ll be accountable for the costs associated with
administering the survey.
This also applies to MVP participants who register for CAHPS as part of their MVP reporting, even if you update or cancel your MVP
registration after June 30, 2026.

VII. Delete Your Registration for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey
If your organization wants to delete your completed CAHPS for MIPS Survey registration, you can log in and delete your registration any time before the
registration period closes on June 30, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.
If you want to re-register the organization during the 2026 registration period after deleting your registration, please refer to Section IV: Submit a New
Registration for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey of this guide.

Delete Registration
1. Complete the steps in Section III: Access the CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration System of this guide to access your CAHPS for MIPS Survey registration.
Select Delete Registration for the appropriate registration you want to delete.

2. Once you select Delete Registration, you’ll be required to confirm your decision by selecting Delete to successfully delete your registration.

When you return to the list of Connected Organizations, you should see that the organization is no
longer registered for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey.

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Note: If you didn’t intend to delete the
organization’s registration, please follow the
guidance in Section IV: Submit a New
Registration for the CAHPS for MIPS Survey
of this guide to re-register your organization
before the 2026 registration period closes on
June 30, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

VIII. For More Information
Where Can You Go for Help?
Contact the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Service Center by emailing [email protected], creating a QPP Service Center ticket, or calling 1-866-2888292 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET). Please consider calling during non-peak hours, before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m. ET.
People who are deaf or hard of hearing can dial 711 to be connected to a TRS Communications Assistant.

•

Visit the Quality Payment Program website for other help and support information, to learn more about MIPS, and to check out the resources available
on the QPP Resource Library.

IX.

Version History

Date

Change Description

04/01/2026

Original Version.

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documents, please contact [email protected].

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