Additional Resources
- Promising Practices: Maximizing Data Quality in HCBS EoC Survey Data Collection Efforts (PDF, 1013.68 KB), Feb 2015
- Promising Practices: Vendor Selection Strategies for the HCBS EoC Survey (PDF, 545.52 KB), October 2015
- Online TA module: Disability Sensibility, September 2015
Overview
The CAHPS Home and Community-Based Services Survey (HCBS CAHPS) is the first cross-disability survey of home and community-based service beneficiary’s experience receiving long-term services and supports. It is designed to facilitate comparisons across the hundreds of state Medicaid HCBS programs throughout the country that target different adults with disabilities, e.g., including frail elderly, individuals with physical disabilities, persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities, those with acquired brain injury and persons with severe mental illness. The HCBS CAHPS Survey is available for voluntary use in HCBS programs as part of quality assurance and improvement activities and public reporting.
About the survey
The HCBS CAHPS Survey is a questionnaire with a maximum of 69 core items developed for measuring beneficiary experience with the Medicaid home and community-based services and supports delivered by providers. Core questions cover topics such as: getting needed services, communication with providers, case managers, choice of services, medical transportation, and personal safety, as well as community inclusion and empowerment. The survey also includes 3 cognitive screening questions, 9 questions to identify the relevant HCBS services to be asked about, and 15 demographic questions. A 21-item module on experience with employment services is offered as a separate supplement. The survey was developed to be administered by an interviewer in person or by telephone. English and Spanish versions of the instrument are available.
The HCBS CAHPS Survey was developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for voluntary use by state Medicaid programs, including both fee-for-service HCBS programs as well as managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) programs. States with adequate sample sizes may consider using survey metrics in value-based purchasing initiatives. Among other metrics, the survey items support scale measures (or composites). Composites provide information on HCBS staff reliability, communication with HCBS staff, getting help from case managers, choice of services, personal safety, adequacy of medical transportation, and community inclusion and empowerment.
Download the Survey
- CAHPS Home- and Community-Based Services Survey 1.0, English language (PDF, 267.21 KB)
- CAHPS Home- and Community-Based Services Survey 1.0: Supplemental Employment Module, English language (PDF, 118.97 KB)
- CAHPS Home- and Community-Based Services Survey 1.0, Spanish language (PDF, 360.73 KB)
- CAHPS Home- and Community-Based Services Survey 1.0: Supplemental Employment Module, Spanish language (PDF, 151.34 KB)
Download Technical Assistance Materials
- Technical Assistance Guide for Administration of the CAHPS Home and Community-Based Services Survey (PDF, 489.07 KB)
- Interviewer Guidelines (PDF, 509.43 KB)
- Sample Prenotification Letters (English) (PDF, 244.75 KB)
- Sample Prenotification Letters (Spanish) (PDF, 244.4 KB)
- Sample Introductory Scripts (English) (PDF, 286.76 KB)
- Sample Introductory Scripts (Spanish) (PDF, 360.17 KB)
- Sample Consent Form (English) (PDF, 318.3 KB)
- Sample Consent Form (Spanish) (PDF, 333.34 KB)
- Sample Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 265.99 KB)
- Sample Guardian and Provider Update Script (PDF, 222.26 KB)
- Sample Vendor Materials (PDF, 340.85 KB)
- Technical Assistance Guide for Analyzing Data From the CAHPS Home and Community-Based Services Survey (PDF, 1.06 MB)
Additional Information
Questions or requests for technical assistance related to the HCBS CAHPS Survey can be directed to HCBS-CAHPS@cms.hhs.gov.
For more information about the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys, a program of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, please visit this site.