ICH CAHPS Announcements

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Reminder: Only 3 Weeks before the Data Submission Deadline for the 2026 ICH CAHPS Spring Survey
Data SubmissionsPosted July 8, 2026

As a reminder, data collection for the 2026 ICH CAHPS Spring Survey ends on Friday, July 10, 2026. The deadline for submitting data files from the 2026 Spring Survey to the Data Center is at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, which is only 3 weeks away. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will not accept any data files after that date and time.

As XML files are uploaded to the ICH CAHPS Data Center, a series of validation checks are made, one of which is a check to ensure that a patient-level record is included on the XML file for every case that was sampled for a CCN. Please note the following:

If the number of cases you include on an XML file does not match the number sampled, an error or warning message will appear on your data submission report.
If the error message appears for one or more of your CCNs, please make sure that you have entered information about each sampled case on the XML file.

Also be reminded that survey vendors:

should submit their files as soon as possible to allow adequate time to correct any problems identified and re-submit the files before the deadline; and
can submit a file for a CCN as many times as needed; however, keep in mind that each time a file for a CCN is re-submitted, it overwrites the file that was submitted previously.

Lastly, due to the survey revisions implemented for Spring 2026, we want to remind vendors to ensure they are using the revised XML data layout file and that additional QC checks are strongly encouraged in addition to their standard pre-submission QC procedures. These checks should include validation of mail and CATI systems, review of the revised race question, use of the XML Schema Validation Tool and Data Submission Tool to verify data outputs, and comparison of response frequencies for unchanged questions against prior survey data to identify potential issues. For more information on additional QC checks that vendors are encouraged to implement, please see the memo posted on the ICH CAHPS website on May 18, 2026: Updated ICH CAHPS Data Submission and XML Schema Validation Tools Available

Please feel free to contact the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions or need help with data submissions.

The 2026 ICH CAHPS Coordination Team Annual Review (CTAR) Newsletter
Other AnnouncementsPosted July 7, 2026

The ICH CAHPS Team has published the 2026 edition of the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team Annual Review (CTAR). As a reminder, this newsletter is a way to provide in-center hemodialysis facilities and survey vendors with helpful ICH CAHPS information.

The CTAR is now posted on the ICH CAHPS website annually every July. You can navigate to the 2026 newsletter in the Quick Links box on the ICH CAHPS home page, under the General Information tab on the ICH CAHPS website, or you can click here to view it now.

The CTAR does not replace any source of information currently on the ICH CAHPS website; instead, it highlights important information for readers every summer. We encourage you to visit the ICH CAHPS website or reach out to the Coordination Team for more information on the items mentioned in this newsletter. And as always, please continue to monitor the ICH CAHPS website for updates and announcements.

Please contact the Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions or need more information.

Proposed ESRD Prospective Payment System Rule for Calendar Year 2027
Information for Dialysis FacilitiesPosted July 6, 2026

The ESRD Prospective Payment System (PPS) proposed rule for calendar year 2027, which was published in the Federal Register on June 26, 2026, is now available here.

Reminder of Upcoming Deadline for Submitting Facility-Specific Questions for the 2026 ICH CAHPS Fall Survey for Approval
Other AnnouncementsPosted June 30, 2026

This is a reminder that ICH CAHPS Survey vendors must submit all facility-specific questions that they plan to add to the 2026 ICH CAHPS Fall Survey to the Coordination Team for review and approval. If any of your ICH facility clients are planning to add any new facility-specific questions to the 2026 ICH CAHPS Fall Survey, or change any currently approved facility-specific questions, please send those questions and their proposed placement to the Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org before 5:00 PM ET on August 7, 2026.

Please note that facility-specific questions that were approved by the Coordination Team for use in previous survey periods do not need to be approved again unless the question wording or response options have changed. If changes have been made, please submit the changes by the August 7^th deadline.

The Coordination Team will accept facility-specific questions for review after the August 7, 2026 deadline; however, approval of those questions may not be granted in time for the questions to be included in the 2026 Fall Survey. Survey vendors should work with their client ICH facilities to decide on the use of new facility-specific questions and submit the questions to the Coordination Team as soon as possible to avoid a delay in approval.

Please contact the Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or by calling 1-888-245-8083 if you have any questions.

Tentative Data Collection Schedule for the 2026 ICH CAHPS Fall Survey
Other AnnouncementsPosted June 29, 2026

The tentative data collection schedule and the dates for some key activities related to the 2026 In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS (ICH CAHPS) Fall Survey are shown below. Please note that these dates are subject to change. Should a schedule change occur, an announcement will be emailed and posted.

Please note that this year, the Thanksgiving holiday falls on November 26, 2026, during the last week of November. Some vendors may have difficulties with mailing the 2nd survey package (mail-only) or beginning phone follow-up (mixed mode) for the 2026 Fall Survey on the originally scheduled date of November 27, 2026 (the day after Thanksgiving). As such, the 2026 Fall data collection schedule has been set such that vendors may either begin implementing the second wave of ICH CAHPS data collection on November 27, 2026, or the following week on December 2, 2026. The deadline for data submission will remain January 27, 2027, for both schedules.

Activity	Date
Submit New Facility-Specific Questions to CMS	8/7/2026
Deadline for Authorizing a Vendor for 2026 Fall Survey¹	8/31/2026
Deadline (for vendors) to submit Facility Closed Attestation form²	8/31/2026
Deadline (for vendors) to Review Vendor Authorization Report and Notify the Coordination Team of any Authorization Issues	9/1/2026

Sampling Window	4/1/2026-6/30/2026
Sample Files Uploaded on ICH CAHPS Website	9/25/2026
Vendors Attest to Receipt of Sample File	9/29/2026
Mail Prenotification Letter	10/16/2026
Mail 1^st Survey (mail only and mixed mode)/Begin Telephone data collection (phone only mode)	10/30/2026
Mail 2^nd Survey (mail only)/Begin phone follow-up (mixed mode)	11/27/2026 OR 12/2/2026
Data Collection Ends	1/8/2027
Vendors Clean/Process Final Data and Construct XML File	1/8/2027-1/27/2027
Deadline for Submitting XML Data File to ICH Data Center	1/27/2027

¹ Only ICH facilities that will be switching to a different survey vendor and those that will be participating in the ICH CAHPS Survey for the first time will need to complete the online vendor authorization form.

² Submission of the Vendor Facility Closing Attestation Form alerts the Coordination Team that a sample file should not be provided for the facility for the upcoming ICH CAHPS Survey period, due to the closing of the facility.

Please contact the Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions or need more information about the upcoming ICH CAHPS Survey Period.

RTI International will be closed July 3, 2026 (In observance of Independence Day)
Other AnnouncementsPosted June 29, 2026

RTI International will have limited availability on July 2, 2026 and will be closed on July 3 in observance of the July 4^th Independence Day holiday. The ICH CAHPS Coordination Team will respond to email and telephone technical assistance inquiries that are received as soon as possible on Monday, July 6, 2026.

Please contact the Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions.

Updated ICH CAHPS Data Submission and XML Schema Validation Tools Available
Data SubmissionsPosted May 18, 2026

The online ICH CAHPS Data Submission Tool and XML Schema Validation Tool have been updated for the 2026 Spring Survey data submission period to reflect the changes made to the revised survey. Both updated tools are available on the ICH CAHPS website and can be accessed by survey vendors logging in and navigating to the desired link under the “Data Submission” menu.

The purpose of the XML Schema Validation Tool is to help survey vendors test their XML files developed for data submission, prior to actually submitting data. In the Data Submission Tool, vendors can upload up to five XML data files at once. Additional submission tips and information can be found on the Data Submission Resources webpage.

Due to the revisions made to the ICH CAHPS Survey prior to the 2026 ICH CAHPS Spring Survey, now 38 questions as opposed to the previous 62 questions, it is strongly recommended that survey vendors complete the following quality control (QC) checks early in the data collection period, in addition to the typical QC checks performed prior to the data submission deadline:

Vendors should perform QC checks to ensure that both their mail scanning/keying systems and their CATI systems are functioning properly based on the revised mail survey and telephone script. Vendors should utilize the XML Schema Validation Tool to QC data.
1. Once a vendor has preliminary data, we encourage you to submit a couple files using the Data Submission Tool to confirm that everything looks correct in the Data Submission History reports for those submissions. Note that submitting the final data file in July will replace any preliminary data submitted for testing.
Vendors should perform QC checks on the new race question in both their mail and CATI systems. Please keep in mind that there is now one single question combining ethnicity and race, fewer race response options, two brand-new race response categories, and no race subcategory questions in CATI.
Vendors can compare the frequencies of their 2025 Fall response data for each question that remained in the survey to ensure survey systems are accurately capturing the proper values for each question; if frequencies appear to be drastically different for a certain question, vendors should check their systems and data accordingly.

Vendors are encouraged to initiate these QC checks after Wave 1 data collection activities, which began on May 1^st and then again after the Wave 2 data collection efforts that will begin on May 29^th, once mail and/or phone data has been received.

The deadline for submitting data files from the 2026 Spring Survey to the Data Center is at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Vendors are encouraged to submit their final data files as soon as possible to allow adequate time to correct any problems identified and re-submit the files before the deadline.

Please feel free to contact the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions or need help with data submissions.

RTI International will be closed May 25, 2026 for the Memorial Day Holiday
Other AnnouncementsPosted May 18, 2026

RTI International will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026 for the Memorial Day holiday. The ICH CAHPS Coordination Team will respond to email and telephone technical assistance inquiries that are received on that date as soon as possible after RTI re-opens on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Please contact the Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions.

Deadline for Submitting an Updated 2026 ICH CAHPS Quality Assurance Plan
Other AnnouncementsPosted May 1, 2026

This is a friendly reminder that the deadline for ICH CAHPS Survey vendors to submit the annual Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) is 5:00 PM Eastern Time on May 31, 2026. If you have already submitted your 2026 QAP, you can ignore this email.

The QAP must describe how the survey vendor will implement, comply with, and provide oversight of all survey and data processing activities associated with the ICH CAHPS Survey. To ensure prompt review and acceptance of your Annual QAP, please follow the procedures listed below:

Locate the version of your most recently approved QAP; that is, the version that was accepted by CMS and the Coordination Team in 2025 (or later if edits were made and submitted after the 2025 review process).
Make a copy of that version and accept all tracked changes, creating a clean copy of your QAP.
Make all 2026 updates to your clean copy using track changes, so that your document reflects only the changes made since your most recently approved QAP.
Make sure to include updates to your QAP if your organization has had changes in ICH CAHPS Survey personnel, changes to protocols or procedures, and/or changes in approved survey mode(s).

Make sure your QAP follows the format shown in the Model QAP posted on the ICH CAHPS website. Also make sure that you provide information for every topic included in the Model QAP.

Before submitting your annual QAP, check it carefully to make sure that it reflects all ICH CAHPS Survey protocols disseminated via announcements posted on the ICH CAHPS website and/or described in the latest version of the Survey Administration and Specifications Manual.
Vendors should submit for review a copy of all survey materials (envelope, prenotification letter, cover letters 1 and 2, mail surveys, telephone scripts) for each language the survey is being administered in. As a reminder, if not already, vendors must begin including the following per the Model QAP (revised in February 2025):
- Requested details on subcontractor oversight activities the vendor conducts for all aspects of the survey process; and
- A work plan for each of the vendor’s approved modes of data collection.
Submit your QAP online via the ICH CAHPS website by accessing the Submit Quality Assurance Plan option under the “For Vendors” menu on the grey bar at the top of the website’s home page (https://ichcahps.org/).

The QAP must be updated and submitted annually on or before May 31 of each year and any time the vendor has a change in ICH CAHPS personnel, capabilities, or systems that are used to administer the ICH CAHPS Survey. Remember that you must also update your online ICH CAHPS Vendor Application Form if you have been approved to add/drop survey modes, changed key personnel and/or subcontractors, and/or have changed your business name or location.

Please contact the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team at 1-866-245-8083 or via email at ichcahps@rti.org if you have any questions about the QAP update process or deadline.

NOW AVAILABILE: 2026 Spring XML File Layout
Data SubmissionsPosted April 24, 2026

Dear ICH CAHPS Survey Vendor,

The 2026 Spring ICH CAHPS XML File Layout is now available on the ICH CAHPS website under Data Submission Resources: https://ichcahps.org/Data-Submission/Data-Submission-Resources. This website version is the same as the version emailed to vendors in late March; however, the website version is 508-compliant.

This updated XML File Layout reflects updates made to the newly revised ICH CAHPS Survey, implemented starting with this 2026 Spring Survey period. All approved vendors must ensure that their data submission files are updated accordingly and are compliant with the current XML File Layout and associated schema.

As a reminder, vendors must validate their XML files prior to submission using the XML Schema Validation Tool. The Schema Validation Tool and Data Submission Tool will be updated by mid-May 2026 and vendors will be notified when these tools are available.

Please ensure all necessary updates are made ahead of the 2026 Spring data submission deadline (July 29, 2026).

If you have any questions, please contact the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team at ichcahps@rti.org.

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