OASIS Broadcast

Updated Provider Demographic Update Instructions

September 29, 2026

CMS will be transitioning to a new data source for a provider’s demographic data for all Post-Acute Care (PAC) provider types (Skilled Nursing Facilities / Nursing Facilities (SNF/NFs), Home Health Agencies (HHAs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs) and Hospices). These demographic data include provider name, provider mailing address, provider physical address, State, ZIP Code, etc. These provider demographic data are displayed on the Provider and Quality Measure reports generated from the internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). Additionally, these same demographic data are displayed on the Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog (PDC) websites.

While CMS will be transitioning to use the demographic information from Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS), the final date when all demographic data will be obtained from PECOS has not been identified. During this transition, PAC providers will be responsible for ensuring their latest demographic data are updated and available in both the PECOS and iQIES systems.

The referencing document that outlines the steps each PAC provider should follow has been updated. Should you have questions regarding the processes, please contact the iQIES help desk by email at iQIES@cms.hhs.gov or by phone at (800) 339-9313.

Preview CY 2026 Annual Performance Reports (APRs) are Available in iQIES 

The Preview CY 2026 Annual Performance Reports (CY 2026 APRs) for the expanded HHVBP Model have been published in the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). Note: APRs are only available to HHAs through iQIES. Since access to HHVBP performance reports is limited to authorized iQIES users, HHAs should keep iQIES access up to date, particularly following staffing changes.

The CY 2026 APR is the first APR in the expanded HHVBP Model that uses the CY 2025 applicable measure set, which includes three (3) OASIS-based, two (2) claims-based, and five (5) HHCAHPS Survey-based measures:

OASIS-based Measures:

• Improvement in Dyspnea (Dyspnea) – One-year measure

• Improvement in Management of Oral Medications (Oral Medications) – One-year measure

• Discharge Function Score (DC Function) – One-year measure

Claims-based Measures:

• Discharge to Community-Post Acute Care (DTC-PAC) – Two-year measure

• Home Health Within-Stay Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations (PPH) – One-year measure

HHCAHPS Survey-based Measures:

• Care of Patients (Professional Care) – One-year measure

• Communications between Providers and Patients (Communication) – One-year measure

• Specific Care Issues (Team Discussion) – One-year measure

• Overall Rating of Home Health Care (Overall Rating) – One-year measure

• Willingness to Recommend the Agency (Willingness to Recommend) – One-year measure

For more information on the billing process, please review the “Billing Process” section in the Expanded HHVBP Model Guide.

To access the reports in iQIES:

1. Log in to iQIES 

2. Select the My Reports option from the Reports menu

3. From the My Reports page, select the HHA Provider Preview Reports folder. The folders and reports on the My Reports page are listed in alphabetical order. Thus, users may need to utilize the “page forward” functionality at the bottom of the webpage to advance to the page where the HHA Provider Preview Reports folder is located. Alternatively, users may change the default number of rows that display on the webpage from 10 to a larger number to view the larger list of folders. Note: Files in the HHA Provider Preview Reports folder are listed in descending order (i.e., in the order of the newest reports to the oldest).

4. Select the HHVBP report file, and the contents of the file will display

2025 HHVBP Annual Performance Report: 

What Home Health Agencies Need to Know for 2027 

Both the annual and interim performance reports are available through the iQIES system. The 2025 Annual Performance Report has been released and provides agencies with their potential 2027 payment adjustment.

This is a potential adjustment at this stage, since the first version released is the Preview Annual Performance Report, followed by the Preliminary Annual Performance Report and, ultimately, the Final Annual Performance Report. The final report is expected to be released around November 1 and will determine the payment adjustment applied to applicable claims with visits beginning January 1, 2027.

Under the HHVBP Model, payment adjustments can range from a 5% decrease to a 5% increase. Agencies should make sure they access and carefully review their Annual Performance Report (APR) and understand the payment adjustment they can expect in 2027. The Interim Performance Reports (IPR) were also released in July and included the first three months of OASIS data. However, that report did not yet include 2026 data for the newly implemented measures or for the claims-based and HHCAHPS measures.

As an agency, you will want to pay close attention to the October Interim Performance Report, which will provide a more complete picture of 2026 performance. That report is expected to include six months of OASIS data, along with the first quarter of HHCAHPS and claims-based data.

Fortunately, the Proposed Home Health Rule did not include any proposed changes to the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model for 2027. This means the HHVBP measures and structure agencies are working with in 2026 will remain the same for 2027, including the baseline year.

If your agency did not perform as well as hoped in 2026, this provides another opportunity in 2027. Agencies will be working with the same measure set and comparing their performance against the same 2023 baseline year, giving them another chance to improve their results under a familiar framework.

As the fourth quarter of 2026 come to a close and you prepare for 2027, it is important to continue making progress with your HHVBP performance. One of the key areas to review is the Care Points tab, which reflects the higher of your achievement or improvement scores for each measure and shows where those results rank nationally.

Pay particular attention to any measures with a national percentile ranking below the 50th percentile. These are areas where your agency should be placing the greatest focus, identifying opportunities for improvement and work to strengthen your overall HHVBP performance.

Closely monitor measures that fall within the 50th to 74th percentile, especially if the majority of your measures are within this range. If a measure has a Care Points score below six, it indicates that your performance is closer to the 50th percentile than the 74th percentile. These measures should remain a priority as you continue working to strengthen your performance and move into higher percentile rankings.

The scores reflected on the Care Points tab are then weighted based on how much each measure contributes to your overall Total Performance Score. It is important to understand the weight of each measure and how improvements in individual areas can affect your overall HHVBP performance.

If your reports identify several areas that need improvement, reviewing these measure weights can help you prioritize your efforts. This allows you to identify the areas having the greatest impact on your Total Performance Score and determine where your agency should focus its improvement efforts first.

With payment adjustments reaching as much as 5%, the financial impact of HHVBP can be significant. You should understand exactly where your performance stands and identify any measures where you may be struggling. Regularly review these results and, when opportunities for improvement are identified, education and other corrective strategies should be implemented as quickly as possible to strengthen performance.

OASIS measures now account for 40% of the Total Performance Score, giving agencies a significant opportunity to directly influence their HHVBP performance. You can make an impact by providing ongoing education to staff on accurate OASIS completion and implementing strong quality assurance processes to review assessments as they are submitted. With OASIS representing such a substantial portion of the Total Performance Score, this is an area where focused education, monitoring, and improvement efforts can make a meaningful difference.

Evidence-Based Strategies for Supporting Older Adults with Depression and Anxiety 

(Sponsored by ComForCare Home Care)

October 8, 2026 | 2:00 pm ET

1 CE credit for Nurses, Case Managers, Social Workers (MN) & NAB for live session attendees

Depression and anxiety are frequently underrecognized in older adults, yet they significantly impact functional status, quality of life, and overall health outcomes. Timed with Mental Illness Awareness Week and Pharmacy Month, this webinar highlights evidence-based screening, referral, and intervention strategies to support emotional well-being in aging populations. 

Select the link above to register.

The New Survey Era: Risk-Based Surveys and What Leaders Need to Know

(Sponsored by Pathway Health)

October 20, 2026 | 2:00 pm ET

1 CE credit for Nurses, Case Managers, Social Workers (MN) & Administrators for live session attendees

About: This panel discussion, which provides a practical overview of what Risk-Based Surveys are, how the process differs from the traditional Long-Term Care Survey Process, which facilities may qualify, the data leaders should routinely monitor, and the clinical, operational, and survey-readiness strategies needed to prepare for this new era of CMS oversight.

Select the link above to register.

Building High-Performing, Resilient Care Teams 

(Sponsored by ComForCare Home Care)

December 3, 2026 | 2:00 pm ET

1 CE credit for Nurses, Case Managers, Social Workers (MN) & NAB for live session attendees

High-performing care teams are the foundation of quality, consistency, and sustainability in aging services. This webinar focuses on practical leadership strategies to build resilient teams through effective coaching, delegation, and performance measurement. 

Select the link above to register.

Home Health Prospective Payment System Grouper: October Update 

Get the October 2026 release (Version 07.2.26 (ZIP)). See the Home Health Prospective Payment System Grouper Software webpage for a summary of changes.

More Information:

• Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 10 (PDF), section 80 

• Instruction to your Medicare Administrative Contractor (PDF)

ICD-10 & Other Coding Revisions to National Coverage Determinations:

January 2027 Update 

Learn about updates (PDF), effective January 1, 2027 

Hot Topic: Food Safety 

Recent outbreaks serve as a reminder of the importance of food safety investigations. Environmental health staff have a critical role in leading environmental assessments during foodborne disease outbreak investigations. Watch the short training video to learn how investigators find factors that contribute to foodborne illness outbreaks. 

Earn FREE CE with the Environmental Assessment Training Series (EATS) 101: Foundation Skills training and learn how to complete an environmental assessment from start to finish using outbreak scenarios. Visit Restaurant Food Safety Training and Resources.

Nurse's Role in Pain Management 

Nurses have a vital role in coordinating patient care across the care team. Learn about screening tools for informed pain management decisions and strategies for talking with patients about pain management and opioid therapy. 

Select the link above to go to TRAIN and register.