OASIS Broadcast

Final July 2026 Interim Performance Reports (IPRs) are Available in iQIES

The Final July 2026 IPRs for the expanded HHVBP Model have been published in the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES).

An HHA will receive a July 2026 IPR if:

• Was Medicare certified before January 1, 2025, and

• Meets the minimum threshold of data for at least one (1) quality measure in the quarterly reporting period for the performance year

Refer to the updated Expanded HHVBP Model IPR Quick Reference Guide (PDF) available on the Expanded HHVBP Model webpage. This resource outlines the types of data included, eligibility criteria, how interim performance scores are calculated, and the process for submitting recalculation requests. This easy-to-scan two-pager provides all the key details to stay aligned with HHVBP performance expectations.

As outlined in the CY 2026 Home Health (HH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) Final Rule, there are changes to the expanded HHVBP Model measure set starting with CY 2026 (referred to as the “CY 2026 measure set”). The October 2026 IPRs will be the first IPRs to generate improvement, achievement, and care points based on the CY 2026 applicable measure set. To help get ready for this change, CMS has started providing a preview of HHAs’ performance on the CY 2026 measure set. Specifically, starting with the October 2025 IPRs, achievement thresholds (AT) and benchmarks (BM) (see “CY 2026 AT and BM” tab) and HHAs’ improvement thresholds for the CY 2026 measure set are available to HHAs in each IPR. In the July 2026 IPRs, a preview of CY 2026 applicable measure performance based on the current performance period is provided in the “CY 2026 Performance” tab.

Important Note on the Preview MSPB-PAC measure performance:

• “CY 2026 Baseline” tab: Due to a delay in availability of data to calculate CY 2024/2025 MSPB-PAC measure performance, improvement thresholds based on this performance period are not yet assigned to HHAs that were previously ineligible or did not meet the minimum data threshold to establish a CY 2022/2023 or CY 2023/2024 HHA baseline year for this measure. Assignment of improvement thresholds based on CY 2024/2025 MSPB-PAC measure performance will occur as soon as technically feasible.

• “CY 2026 Performance” tab: This worksheet provides performance scores for three OASIS-based measures in the CY 2026 applicable measure set that are not included in the CY 2025 applicable measure set, namely Improvement in Bathing, Improvement in Upper Body Dressing, and Improvement in Lower Body Dressing. Note that CY 2024/2025 data to calculate performance scores for the claims-based MSPB-PAC measure are not yet available. Therefore, performance scores for this measure are not reported on this tab.

CMS is sharing these updates to help HHAs stay informed and prepared, and no action is needed from HHAs. Updated measure performance will be reflected in future reports once the data become available.

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 above link 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 above link to register.

Home Health Agencies: Download Your 2025 PEPPER 

CMS released the 2025 Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) for home health agencies. Your PEPPER helps you review your billing data to make sure claims are accurate. Use it to:

• Spot billing patterns that may need review or improvement

• Identify areas that may need closer monitoring or internal audits

• Find services that may be under-coded or over-coded

• Track trends (e.g., longer patient stays)

How to Get Your PEPPER

Authorized officials (AOs), access managers (AMs), and staff end users (SEUs) can download their organization’s report from the PEPPER Portal.

How to become an SEU:

• Sign in to the CMS Identity & Access (I&A) System using your existing NPPES or PECOS credentials.

• Request the PEPPER business function for your organization. The Comparative Billing Report business function is also available, and you can request it at the same time.

• Your AO or AM must approve your request.

More Information:

• Visit the Training & Resources webpage for more information about the release and the User Guide  

• See the I&A Quick Reference Guide and FAQs: Step-by-step instructions for AOs and AMs

• Contact the External User Services Help Desk

• Register for a webinar on September 24, 2026 at 1 pm ET

ICD-10 & Other Coding Revisions to National Coverage Determinations: January 2027 Update 

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

Coding GG0130 and GG0170: When to Use Code 05 vs. Code 04

A common area of confusion when coding GG0130 and GG0170 activities on the OASIS is distinguishing between a Code 05 (Setup or Clean-up Assistance) and a Code 04 (Supervision or Touching Assistance).

While the difference may seem subtle, selecting the correct code is essential for accurately reflecting the patient’s functional ability.

Code 05 – Setup or Clean-up Assistance is used when the patient completes the activity independently after someone else provides assistance prior to or following the activity, but not during the activity.  Examples can include gathering clothing for a patient before dressing or even providing supervision when the patient is gathering clothing before dressing, opening a container, or putting equipment away after the activity. The helper does not provide supervision, verbal cues, physical contact, or assistance during the activity itself.

Code 04 – Supervision or Touching Assistance is appropriate when another person must be present during the activity to provide verbal cueing, encouragement, safety monitoring, and/or light physical contact (such as steadying or guiding). Even if the helper provides no lifting or physical effort, the patient’s performance is no longer considered setup assistance alone.

What can be tricky is when a patient requires supervision to complete an activity. How do we know if the correct code is a Code 05 vs a Code 04?

The key question to ask is: Did the helper’s involvement end before the patient began the activity? If yes, Code 05 may be appropriate. If the helper was required to provide supervision, cueing, and/or provide touching assistance while the activity was being performed, the correct code is Code 04.

Understanding this distinction helps ensure consistent coding, accurately represents the patient’s functional performance, and supports reliable quality reporting.

Accessing IPRs

IPRs are available via iQIES in the “HHA Provider Preview Reports” folder, by the CMS Certification number (CCN) assigned to the HHA. If your organization has more than one (1) CCN, then a report will be available for each CCN. Only iQIES users authorized to view an HHA’s reports can access expanded HHVBP Model reports. IPRs are not available to the public. For assistance with downloading your HHA’s IPR, please contact the iQIES Service Center at 1-800-339-9313, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-8:00 PM ET, or by email to iqies@cms.hhs.gov. To create a ticket online or track an existing ticket, please go to CCSQ Support Central.

1. Log into 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.

Instructions on how to access the IPRs are also available on the Expanded HHVBP Model webpage, under “Model Reports.”