FAQ for Customer Support

The questions and responses in this document have been compiled to assist survey vendor staff in responding to frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS). Answers are provided for the following topics: General Questions about the Survey, General Questions about Follow-Up; Concerns/Fears about Participating; Questions about Completing the Survey; and Other Situations.

Note: Survey vendors conducting HOS and plans participating in HOS must NOT attempt to influence or encourage members to answer survey questions in a particular way. Please refer to the “Program Requirements” section of the Quality Assurance Guidelines & Technical Specifications V2.8 for more information on communicating with beneficiaries about HOS.

Note: Survey vendors should follow their own standard procedures for handling information received by mail or by phone that may suggest a member’s health or well-being is at risk.

General Questions About the Survey

1.Replacement Survey: I misplaced my survey. Can you please send me another one?

Thank you for contacting the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. You should receive a new survey in the mail soon. Can you confirm your mailing address?

Optional: If you’d prefer, I can do the interview with you over the telephone now.

2.Duplicate Surveys: I already mailed the survey back. Why did you send another?

If you recently returned the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey, please disregard this duplicate survey. This survey was probably mailed to you before we received the one you completed. Thank you for participating in this survey.

3.Duplicate Surveys: I just completed another survey. Do I need to complete this one?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare, conducts multiple surveys. You may have completed the Medicare Satisfaction Survey or Provider Experience Survey. The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey is a different survey that asks about your health and well-being. We would appreciate it if you could complete and return both surveys. If you’d like, you can complete this survey right now, over the phone.

Note: If the person insists they recently mailed the HOS, thank them for participating.

4.Duplicate Surveys: Didn’t I answer this survey last year? Is this the same survey?

It is the same survey. If you were selected to receive it again this year, either by chance (your name was picked at random) or because your health plan is small (in which case, all members are asked to respond each year). We hope you will complete it again this year.

5.Online Survey: Please email me the survey or send me a link to complete it online.

Thank you for your interest in completing the survey. The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey is not currently available online. Please complete and return the mail survey or if you’d prefer, I can do the interview with you over the telephone now.

6.Requested Alternate Language: English, Spanish, Chinese, or Russian

The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey is also available in [English/Spanish/Chinese/ Russian]. Please confirm your mailing address and we will mail you a [English/Spanish/Chinese/Russian] version of the survey or if you’d prefer, I could do the interview with you over the telephone now.

7.Alternate Language: Language barrier – requested for another language

Currently, the Medicare HOS is not offered in [OTHER LANGUAGE]. We have made a note of your request, which will be communicated to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for consideration for future surveys. For now, you may complete the survey by phone or have someone complete it for you. The person who completes the survey for you should be someone who knows you well enough to answer questions about your health.

8. I received a letter saying that I would get a survey in the mail, but I have not received one. Please send a survey.

Thank you for contacting the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. You should receive a survey in the mail soon. Could you please confirm your mailing address?

Optional: If you’d prefer, I could do the interview with you over the telephone now.

9. Who are you? Are you with Medicare? If Medicare is administering the survey, then why isn’t Medicare calling me?

I’m an interviewer with [VENDOR NAME]. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare, asked us to contact you on their behalf.

10. What is CMS?

CMS stands for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is a federal agency that oversees Medicare and is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

11. What is NCQA?

NCQA stands for the National Committee for Quality Assurance. It is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and improving the quality of health care. NCQA works to help people with Medicare make informed decisions when choosing among health plans. CMS has asked NCQA to oversee data collection for this survey.

12.What is the purpose of the survey?

The purpose of this survey is to monitor the quality of care health plans provide to people with Medicare. The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey has been in use since 1998.

The program’s goal is to determine whether health plans are providing people with Medicare the care they need to stay as healthy as possible over time.

13. How will the data be used?

The information collected will be used to compare health plan performance, to improve the quality of care provided to people with Medicare, and to help people select a health plan.

14. How can I verify this is a legitimate survey?

This is a very important survey sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare. Your participation will help CMS monitor and improve the quality of care provided to people with Medicare and Medicare Advantage. To verify the legitimacy of this survey you can call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE.

Optional: You can also visit the Medicare HOS website at www.hosonline.org and click the link for “Information for People with Medicare” for additional information.

15. Is there a government agency that I can contact to find out more about this survey?

Yes, you can contact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-MEDICARE. You can also visit the CMS HOS website at www.cms.gov/hos.

16. How can I contact NCQA?

You can contact NCQA’s Customer Support department at 1-888-275-7585.

Note: Survey vendors only provide members this telephone number if they are unable to answer the member’s question. Questions and answers that are provided in this document should be answered by survey vendors.

17. How long will this take?

The survey will take about 20 minutes by phone and about 15 minutes by mail.

18. What questions will I be asked?

The questions are mainly about your physical and emotional health.

General Questions About the Follow-Up Survey

19. I do not remember participating before.

The survey was conducted two years ago, so many people don’t remember participating. Once we get started, you may find some of the questions familiar.

(PROXY Indicated) I do not remember participating before.

Our records show someone else completed the survey for you two years ago. We would like you to complete the survey now. By comparing the answers from two years ago with your answers now, we can determine if your health plan keeps its members as healthy as possible.

20. I already did this a couple of years ago. Why are you calling me again?

The survey is designed to measure the health and well-being of people with Medicare over time. By comparing the answers you give now with the answers you gave two years ago, we can determine whether your health plan keeps its members as healthy as possible.

21. My health has not changed so I do not think you need to interview me again.

It is very important to the success of this program that everyone who is selected participates, regardless of their current health. That way, we can get an accurate picture of how well your health plan serves all people with Medicare.

22. How is the survey different from the original survey?

It’s not. The questions I’ll ask you are identical to the questions you answered two years ago.

Optional: By comparing the answers you give now with the answers you gave two years ago, we can determine whether your health plan keeps its members as healthy as possible.

Concerns/Fears About Participating

23. How did you get my name and number? How was I chosen for the survey?

Medicare is interested in your unique viewpoint and authorized us to contact you. You were randomly selected from all the people with Medicare in your health plan to be the voice of someone with Medicare.

24. I am on the Do Not Call List. You should not be calling me.

The Do Not Call List prohibits sales and telemarketing calls. We are not selling anything and we are not asking for money. We are a survey research firm. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has asked us to help conduct this survey.

25. Concerns About Privacy: Who will see my answers? What happens to my answers?

The information you provide is protected by the Privacy Act and we cannot share it with anyone other than CMS, the federal agency that runs Medicare.

26. Refusal: I am not interested. I do not want to complete this survey.

Thank you for contacting the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. We encourage you to reconsider participating. This is a very important survey sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare. If you are still not interested in completing the survey, then please discard the mailing provided to you.

27. Refusal/Removal: Please remove my name and number. Do not ever contact me again.

Thank you for contacting the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. Your contact information has been removed from our lists and you will not be contacted again.

Note: Provide this response only if the member specifically asks to be taken off the list and never contacted again. Do not volunteer this information if the member has simple concerns about participating. Survey vendors must flag these records in their survey management systems as “M32 – Nonresponse: Refusal” and “Exclude from future survey samples flag” to ensure the member does not receive further mailings or calls during the current survey administration.

28. Member Unable to Complete Survey: [MEMBER NAME] is in a nursing home/has dementia/is very frail and is unable to complete this survey.

If [MEMBER NAME] is unable to complete the survey, someone else can complete it for (him/her) as a “proxy.” The person who completes the survey can be a family member, friend, or other caregiver who can answer questions about (his/her) health.

Note: If the member is temporarily unavailable, survey vendors must schedule a callback or try to reach the member at another time before obtaining a proxy. Survey vendors should record the most appropriate response that will reflect the most accurate disposition code.

29. I am not in Medicare. I am enrolled in ____ health plan.

Your health plan has a contract with Medicare to provide services under Medicare Advantage which is sometimes called Part C. The answers you provide will help CMS, the federal agency that runs Medicare, monitor and improve the quality of care your health plan provides. Your participation is very important.

30. I am not enrolled in ____ health plan, I have Medicare.

Please complete the questions based on your Medicare enrollment. The answers you provide will help CMS monitor and improve the quality of care it provides to people with Medicare.

31. I have been advised not to participate in telephone surveys.

I understand your concern but hope you will consider participating. This is a very important survey sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare. Your participation will help CMS monitor and improve the quality of care provided under the Medicare program. If you’d like, you can verify that this is a legitimate survey by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

32. I do not want to answer a lot of personal questions.

I understand your concern. This is an important survey, but your answers will not be shared. You can skip any question that you don’t want to answer. If a question bothers you, just tell me you’d rather not answer it, and I will move on to the next question. Why don’t we get started and you can see what the questions are like?

33. I do not want to buy anything.

We’re not selling anything and we’re not asking for money. This is an important survey sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare. Your voice is important and this is your chance to help improve Medicare. We’d greatly appreciate a few minutes of your time to help with this project.

34. I don’t think I’m the person you want to speak to. I’m (too old/too sick/too healthy).

It is important that we have the opportunity to speak to all Medicare beneficiaries selected for the survey, regardless of their age or health. That way, we'll know how well health plans serve the needs of all people with Medicare. Your voice is important and we’d greatly appreciate a few minutes of your time to help with this important project.

35. Do I have to complete the survey? What happens if I do not? Why should I?

You can choose whether you would like to participate. There are absolutely no penalties for not participating but please understand that this is a very important survey. Your answers will help us improve the quality of care provided to people with Medicare and determine if your health plan is providing the care you need to stay as healthy as possible.

You can skip any questions you do not wish to answer.

36. Will my responses affect my benefits?

No, your answers will not affect your benefits in any way.

37. Will I get junk mail if I answer this survey?

No, you will not get any junk mail related to this survey. Your name and address will be kept absolutely confidential and will not be seen by anyone other than the research staff.

38. Will my doctor be affected by my answers?

No. Your doctor will not see your survey responses.

39. What happens if I [die/drop out of the plan] before the second survey?

Your answers today will still be valuable and will help us evaluate your health plan.

Questions About Completing the Survey

40. What if I cannot complete the survey by myself?

If you are unable to complete the survey, someone can assist you in completing the survey or complete it for you as a “proxy.” The person should be a family member, friend, or other caregiver who knows you well enough to answer questions about your health.

If more than one person could be a proxy for you, the preferred proxy would be the family member, or friend most likely to be available in two years to assist you with completing the Follow-Up survey.

41. Can my doctor complete the survey for me?

We are interested in your answers about your health and your experiences with your health care, not your physician’s. If you need assistance, a “proxy” can complete the survey for you. A proxy can be a family member, a friend, or a caregiver who knows you well enough to answer questions about how you feel and your health.

42. What if my ____ cannot complete this survey? Can I complete it for (him/her)?

If your ____ is unable to complete the survey, someone can complete the survey for (him/her). It can be a family member, friend, or other caregiver who knows (him/her) well enough to answer questions about (his/her) health.

43. My ____ is deceased. What should I do with the questionnaire?

I’m sorry for your loss. Please discard the questionnaire and I’ll make sure that we don’t contact you again.

44. How can you tell I did not return the first questionnaire?

Each survey has an identification number that lets us keep track of which questionnaires have been returned. However, the names and addresses are stored separately from the answers to the survey questions, so that once you complete the questionnaire, your answers are not associated with your name.

45. Where do I put my name and address on the questionnaire?

If speaking to member: Do not write your name or address on the questionnaire. Each survey has an identification number that allows us to track which questionnaire has been completed and returned.

If speaking to proxy: The last page of the survey contains questions about who completed the survey form, to help us contact you two years from now.

46. Is there a deadline to fill out the survey?

For mail survey: Since we need to contact so many people, it would really help if you could return it within the next two weeks. If we do not hear from you by [APPROPRIATE DATE], we will call you to see if you want to complete the interview over the telephone. If you’d prefer, I could do the interview with you over the telephone now.

For telephone survey: We need to finish all the interviews by [APPROPRIATE DATE], but since we need to contact so many people, it would really help if we could do the interview right now. If you don’t have time right now, I could schedule an appointment for some time over the next two weeks.

47. How should I answer questions that do not apply (for mail survey)?

You can skip any question that you don’t want to answer.

Optional: If it would be easier for you, we could do this interview over the telephone now, and then I could answer any questions you might have.

48. Why do you keep asking the same questions over and over?

I’m sorry the questions seem repetitive, but I need to ask all of the questions exactly the way they are written.

If there are questions you would rather not answer, just let me know and I’ll skip to the next question.

49. Why are you asking me about my [gender/race/ethnicity]?

We are required to ask about your [gender/race/ethnicity] for demographic purposes. We want to be sure the people we survey accurately represent the Medicare beneficiaries in our country. You can skip any question that you don’t want to answer.

50. I can’t answer questions on behalf of ____. Doing so would violate HIPAA.

Disclosure of this information to CMS is permitted by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) because CMS uses the information collected by the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey for health care operations and to monitor health plan performance. HIPAA permits covered entities to disclose protected health information or PHI for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations.

You are not required to answer on behalf of ____, but family, friends, or caregivers who know (him/her) well enough to answer questions about (his/her) health are permitted to answer on behalf of ____.

Other Situations

51. Medicare Complaint or Health Plan Complaint

I’m sorry to hear about this. Participating in this survey will help your health plan understand what improvements are needed. Please