Behind the scenes of the CAHPS® surveys

Have you heard of CAHPS? It stands for Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. It’s a program that measures patient experiences with health care. 

Each year, starting in March, CAHPS sends surveys to randomly selected Medicare plan members. CAHPS then submits the results to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS. The results become one of five factors used to calculate Medicare Star Ratings. 

If you’re one of the few chosen to take part in the survey, your answers could help shape the future of health care.

Understanding the patient experience

The CAHPS survey measures nine different areas:*

• Getting needed care
• Getting appointments and care quickly
• Annual flu vaccine
  
• Customer service
• Getting needed prescription drugs
• Care coordination
• Rating of health plan
• Rating of health care quality
• Rating of drug plan

Surveys are important — but you’re what matters most

When it comes to choosing a health plan, surveys can be helpful, but nothing’s more important than your own health preferences and needs. You may want a plan that has dental coverage, for example, or one that offers vision benefits. And you’ll want to make sure your plan covers your medications and allows you to see your doctor. All in all, finding the plan that’s best for you is the best choice.

At Aetna®, we aim to deliver an excellent experience for our members. If you’re a member and have any questions, simply call the number on your member ID card. We’re here to help.

*FOR CAHPS MEASURES SOURCE: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/ma-pdp-cahps-qapts-v11-complete-manual.pdf