All PlansAdministrativeMedium impact
The CAHPS survey is coming soon
UPMC Health Plan·PA·Provider Announcement
Effective date
Mar 1, 2026
We identified it
Aug 7, 2026
Summary
UPMC Health Plan is conducting CAHPS® surveys from March through May 2026 to assess patient satisfaction and care experiences. While this is not a billing policy change, practices should ensure clinical and administrative staff follow recommended best practices for appointment scheduling, follow-up communication, referral tracking, and patient education to improve CAHPS scores, which impact quality ratings and reimbursement.
Action Required
By February 28, 2026: Front desk and clinical staff should implement the following operational practices to support positive CAHPS survey responses: (1) Ensure scheduling staff promptly assist with follow-up appointment scheduling and send visit reminders; (2) Have clinical staff follow up after referrals or tests to confirm completion and address questions; (3) Require providers to ensure patients/caregivers leave visits with clear understanding of follow-up care and next steps; (4) Provide all patients with printed visit summaries or direct them to patient portal access. These actions should be reinforced through staff training and workflow updates in the EHR/practice management system. While not a direct billing requirement, improved CAHPS scores protect reimbursement rates and quality ratings. Billing team should monitor for any future reimbursement adjustments tied to survey results.