About this Page
This page is a guide for hospice providers on how to verify and update their demographic information to ensure accuracy. Demographic information, such as address, telephone number, and ownership status, is displayed on Care Compare in addition to the quality data.
Below are the steps providers can take to verify and update demographic data:
Step 1: Verify the Accuracy of Demographic Data
Hospice providers should regularly review their reports to verify their demographic data is accurate. The Provider Preview Reports reflect the quality measure data and hospice demographic information that will be posted to Care Compare in the following quarter.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be transitioning to a new data source for a provider’s demographic data for all five 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 such items as the 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 Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES) Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER) Reporting application. Additionally, these same demographic data are displayed on the public reporting websites such as the Provider Data Catalog (PDC).
- Historically, provider demographic data have been maintained in the Automated Survey Processing Environment (ASPEN) software; however, CMS will be transitioning to use the demographic information from the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). While this transition is underway, a final date when all demographic data will be obtained from PECOS has not been identified. During this transition, all PAC providers will be responsible for ensuring their latest demographic data are updated and available in both iQIES (Hospices) and PECOS systems.
Step 2: If Demographic Data is Inaccurate
Steps for Hospices: The steps as outlined below have been updated and contain a change in process for Hospice providers when requesting updates to their demographic information in the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). The updated CMS 855A form must be sent by the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to the appropriate State Agency rather than to the CMS Location. Providers must complete both steps of the update process to ensure that their demographic data are up to date.
- Complete form CMS-855A in PECOS with the updated demographic information (https://pecos.cms.hhs.gov/pecos/login.do#headingLv1). If you need assistance, contact your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC).
- Request your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) to send the updated 855A form to your State Agency with a request to update the demographic data in iQIES.
Note: Updates to hospice provider demographic information do not happen in real time and can take up to 6 months to appear on Care Compare.
The above instructions are effective beginning April 11, 2022, and will continue until CMS provides the directive to update demographic information in PECOS only.
For questions regarding these instructions or to identify your State Agency contacts, please contact the iQIES help desk by phone at (800) 339- 9313 or by email at iQIES@cms.hhs.gov.