2020 Consumer CAHPS® Survey for Medicaid Members

January 28, 2020

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) conducts an annual Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey with its Blue Cross Community Health PlansSM (BCCHPSM) and Blue Cross Community MMAI (Medicare-Medicaid Plan)SM members. The primary focus of the survey is to assess member’s satisfaction with BCBSIL and its independently contracted providers and specialists.

The survey will be mailed in March 2020 to randomly selected members and it asks the members to rate their last six months of care. Examples of topics and questions addressed in the survey include:

  • Getting Needed Care – Did you receive the care you felt you needed quickly and were you able to get urgent appointments with specialist if needed?
  • Shared Decision Making – Did your provider include you in your treatment decisions and discuss the risks, adverse effects and benefits with you?
  • Provider communication – Did your provider show respect, spend enough time and explain things in a way you could understand?
  • Customer Service – Did you receive helpful information from office staff?
  • Care Coordination – Was your provider informed and up-to-date about the care you received from other providers?
  • Flu vaccination – Did your provider educate you on the benefits and importance of a yearly flu vaccination?
  • Smoking Cessation – Did your provider ask if you smoke or use tobacco and if so, advise you to quit and discuss medications and strategies?

The results of the CAHPS survey are used as a quality improvement initiative to help identify opportunities for improving member satisfaction. Below are some questions you may want to consider that may help you and your staff improve member satisfaction:

  • Do you or your office staff assist the patients in scheduling appointments with specialists?
  • Are urgent care walk-in appointments available in the morning and evening hours?
  • Do you spend time explaining things to patients in a way they can easily understand?
  • Do you provide patients with educational materials?
  • Do you discuss treatment and medication options with patients?
  • Do you educate patients about preventive illnesses?

If your patients receive a survey, please encourage them to complete and return it to BCBSIL.

CAHPS is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

This information is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the sound medical judgment of a doctor. Members are encouraged to talk to their doctor if they have any questions or concerns regarding their health.