With changes to the HHCAHPS effective April 1, 2026, CMS updated measures related to quality reporting, star ratings and Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP).
 
Public reporting: From October 2026 through September 2027, only Willingness to Recommend and Overall Rating will be updated quarterly on Care Compare.
 
Patient Survey Star Rating: Only Overall Rating will be used to determine the quarterly updated star rating from October 2026 through September 2027.
 
HHVBP: Only Willingness to Recommend and Overall Rating impact scores for the 2026 performance year. Their weight has been reduced from an overall 30% to 20% (or 10% each). Other measures will likely be added in the future, but no changes have been proposed.
 

HHQRP & star rating changes coming in late 2027

CMS did lay out its plans for updated quality measures in the 2026 home health payment rule. Your initial results for the measures below will not be publicly reported until October 2027. But your scores on these measures beginning April 1, 2026, will eventually be released and factored into your Patient Survey Star Rating.
 
Care of Patient Composite Score (Composite score)
 
In the last 2 months of care, how often did home health staff from this agency seem to be aware of all the care or treatment you were getting at home?
 
In the last 2 months of care, how often did home health staff from this agency treat you with care — for example, when moving you around or changing a bandage?
 
In the last 2 months of care, how often did home health staff from this agency treat you with courtesy and respect?
 
New question: In the last 2 months of care, how often did you feel that home health staff from the agency cared about you as a person?
 
New question: In the last 2 months of care, how often have the services you received from this agency helped you take care of your health?
 
Communication Between Patients and Providers (Composite score)
 
In the last 2 months of care, how often did home health staff from this agency keep you informed about when they would arrive at your home?
 
In the last 2 months of care, how often did home health staff from this agency explain things in a way that was easy to understand?
 
In the last 2 months of care, how often did home health staff from this agency listen carefully to you?
 
New question: In the last 2 months of care, did home health staff from this agency provide your family or friends with information or instructions about your care as much as you wanted?
 
When you contacted this agency’s office, did you get the help you needed?
 
Specific Care Issues (Individually scored)
 
When you first started getting home health care from this agency, did someone from the agency talk about ways to help make your home safer? For example, they may have suggested adding grab bars in the shower or removing tripping hazards.
 
Has someone from the agency ever reviewed the prescribed and over-the-counter medicines you were taking? For example, they might have asked you to show them your medicines and talked with you about how and when to take each one.
 
In the last 2 months of care, did home health staff from this agency talk with you about any side effects of your medicines?