ACO REACH CAHPS Contacting Protocol for REACH ACOs Beneficiaries with Healthcare Decisionmaker Powers of Attorney on File
folder_openOther Announcementscalendar_todayPosted July 9, 2024

CMS encourages REACH ACOs who have beneficiaries’ Healthcare Decisionmaker Power of Attorney (POA) on file to share the POA name and available contact information with their contracted ACO REACH CAHPS vendor for survey purposes.

When REACH ACOs share such information, they must share POA contact information for every beneficiary who has a healthcare decisionmaker POA. This means that ACOs cannot share POA information for selected beneficiaries.

To implement the use of POA information, survey vendors must follow these protocols:

• Add the POA name and contact information to the sample file provided by the Survey Coordination Team.
• Keep careful track of this information since it will require vendors to add extra fields to the sample file that is provided by the Survey Coordination Team.
• Create a sample flag or indicator to easily identify sample cases with POAs.
• If a POA address is not known, mail letters and postcards to the beneficiary’s address.
  • In the address blocks on the envelopes, letters and postcards, display the beneficiary's name followed by "Care of [POA’S FULL NAME] or "c/o [POA’S FULL NAME]."
• If the POA’s address is known, mail letters and postcards to the POA.
  • Address the envelopes, letters and postcards to the POA followed by “In Care of [BENEFICIARY’S FULL NAME]” or “In c/o [BENEFICIARY’S FULL NAME].”
• When there is a known healthcare POA, indicate this in the Telephone Survey call notes, so the interviewer is aware that they can and should attempt to conduct a proxy interview with the POA.
• If the POA’s phone number is not known, call the beneficiary’s telephone number.
  • In the contacting process, if you determine that the beneficiary cannot do the survey, attempt to speak with the POA or call the POA at a different telephone number. Be familiar and knowledgeable with the proxy introductory scripts and informed consent screens so that this interview can proceed smoothly by proxy.
• If the POA’s phone number is known, call the POA. Be familiar and knowledgeable with the proxy introductory scripts and informed consent screens so that this interview can proceed smoothly

Please contact the Survey Coordination Team at acoreachcahps@rti.org or call toll-free 1-833-870-0486 if you have any questions.