CMS Begins 2008 Provider Satisfaction Survey

BALTIMORE–CMS has begun its third annual provider satisfaction
survey of Medicare fee-for-service contractors, who process and pay
more than $280 billion in Medicare claims each year.

The Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey, sent to
35,000 randomly selected providers, will ask those providers to
grade their Medicare Administrative Contractors on provider
inquiries, provider outreach and education, claims processing,
provider enrollment, medical review and provider audit and
reimbursement. All MACs will be required to achieve performance
targets on the MCPSS as part of their contract requirements by
2009, CMS said.

For the survey, respondents will be asked to rate the MACs using
a scale of 1 to 6, with “1” meaning “not at all satisfied” and “6”
meaning “completely satisfied.”

The results of last year’s survey showed 85 percent of
respondents rated their contractors between 4 and 6, with the
provider inquiry function having the greatest influence on whether
providers were satisfied with MAC service. Previously, the claims
processing function was the strongest predictor of a provider’s
overall satisfaction.

“The shift from claims processing to provider inquiries as the
top predictor of satisfaction is a perfect example of the type of
trend data the MCPSS will reveal,” CMS Acting Administrator Kerry
Weems said in a press release about the survey. “Contractors are
able to factor this insight into how they prioritize their
provider-focused efforts.”

Providers chosen to participate in the survey will be notified
this month. CMS plans to make the survey results publicly available
in July 2008.

For more information about the survey, visit
www.cms.hhs.gov/MCPSS.