Feb 05, 2026
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is continuing the transition steps required to shift from the Hospice Item Set (HIS) tool submitted in the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES) to the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool submitted in the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES).
Below outlines important dates and system changes which will affect your access to key reports and data. Please review the following dates and take the necessary action to ensure continuity of your business needs.
February 16, 2026:
- HIS records will no longer be accepted by CMS. HOPE records should continue to be submitted to CMS via iQIES.
- User-requested Hospice Final Validation Reports (FVRs) will no longer be available in the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting (CASPER) system in QIES. If you require access to Hospice Provider reports or FVRs after this date, you will need to request these reports in iQIES.
February 23, 2026:
- The Hospice Review and Correct report will no longer be available in CASPER.
- The Review and Correct reports will be available in iQIES and will support HIS data and HOPE data with measure results for complete stays beginning with Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (10/01/2023) forward.
- Prior to 02/23/2026, providers can generate and download Review and Correct reports for older reporting periods from CASPER before they are made unavailable.
March 15, 2026:
- The Hospice Quality Measure (QM) reports will no longer be available in CASPER, instead, providers must request the QM reports from iQIES.
- The user-requested QM reports will be available in iQIES and will support HIS data with measure results for complete stays beginning with FY 2024 (10/01/2023) forward and will also include HOPE data beginning FY 2026 (10/01/2025) forward.
- Prior to 03/15/2026, providers can generate and download QM reports for older reporting periods from CASPER before they are made unavailable.
In addition to the above dates, other key transition items to note:
- The February 2026 Hospice Provider Preview reports and Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (CAHPS) Preview reports supporting the May 2026 refresh will be the last provider preview reports distributed in CASPER/QIES. They will remain available to users for 60 days.
- The May 2026 Hospice Provider Preview reports and Hospice CAHPS Preview reports supporting the August 2026 refresh will be distributed in iQIES and will remain available for 60 days.
- The Hospice APU Non-compliance Notification letters for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 based upon Calendar Year (CY) 2025 data submission will be distributed in iQIES.
If you need assistance with accessing iQIES, please consult the designated Security Official for your organization or contact the iQIES Service Center via phone at (800) 339-9313 or by email: iqies@cms.hhs.gov. For information and instructions to register for an iQIES account, please visit: https://qtso.cms.gov/news-and-updates/action-required-register-iqies-account.