OAS CAHPS compliance soars to 96% among ASCs, vendor satisfaction also improves

Editor's Note

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the US have quickly adapted to the new federal requirement mandating participation in the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) Survey, according to a March 2025 "60-Second Survey" from ASCA. The survey captured responses from 261 ASCs across 44 states, offering a snapshot of how facilities are navigating the rollout of this key patient experience initiative, ASC Focus April 11 reports.

As of March, 96% of respondents reported they are actively administering the OAS CAHPS Survey, a significant jump from just 32% a year prior—before the survey became a mandatory component of the Medicare ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program on January 1, 2025.

Per Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rules, ASCs must partner with an approved survey vendor for this. Press Ganey was the top choice, used by 61% of respondents, followed by JL Morgan & Associates (13%), Arbor Associates (9%), and Nexus Health Resources (5%). In total, 12 vendors were identified across the data set. Vendor satisfaction has improved, rising from 4.9/10 in 2024 to 6.9/10 in 2025. Arbor Associates led with the highest satisfaction score (8.2/10), followed by JL Morgan (7.8), while Press Ganey scored 6.4.

Survey methods vary, with 52% of ASCs using an electronic survey with mail follow-up, the most common approach. Others used electronic with phone follow-up (21%) or phone-only (10%). Ownership structure appears to influence survey mode selection—physician-hospital joint ventures favored mail-only, while physician-corporate ASCs leaned toward phone-only.

Looking ahead, 72% of respondents said they would consider switching to internet-only or text-only survey methods, indicating strong interest in further modernization.