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PY 2024 PCF PEC Survey Final Data Submission Due TODAY
Data SubmissionPosted January 17, 2025

The deadline for submitting the final data file to the PCF PECS website is TODAY Friday, January 17, 2025 at 7:59 PM ET. Please see this quick link for instructions on uploading the final data file. Data submission resources are available on the PCF PECS website. Note the important points provided below.

Vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as the window opens to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. The data submission site opened on December 18, 2024. Vendors may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
It is recommended that vendors use the XML Schema Validation Tool available on the Data Submission tab of the website. This online tool will allow survey vendors to "pretest" their XML files to determine if they will pass many of the validation steps, before actually uploading the file to the Data Submission Tool.
It is recommended that files include the name of the vendor in the file name. Example: RTI_ZZ9900_2024.xml.
Vendors can select either a single XML file or a single ZIP file that contains 1 XML file each from multiple practice sites. Do not include more than 1,500 XML files in a single zip file.
Vendors should review their Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client practice sites have authorized their organization to submit data on their behalf.
Each time a data file for a vendor is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same vendor.
Vendors must submit an XML data file for all practices and include each sample member even if sample members have not completed the PEC Survey. Please use the disposition 250 (No Response After Maximum Attempts) for those cases where the patient could not be reached during the data collection period.
Vendors must not use code 270 (pending) for the final data submission.
After each file upload, vendors will receive an email confirmation.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. Vendors will receive a second e-mail confirmation message after the validation check. This message will notify the vendor whether the file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org.

CMS will not accept any data files for the final submission received after 7:59 PM Eastern Time on January 17, 2025.

For additional information about data file preparation and data submission processes, please review Chapter 7 of the Quality Assurance Guidelines available under the Survey and Protocols tab on the PCF PECS website. Vendors should contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715 if they have any questions or trouble submitting data files.pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715 if they have any questions or trouble submitting data files.

RTI International will be closed on January 20
Other AnnouncementsPosted January 15, 2025

RTI International will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The PCF PECS Team will respond to email and telephone inquiries that are received on that date after RTI re-opens on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

2025 PCF PEC Survey Materials Now Available
Survey MaterialsPosted January 10, 2025

The PY 2025 Primary Care First (PCF) Patient Experience of Care (PEC) Survey materials are now available on the Survey and Protocols page of the PCF PEC Survey website. Please note that the PY 2025 Survey materials are available in Word and PDF (where applicable) formats in the right 2 columns of the table. Survey materials for the previous Performance Year can now be accessed by following the link at the top of the Surveys and Protocols page.

Letters, envelopes and postcards will use the Department of Health and Human Services letterhead/logo and a CMS signature. For security reasons, those logos will not be available on the PCF PEC Survey website; instead, placeholder versions are available for viewing. Fully approved vendors will receive the official materials from the PCF PEC Survey team via email.

All PY 2025 materials will be reviewed in the PCF PEC Survey vendor trainings in March. Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PECS team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

PCF PEC Survey Final Data Submission Due 1/17
Data SubmissionPosted January 3, 2025

The deadline for submitting the final data file to the PCF PECS website is 7:59 PM ET on Friday, January 17, 2025. Please see this quick link for instructions on uploading the final data file. Data submission resources are available on the PCF PECS website. Note the important points provided below.

Vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as the window opens to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. The data submission site opened on December 18, 2024. Vendors may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
It is recommended that vendors use the XML Schema Validation Tool available on the Data Submission tab of the website. This online tool will allow survey vendors to "pretest" their XML files to determine if they will pass many of the validation steps, before actually uploading the file to the Data Submission Tool.
It is recommended that files include the name of the vendor in the file name. Example: RTI_ZZ9900_2024.xml.
Vendors can select either a single XML file or a single ZIP file that contains 1 XML file each from multiple practice sites. Do not include more than 1,500 XML files in a single zip file.
Vendors should review their Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client practice sites have authorized their organization to submit data on their behalf.
Each time a data file for a vendor is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same vendor.
Vendors must submit an XML data file for all practices and include each sample member even if sample members have not completed the PEC Survey. Please use the disposition 250 (No Response After Maximum Attempts) for those cases where the patient could not be reached during the data collection period.
Vendors must not use code 270 (pending) for the final data submission.
After each file upload, vendors will receive an email confirmation.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. Vendors will receive a second e-mail confirmation message after the validation check. This message will notify the vendor whether the file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org.

CMS will not accept any data files for the final submission received after 7:59 PM Eastern Time on January 17. Please note that Monday, January 20 is a holiday and RTI will be closed.

For additional information about data file preparation and data submission processes, please review Chapter 7 of the PCF PECS Quality Assurance Guidelines available under the Survey and Protocols tab on the PCF PECS website. The full data collection schedule is also on the PECS website. Vendors should contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715 if they have any questions or trouble submitting data files.

PCF PEC Survey Vendor Application Opens TODAY
Application Information & Minimum Business RequirementsPosted January 3, 2025

The survey vendor application period for the Primary Care First (PCF) Patient Experience of Care (PEC) Survey will be open from today, January 3 to January 31, 2025. Vendors interested in becoming a CMS-approved PCF PEC Survey vendor will need to meet several business requirements, some of which are described below. Please review the complete requirements listed in the PCF PEC Survey Minimum Business Requirements available on the PCF PECS website here.

The application and approval processes will consist of the following:

Completing and submitting a Vendor Registration and Application as well as the vendor consent form, demonstrating a minimum 3 years’ experience conducting mixed-mode (mail with telephone) surveys and a minimum 3 years’ experience conducting CAHPS surveys for CMS.
Completing the self-paced Introduction to PCF PEC Survey Webinar Training, successfully completing the training certification, and participating in all PCF PEC Survey Vendor Update Webinar training sessions. Both trainings are typically held in March each year.
Completing and submitting a Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), which survey vendors will be required to do after they attend the Introduction to PCF PEC Survey Training. A survey vendor will receive full approval as a PCF PEC Survey vendor only after their QAP has been reviewed and approved by CMS.

Practices will receive an updated list that includes conditionally approved PCF survey vendors in March 2025 and a final list of fully approved vendors in May 2025. The current list of approved survey vendors can be found here. Please note, this is not the final list of approved vendors for PY 2025. The final list of approved vendors will be available in May 2025.

For more information, please visit the Vendor Application Process page on the PCF PEC Survey website. All 2025 survey materials will be available on the PCF PEC Survey website later this month. Survey vendors interested in applying should contact the PCF PECS team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

RTI will be closed 12/25 & 1/1
Other AnnouncementsPosted December 20, 2024

The PCF PEC Survey Team announces the following upcoming holiday closures:

Wednesday, December 25, 2024 (reopening Thursday, December 26, 2024)

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 (reopening Thursday, January 2, 2025)

The PCF PECS Team will respond to email and telephone inquiries that are received on those dates promptly upon reopening.

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

PCF PEC Survey Final Data Submission Due 1/17/25
Data SubmissionPosted December 18, 2024

Data collection for the PY 2024 PCF Patient Experience of Care (PEC) Survey ended Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Any mail returns received after December 17 should not be included in your final data submission.

The final data submission window is now open and the deadline for submitting the final data file to the PCF PECS website is January 17, 2025 at 7:59 PM ET. Please see this quick link for instructions on uploading the final data file. Data submission resources are available on the PCF PECS website. Note the important points provided below.

Survey vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as the window opens to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. The data submission site will open on December 18, 2024. Vendors may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
It is recommended that vendors use the XML Schema Validation Tool available on the Data Submission tab of the website. This online tool will allow survey vendors to "pretest" their XML files to determine if they will pass many of the validation steps, before actually uploading the file to the Data Submission Tool.
It is recommended that files include the name of the vendor in the file name. Example: RTI_ZZ9900_2024.xml.
Survey vendors can select either a single XML file or a single ZIP file that contains 1 XML file each from multiple practice sites. Do not include more than 1,500 XML files in a single zip file.
Vendors should review their Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client practice sites have authorized their organization to submit data on their behalf.
Each time a data file for a vendor is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same vendor.
Vendors must submit an XML data file for all practices and include each sample member even if sample members have not completed the PEC Survey. Please use the disposition 250 (No Response After Maximum Attempts) for those cases where the patient could not be reached during the data collection period.
Vendors must not use code 270 (pending) for the final data submission.
After each file upload, vendors will receive an email confirmation.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. After the validation check is conducted, vendors will receive a second e-mail confirmation message. This message will notify the vendor whether the file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Survey vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org.

CMS will not accept any data files for the final submission received after 7:59 PM Eastern Time on January 17, 2025. Please note that Monday, January 20, 2025 is a holiday and RTI will be closed.

PCF PECS Interviewer Training & HIPAA Documentation Due 12/6
Other AnnouncementsPosted December 3, 2024

All documentation of PCF PEC Survey Telephone Interviewer training and HIPAA training is due on December 6, 2024. In your submission, please include the training and certification dates for all of your telephone interviewers that work on the PCF PEC Survey and their HIPAA training and certification.

Using the table below, please submit your documentation to the PCF PEC Survey team by the deadline.

Vendor Name:
Training
Date(s) of Training
Total # of English-speaking interviewers trained
Total # of Spanish-speaking interviewers trained
Certification
Total # of English-speaking interviewers certified
Total # of Spanish-speaking interviewers certified
Please confirm that all interviewers completed HIPAA training and have signed Confidentiality Agreements on file (see section 9.5.2 of the QAG) by typing YES in the space provided.

If you hold additional training sessions after December 6, 2024, please resubmit the table above with the updated information regarding training dates and total numbers of interviewers trained and certified with your interviewer monitoring documentation by January 31, 2025.

If you have questions, please contact the PCF PEC Survey team at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

RTI International will be closed on 11/28 & 11/29 for the Thanksgiving Holiday
Other AnnouncementsPosted November 21, 2024

RTI International will be closed on Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29, 2024, for the Thanksgiving holiday. The PCF PECS Team will respond to email and telephone inquiries that are received on those dates after RTI re-opens on Monday, December 2, 2024.

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

PCF PECS Interim Data Submission Deadline – November 27, 2024
Data SubmissionPosted November 20, 2024

The data submission window for submitting the second interim data file to the PCF PECS website is Monday, November 25 to Wednesday, November 27, 2024 by 7:59 p.m. ET. Please see this quick link for instructions on uploading the interim data file. Data submission resources are available on the PCF PECS website. Note the important points provided below.

Per the vendor announcement on 11/13/2024, please code out the seeded sample members that we included in your sample file before submitting your second set of interim data. Seeded mailing cases should be coded as 200 - Excluded from Survey.
Survey vendors should submit their data files as soon as possible after the window opens, to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. You may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
It is recommended that vendors use the XML Schema Validation tool on the Data Submission tab of the website. This online tool will allow survey vendors to "pretest" their XML files to determine if they will pass many of the validation steps, before actually uploading the file to the Data Submission Tool.
It is recommended that files include the name of the vendor in the file name. Example: RTI_ZZ9900_2024.xml.
Vendors must submit one XML file per practice site.
Each XML file must contain one header record, a patient administrative record for every sampled patient, and a patient response record for every patient with questionnaire data.
Survey vendors can select either a single XML file or a single ZIP file that contains 1 XML file each from multiple practice sites. Do not include more than 1,500 XML files in a single zip file.
Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client practice sites have authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.
Each time a data file for a vendor is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same vendor.
You must still submit an XML data file for all practices and include each sample member even if not all sample members have completed their PEC Survey at the time of submission.
Final Survey Status codes will be required even for interim data submissions. For interim data submissions ONLY, use 270 (Pending) for those cases that may not yet had all contact attempts and may still complete between interim data submission and final data submission.
After each file upload, you will receive an email confirmation within several minutes notifying you whether the upload was successful.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. After the validation check, you will receive a second e-mail confirmation message notifying you whether your file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Survey vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org.

CMS will not accept any data files for the second interim submission received after 7:59 p.m. ET on November 27, 2024.

For additional information about data file preparation and data submission processes, please review Chapter 7 of the PCF PECS Quality Assurance Guidelines available under the Survey Materials tab on the PECS website. The full data collection schedule is also on the PECS website. Please contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715 if you have any questions or trouble submitting data files.

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