Annual Medicare Advantage Health Outcomes Survey

This spring, select Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) Medicare Advantage members will be asked about the status of their physical and mental health through the Health Outcomes Survey (HOS). Conducted annually by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this survey assesses health plans’ success in maintaining and improving the functional status of their members over time.

The HOS is structured as a cohort study with a two-year interval between surveys. For example, the cohort of respondents to the spring 2017 survey will be surveyed again in 2019. The responses from the two years will be compared. The cohort nature of the survey allows for a meaningful comparison of changes in patients’ physical and mental wellbeing over time, and how their health issues affect their ability to carry out daily activities.

The list below includes some of the questions patients receiving the survey will be asked:

• Has your physical health limited you in doing moderate activities, like bowling, pushing a vacuum cleaner, or climbing several flights of stairs?
• Has your emotional health limited your ability to work or do usual daily activities?
• How much does pain interfere with your ability to do normal activities?
• How often do you feel calm and peaceful?
• How often do you have a lot of energy?
• How often have you felt downhearted and blue?
• How much does your physical health or emotional health interfere with social activities?
• Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your physical health?
• Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your emotional health?
• Have you experienced leakage of urine in the past six months?
• Did you talk with your doctor or other health care provider about falling or having problems with balance or walking?
• Has your doctor done anything to help prevent falls or problems with balance?
• Has your doctor talked with you about your level of exercise?
• Have you ever had a bone density test?

Please keep these survey questions in mind when meeting with your Blue Cross NC patients. If you have questions, please contact your Blue Cross NC quality management consultant, or use this general email address: Quality.Management@bcbsnc.com.

Click here to learn more about the HOS survey.