HOPE Assessment Tool – CMS Question and Answer Repository

The following questions and Answers about the HOPE Assessment tool come from CMS postings on the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) Website. CHAP has gathered them in one place and organized them by topic for your convenience. We will continue to update this repository as CMS posts additional Q&As.

HOPE Assessment Tool Implementation

Data Specifications for HOPE Implementation

Question: Software vendors need technical data specifications to program EHR software for HOPE implementation. When will CMS publish the data specifications for HOPE, and does the user interface in our software need to look like the forms in the draft HOPE Guidance Manual?

Answer: The technical data specifications and other materials related to HOPE, including the final HOPE Guidance Manual and the item sets will be available soon after the publication of the FY2025 Hospice Final Rule (CMS-1810-F). Regarding your EHR user interface, CMS does not provide guidance on what that interface should look like. CMS requires that the software comply with the final HOPE data specifications.

Source: Help Desk Questions and Answers: Quarter 2, 2024

HOPE Implementation

Question: Is October 1, 2025, the final implementation date for HOPE?

Answer: Yes, October 1, 2025, is the final implementation date for HOPE. Only HOPE data will be accepted for all patients admitted or discharged on or after October 1, 2025.

Source: Help Desk Questions and Answers: Quarter 3, 2024

HIS to HOPE Transition

Question: Will CMS have any period where both HOPE and HIS records are acceptable, or is it just a hard cutover on 10/1/25?

Answer: While there will be some transition time to allow for HIS record corrections, only HOPE records will be accepted for all patients admitted or discharged on or after October 1, 2025.

Source: Help Desk Questions and Answers: Quarter 3, 2024

HOPE Assessment Tool Utilization

Leading Zeroes on Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE)

Question: Data Elements When reviewing the HOPE item sets, we noticed that unlike the Hospice Item Set (HIS), the response codes for some data elements no longer have leading zeroes (two digits) in the new HOPE tool (e.g., A0250. Reason for Record, A2115. Reason for Discharge). Was this intentional or an error?

Answer: HQRP Q&A-Q3, 2024 Posted: November 2024 Intentional changes have been made to some HIS items retained for the HOPE tool to streamline and align with other items within the new tool, including changes made to A0250 and A2115. The current HOPE Guidance Manual v1.00, item sets, and change table are currently posted on CMS’ HOPE webpage.

Source: Help Desk Questions and Answers: Quarter 3, 2024

HOPE and Hope Update Visit (HUV) data collection

Question: For patients admitted just before 10/1/25 using the HIS, will providers have to submit the HUV timepoint, or is that only for new patients admitted on or after 10/1/25?

Answer: The HUV data collection time points will only apply to new patients admitted on or after October 1, 2025, using the HOPE tool.

Source: Help Desk Questions and Answers: Quarter 3, 2024

Symptom Follow-Up Visit

Question: From the FY2025 proposed rule to the publication of the FY2025 final rule (FR), we noticed a change in the name of the visits from the Symptom Re-assessment visit (SRA) to the Symptom Follow-up Visit (SFV). Can you please confirm the name change?

Answer: HQRP Q&A-Q3, 2024 Posted: November 2024 In the FY2025 Hospice Final Rule, the name change was confirmed from the SRA to SFV to accommodate allowing LPN/LVNs to complete this follow-up visit for both moderate or severe symptoms.

Source: Help Desk Questions and Answers: Quarter 3, 2024

Additional Resources on the HOPE Assessment Tool

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