Confidential Feedback Reporting & Review and Corrections

Since October 2016, CMS has provided SNFs with quarterly confidential feedback reports. These reports contain information about SNFs’ performance for the SNF VBP Program. Quarterly reports are distributed to SNFs via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). Quarterly reports cannot be transmitted by any means other than iQIES, as the reports contain protected health information.

When reports are disseminated to SNFs, CMS distributes email blasts through iQIES and other CMS distribution lists announcing the reports are available for download. To subscribe to CMS’s email blasts, such as the MLN Connects newsletter and the Skilled Nursing Facility - Long Term Care Open Door Forum, go to the CMS GovDelivery website.

iQIES Access

To locate quarterly reports in iQIES, please follow the instructions listed below:

  1. Log into iQIES at https://iqies.cms.gov/ using a Health Care Quality Information Systems (HCQIS) Access Roles and Profile (HARP) user ID and password.
  2. In the Reports menu, select My Reports.
  3. From the My Reports page, locate the MDS 3.0 Provider Preview Reports folder. Select the MDS 3.0 Provider Preview Reports link to open the folder.
  4. Here you can see the list of reports available for download. Locate the desired SNF VBP Program Quarterly Confidential Feedback Report (file name format: snfvbp_ccn_reportname.xlsx).
  5. Once located, select More next to your desired SNF VBP Program Quarterly Confidential Feedback Report and the report will be downloaded through your browser. Once downloaded, open the file to view your facility’s report.

For assistance obtaining access to quarterly reports in iQIES, contact the iQIES Service Center by phone at (800) 339-9313 or by email at iqies@cms.hhs.gov.

Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports

CMS distributes four quarterly confidential feedback reports each year: an Interim (Partial-Year) Workbook, two Full-Year Workbooks (one each for the baseline period and performance period), and a Performance Score Report.

Interim (Partial-Year) Workbook:

  • Generally released in March of each year
  • Contains less than a full year of data
  • Contains stay-level information only
  • Contains data that are not considered final

Full-Year Workbooks:

  • Generally released in December (baseline period data) and June (performance period data) of each year
  • Contain a full year of data
  • Contain facility-level information (i.e., measure results)
  • Contain data that are considered final

 Performance Score Report:

  • Generally released in August of each year
  • Contain baseline and performance period measure results, performance score, SNF VBP Program rank, and incentive payment multiplier impacting the upcoming payment year

Review and Corrections

Before any data in the quarterly confidential feedback reports are publicly reported, SNFs have an opportunity to review their results and request corrections; this is known as the SNF VBP Program Review and Correction (R&C) policy. The SNF VBP Program R&C process has two phases:

  • Phase 1: Review and submit corrections to the calculation of the measure results for the baseline and performance periods (applies to Full-Year Workbooks only). Corrections during Phase 1 of the R&C process are limited to errors made by CMS or its contractors when calculating a SNF’s measure results. SNFs are not able to correct any of the underlying administrative claims data, Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) data, and Minimum Data Set (MDS) data used to calculate a SNF’s measure results during Phase 1 of the R&C process.
  • Phase 2: Review and submit corrections to performance scores and ranking (applies to Performance Score Reports only). Corrections during Phase 2 of the R&C process are limited to errors made by CMS or its contractors when calculating a SNF’s performance score and ranking.

SNFs must submit correction requests to the SNF VBP Program Help Desk at SNFVBPquestions@cms.hhs.gov within 30 calendar days after dissemination of the applicable report. The request must contain the SNF’s CMS Certification Number (CCN), the SNF’s name, the correction requested, and the reason for requesting the correction. Do not attach your SNF’s quarterly confidential feedback report to the request. CMS will review all requests and notify the requesting SNF of the final decision. CMS will implement any approved corrections before any affected data become publicly available.

Reports contain stay-level data protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Any disclosure of protected health information (PHI) or personally identifiable information (PII) should only be in accordance with, and to the extent permitted by, the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and other applicable laws. When referring to the contents of your reports, use the line number.

The SNF VBP Program Help Desk is not secured to receive PII and PHI. The line number (an arbitrary unique identifier found on the ‘Eligible Stays’ tab of the quarterly confidential feedback reports) is an assigned number and is not considered PII or PHI. 

Reconsideration

Beginning with the FY 2027 SNF VBP Program year, CMS is implementing a reconsideration request process that allows SNFs to seek reconsideration of a review and correction request if they are not satisfied with CMS’s decision. The process is an additional appeal process available to SNFs beyond the existing R&C process. 

SNFs may request this additional reconsideration only if they first submit a valid review and correction request (specified above) and are dissatisfied with CMS’s decision. SNFs must submit reconsideration requests to the SNF VBP Program Help Desk at SNFVBPquestions@cms.hhs.gov within 15 calendar days of receiving CMS’s decision on the valid review and correction request. The reconsideration request must contain the SNF's CCN, the SNF's name, the issue for which the SNF submitted a review and correction request, received a review and correction request decision, and are requesting reconsideration of, and the reason why the SNF is requesting reconsideration, which can be supported by any applicable documentation or other evidence.

CMS will review all reconsideration requests and provide the requesting SNF a written decision before any affected data becomes publicly available.

Early Look Performance Score Reports for the FY 2026 SNF VBP Program

CMS distributed the Early Look Performance Score Reports for the FY 2026 Program year to SNFs in April 2024. The Early Look Performance Score Report is a one-time report distributed for informational purposes only. It is distinct from the four quarterly confidential feedback reports and is not eligible for the SNF VBP Program’s R&C process.  The Early Look Performance Score Reports are available to download via iQIES.

Beginning in the FY 2026 Program year, the SNF VBP Program is expanding to assess performance on multiple quality measures rather than a single measure. The Early Look Performance Score Report is intended to accomplish three goals for the newly expanded SNF VBP Program:

  1. Familiarize SNFs with the planned format of the official Performance Score Report that will be distributed for the FY 2026 Program year.
  2. Familiarize SNFs with the scoring and payment methodology that will be applied for the FY 2026 Program year.
  3. Inform SNFs of their past performance on the four quality measures adopted for the FY 2026 Program year, and model performance for the FY 2026 SNF VBP Program year using this historical data.

The Early Look Performance Score Reports do not reflect facilities’ official performance in the SNF VBP Program and will not impact facilities’ payments. 

Additional resources regarding the Early Look Performance Score Reports, including a summary fact sheet, user guide, and educational webinar, are available below.

Resources

Page Last Modified:
08/04/2025 04:18 PM
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