SAMHSA and AHRQ propose survey collection revisions
Oct 11, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0294 · Published 2026-10-11 · Version 3 · Proposed
SAMHSA and AHRQ seek comments on separate survey collections. SAMHSA proposes crisis-service and faith-based questions with conditional follow-ups, while AHRQ describes a voluntary health-plan database and a volume-based burden update; their comment deadlines differ.
What happened
SAMHSA's October 8 notice proposes revising the National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey and related facility inventory instruments, with comments due December 7. It replaces three crisis questions with screening for mobile crisis/community outreach and behavioral emergency/crisis stabilization services, followed by relevant model, service, and utilization questions for qualifying facilities. A separate new question asks whether the facility identifies as faith-based, in addition to the existing affiliation question. Clarifications and related instrument changes are distinguished from new substantive questions; the VA supplement receives terminology revisions rather than new questions.
AHRQ's October 5 notice instead concerns the CAHPS Health Plan Database, with comments due November 4. State agencies and health plans voluntarily contribute standardized enrollee-experience survey results through the described registration, data-use-agreement, and vendor-submission process. The proposed revision raises total estimated burden because submission volume increased, rather than changing the individual submission process. These different collections support planning and comparative quality information; neither notice establishes one new compulsory survey for every behavioral-health provider or makes its comment deadline a routine operational filing date.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Proposed
- Applicability
- Operationally relevant
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks, Health-tech
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
- Recorded date
- 2026-11-04
- Date type
- comment
Why it matters
PRA notices do not independently change a plan's operative quality-reporting or Stars obligations. The AHRQ notice contains an apparent prior-publication-year anomaly; its stated comment date remains November 4, 2026.
Recommended action
Route proposed instruments to behavioral health and quality teams, assess respondent burden, and keep existing operative reporting rules separate.
Sources
- Agency Information Collection Activities Comment RequestOfficial · HHS · 2026-10-08 · Source review 2026-10-11
- Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment RequestOfficial · HHS · 2026-10-05 · Source review 2026-10-11
Complete edition and supplemental material
This finding in the complete approved report →Regulatory horizons, CIA trends and implementation trackers remain in the full report.
Read the entire Compliance Sweep report →