CMS Unveils Enhanced Enforcement Actions Based on Nursing Home COVID-19 Data and Inspection Results
On June 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled enhanced enforcement for nursing homes with violations of long-standing infection control practices. This announcement builds on the previous actions CMS has taken as the nation battles COVID-19. CMS is posting the first set of underlying COVID-19 nursing home data on nursing home compare.
On April 19, 2020, CMS announced the requirement that nursing homes inform residents, their families, and their representatives of COVID-19 cases in their facilities. In addition to this, nursing homes are required to report COVID-19 cases and deaths directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and CMS is making this data publicly available. CMS is also posting the results from the targeted inspections announced on March 4, 2020, to allow inspectors to focus on the most serious health and safety threats like infectious diseases and abuse during the pandemic.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provided additional funding to CMS for necessary survey and certification work related to COVID-19:
- CMS will allocate this funding based on performance-based metrics
- States will be required to perform on-site surveys of nursing homes with previous COVID-19 outbreaks and will be required to perform on-site surveys (within three to five days of identification) of any nursing home with new COVID-19 suspected and confirmed cases
- CMS will provide technical assistance through Quality Improvement Organizations
For more information: