The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted a new Survey and Certification Letter (S&C 17-26-NH) that provides certain changes relevant to survey team composition:
- The changes affect 42 CFR sections 488.30, 488.301, 488.314 and 488.308.
- CMS is clarifying the regulatory requirements for the composition of complaint survey teams and to align regulatory provisions for complaint investigations with the statutory requirements.
The four changes outlined in the Letter are:
- 488.30 Definition of “Complaint Survey” will add the requirements of sections 1819(g)(4) https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ss
act/title18/1819.htm and 1919(g)(4) https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ss act/title19/1919.htm of the Social Security Act (the ”Act”) and 488.32 https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/ CFR-2011-title42-vol5/pdf/CFR- 2011-title42-vol5-part488.pdf (all are existing requirements). - 488.301 Definition of “Abbreviated Standard Survey” will add a provision that abbreviated standard surveys conducted to investigate a complaint or to conduct on-site monitoring to verify compliance are subjected to the requirements of 488.332
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/
(existing requirement).
- Complaint Survey Requirements under Special Surveys 488.302(e)(2) and (e)(3) will be relocated and titled, “Investigation of Complaints.”
- Survey Team Composition Requirements under 488.314(a)(1) include a registered nurse on the interdisciplinary team of professionals. The revision will specify the team composition requirements will only apply to standard surveys, extended surveys and validation surveys, but not to complaint surveys.
The S&C Letter is available at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/P