The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released QSO-22-17-ALL, providing new information on how CMS will survey for compliance of the staff vaccination requirement. CMS survey oversight of the staff vaccination requirement for Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers will continue to be performed during initial and recertifications surveys. However, it will now only be performed in response to complaints alleging non-compliance with this requirement instead of all surveys.
CMS will revise QSO-22-11 to ensure deficiency determinations reflect good faith efforts implemented by providers and suppliers and incorporate harm or potential harm to residents resulting from any non-compliance.
CMS also noted that nearly 12,000 providers and suppliers have been surveyed for compliance since the vaccine requirement went into effect in February 2022, and 95 percent of providers and suppliers have been found to be in substantial compliance with the vaccination requirement.