What You Need to Know
Recently, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report titled “
CMS Could Improve Oversight of States’ Use of Contract Surveyors for Nursing Home Surveys.” The OIG noted that it conducted the report because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) oversees the certification and regulation of approximately 15,000 nursing homes nationwide. They noted that, due to staffing shortages and survey backlogs, many States and CMS increasingly rely on contract surveyors to conduct nursing home surveys.
The OIG concluded that CMS did not provide adequate oversight of States’ use of contract surveyors, including ensuring contract surveyors followed memo directives released during this period. Of the 14 States the OIG reviewed, the OIG found that all 14 could have improved their policies and procedures to ensure that the contract survey met CMS guidelines.
As a result of the study, the OIG made two recommendations to CMS, which CMS concurred with.
- Create a classification for contract surveyors in the iQIES system.
- Confirm that States have policies and procedures to ensure contract surveyors meet federal requirements through an annual assessment.
Next Steps
If you have questions or concerns related to the report or the survey process (including contract surveys), feel free to contact our regulatory team at
regulatory@ahca.org.