CMS Issues Four Survey and Certification Letters

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued four Survey and Certification letters on some critical issues affecting nursing homes. S&C 14-19 is an interim report on the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care. It summarizes the activities to date, provides reasons for early progress and outlines next steps in the Partnership effort.

S&C 14-22 provides information on a project that is currently developing two distinct focused survey processes to assess dementia care and Minimum Data Set, Version 3.0 (MDS 3.0) coding practices in nursing homes. CMS is planning to pilot these survey types beginning in 2014. The intent of the dementia care focused survey is to document dementia care practices in nursing homes. The intent of the MDS focused survey is to document MDS 3.0 coding practices and associated care planning in facilities. Leading Age NY contacted the Department of Health and were advised that New York State has not yet expressed an interest in being part of the demonstration project.

S&C 14-20 notes that CMS is now rebuilding the Special Focus Facility program that was affected by budget sequestration and that states have been notified either to add or phase-in facilities into the program to meet the required number by July 2014.

S&C 14-21 is a Notice of Proposed Rule Making that would amend the current fire safety standards for Medicare and Medicaid participating providers and suppliers. This proposed rule would adopt the 2012 edition of the Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association, 101. The Proposed Rule can be viewed on the Federal Register and comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. EST June 16, 2014.

Contact: Elliott Frost, efrost@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8832