The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said on August 17 that it will resume routine inspections of healthcare providers and suppliers that had been suspended during the COVID-19 outbreak.
CMS said it planned to resume routine inspections of all Medicare and Medicaid certified providers "to improve the safety and quality of life of patients and residents." The inspections had been suspended as part of the agency's response to the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize the potential for spread of the disease and to give healthcare providers time to respond to the spread of the virus.
The agency said it had directed the resumption of onsite revisit surveys, nonimmediate-jeopardy complaint surveys, and annual recertification surveys, to begin as soon as resources are available. The agency also said it is providing guidance on resolving enforcement cases that had been placed on hold because of survey prioritization changes.
CMS said it will also temporarily expand the agency's desk review policy, under which state surveyors ensure that facilities return to compliance with federal requirements without an onsite survey, to include all noncompliance reviews except for immediate-jeopardy citations that haven't been removed.
