CMS Issues Memorandum Concerning Treatment of Survey Activities Post-Federal Government Shutdown

CMS issued a memo to State Survey Agencies on Oct. 25th concerning survey activities during and following the Federal government shutdown. (Click here for the full memo.)  Many of the questions and answers in the beginning of the memo deal with the funding of state activities during the shutdown.  Beginning in section B several relevant sections address how IJs, CMPs, and DPNA are to be treated post-shutdown.   Please note two questions and answers in particular:

•         Item B3 about fixing IJs (posed on bottom of page 4 continuing on to page 5 is the one we received most frequently and submitted to CMS).  The answer is the time for fixing IJs will be linked to the date the citation was issued not the date of inspection.  Also IJs that were issued prior to the shutdown but a revisit was delayed will be considered abated if evidence of fixing the problem is well documented
•         Item B5 about CMPs or DPNA (posed on page 5 and continuing onto page 6). If credible evidence is submitted to SSA during the shut-down or is found at revisit that problem was resolved, CMPs or DPNA will be discontinued as of that date (see detailed criteria on page 6 of the memo).