Providers Push Back on Strict CMS Survey Citation Requirements

Providers Push Back on Strict CMS Survey Citation Requirements

American Health Care Association (AHCA) leaders feel that ‘strict liability’ by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) deflates morale and creates perfectionism in situations where much of what happens is unexpected.

“We see a better way. We see an opportunity where a facility should be able to acknowledge the deficiency, have an opportunity to correct, have a revisit, and if the facility has failed to correct, then at that point a civil monetary penalty should be imposed if pertinent.” — Holly Harmon, AHCA’s senior vice president of quality, regulatory and clinical services.

AHCA’s policy agenda, ‘Better Way,’ advocates for good-faith misses and increased opportunities to correct citations ahead of consequential strict penalties.

At CHUG, we know all too well how costly non-compliance can become, and we’re not talking only about the expense of citations at face value. Not adhering to CMS policies and procedures can damage a healthcare organization’s reputation and jeopardize access to funding. In addition, staff retention and the addition of much-needed new staff can be compromised. That’s why we work closely with our members to proactively help ensure compliance and quickly react when citations are looming.

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