CMS Announces Pilot of Survey Process Changes (SNF)

During a recent Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long Term Care Open Door Forum, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) staff shared the agency’s intent to begin piloting changes to the survey process, intended to improve efficiency and consistency in survey events. 

The pilot testing of new survey processes will include condensed surveys of shorter time frames and changes in investigative processes and be conducted beginning in early 2024. The expectation from CMS is that condensing survey events for some facilities will ultimately enable more effective oversight and resource use for facilities requiring additional attention. The changes are also expected to aid in eliminating the backlog of survey activity many states are currently facing. As of yet, CMS has not shared where the pilots will be conducted or a methodology for choosing facilities to participate in a pilot survey process.