FSC
A listing of CMS Federal Survey and Certification (S&C) Letters is available at
http://www.dads.state.tx.us/providers/communications/sc.cfm
An Initiative to Address Facility Initiated Discharges that Violate Federal Regulations
S&C Letter #18-08
Clarification regarding Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP/CEP) Waiver and Appeal Requirements
S&C Letter #18-02
Revised Policies regarding the Immediate Imposition of Federal Remedies- FOR ACTION
S&C Letter #18-01
Advance Notice Solicitation Deadline - National Background Check Program
S&C Letter #17-47
Electronic Staffing Submission - Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Public Use File
S&C Letter #17-45
Quality and Certification Oversight Reports (QCOR) Website Launch
S&C Letter #17-43
Termination Notices Available via the Survey & Certification Website
S&C Letter #17-42
Notification of Final Rule Published - Survey Team Composition and Investigation of Complaints
S&C Letter #17-41
Fire and Smoke Door Annual Testing Requirements in Health Care Occupancies
S&C Letter #17-38
Revision of Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Policies and CMP Analytic Tool
S&C Letter #17-37
Requirement to Reduce Legionella Risk in Healthcare Facility Water Systems to Prevent Cases and Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease
S&C Letter #17-30
Advanced Copy- Appendix Z, Emergency Preparedness Final Rule Interpretive Guidelines and Survey Procedures
S&C Letter #17-29
Implementation Issues, Long-Term Care Regulatory Changes: Substandard Quality of Care (SQC) and Clarification of Notice before Transfer or Discharge Requirements
S&C Letter #17-27
Notice of Proposed Regulation Changes to Requirements Related to Survey Team Composition and Investigation of Complaints
S&C Letter #17-26
Protecting Resident Privacy and Prohibiting Mental Abuse Related to Photographs and Audio/Video Recordings by Nursing Home Staff
S&C Letter #16-33
Mandatory Immediate Imposition of Federal Remedies and Assessment Factors Used to Determine the Seriousness of Deficiencies for Nursing Homes
S&C Letter #16-31
Adoption of the 2012 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)101 - Life Safety Code (LSC) and 2012 edition of the NFPA 99 - Health Care Facilities Code (HCFC)
S&C Letter #16-29
Update Report on the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes
S&C Letter #16-28
Public Release of Nursing Home Enforcement Information Announcement
S&C Letter #16-27
Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 to FY 2017 Nursing Home Action Plan
S&C Letter #16-26
DRAFT Long-Term Care Facility (LTCF) Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) 3.0 User’s Manual, Version 1.14, Release
S&C Letter #16-25
Notification of Final Rule Published: Adoption of 2012 Life Safety and Health Care Facilities Code
S&C Letter #16-22
Guidance to Surveyors on Federal Requirements for Providing Services to Justice Involved Individuals
S&C Letter #16-21
Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) - Implementation of required electronic submission of Staffing Data for Long Term Care (LTC) Facilities
S&C Letter #16-13
Medication-Related Adverse Events in Nursing Homes
S&C Letter #15-47
Information Only - Publication of Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Reform of Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities; Proposed Rule (CMS-3260-P)
S&C Letter #15-46
Information Only - Review and Status of Nursing Home Survey: Summary of Traditional and Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) Findings and Issues
S&C Letter #15-40
Proposed Rule: SNF Medicare FY 2016 Payments, Quality Reporting, Value-Based Purchasing and Staffing Requirements - Informational Only
S&C Letter #15-37
New Instructions for Providers Filing an Appeal with the Departmental Appeals Board (DAB)
S&C Letter #15-36
Implementation of Section 6106 of the Affordable Care Act - Collection of Staffing Data for Long Term Care Facilities
S&C Letter #15-35
Grant Award: Reinvestment of Federal Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Funds to Benefit Nursing Home Residents
S&C Letter #15-34
2014 Final Report & 2015 Expansion Project – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Focused Dementia Care Survey Pilot
S&C Letter #15-31
Administrative Changes for Two Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services(CMS) - Approved Accrediting Organizations (AOs)
S&C Letter #15-30
Nursing Home Compare “3.0” - Five Star Quality Rating System - Expanded and Strengthened
S&C Letter #15-26
MDS / Staffing Focused Surveys Update
S&C Letter #15-25
Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) Transition to the Automated Submission and Processing System (ASAP) and OASIS Correction Policy
S&C Letter #15-18
Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Analytic Tool and Submission of CMP Tool Cases
S&C Letter #15-16
Clarification of Terms Implicating the Spousal Relationship in Regulations and Guidance for Medicare- and Medicaid-certified Providers and Suppliers
S&C Letter #15-13
Nationwide Expansion of Minimum Data Set (MDS) Focused Survey
S&C Letter #15-06
National Background Check Program (NBCP) Grant Award Updates
S&C Letter #15-04
Impact of Nursing Shortage on Hospice Care
S&C Letter #15-01
Categorical Waiver for Power Strips Use in Patient Care Areas Various
S&C Letter #14-46
Completion of Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Discharge Assessments for Resident Transfers from a Medicare - and/or Medicaid-Certified Bed to a Non-Certified Bed
S&C Letter #14-43
Release of Learning Tool on Building Respect for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Older Adults
S&C Letter #14-42
Advance Guidance - Revisions to State Operations Manual (SOM), Appendix PP-Guidance to Surveyors for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Chapter 4
S&C Letter #14-37
Infection Control Breaches Which Warrant Referral to Public Health Authorities
S&C Letter #14-36
Grant Solicitation for the Reinvestment of Federal Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Funds to Benefit Nursing Home Residents
S&C Letter #14-30
Information for Applications to Extend the Due Date for the Installation of Automatic Sprinkler Systems in Existing Nursing Homes
S&C Letter #14-29
Publication of Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities for FY 2015 - Nursing Home Civil Monetary Penalties - Informational Only
S&C Letter #14-28
Advance Copy - Single Use Device Reprocessing under Tag F441, Revisions to Interpretive Guidance in Appendix PP, State Operations Manual (SOM) on Infection Control
S&C Letter #14-25
State Operations Manual (SOM) Chapters 1, 2 & 3 Selected Updates: Medicare Effective Date Determination for Initial Applicants; Survey & Certification Process for Initial Medicare Applicants; Medicaid-only Hospitals; & Deemed Providers/Suppliers
S&C Letter #14-24
Focused Minimum Data Set (MDS) and Dementia Care Surveys
S&C Letter #14-22
Publication of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Fire Safety Requirements - Informational Only
S&C Letter #14-21
Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Post Sequester Adjustment for Special Focus Facility (SFF) Nursing Homes
S&C Letter #14-20
Interim report on the CMS National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes: Q4 2011 – Q1 2014
S&C Letter #14-19
Advance Copy: Update of State Operations Manual (SOM) Chapter 7 and Survey Process Timeframe Reminder
S&C Letter #14-18
Home Health Agency (HHA) State Operations Manual (SOM) revisions: Appendix B, HHA Enforcement Guidance and revisions to Chapter 2, Certification Process
S&C Letter #14-14
For Information Only: Public Comments on the Report of the National Background Check Program (NBCP) Long-Term Care Criminal Convictions (LTCCC) Work Group
S&C Letter #14-13
Survey and Certification Emergency Preparedness Initiative: S&C Emergency Preparedness Checklist Revision
S&C Letter #14-12
Questions + Answers for State Recovery after the Federal Government Shutdown
S&C Letter #14-04
Citations at F Tag 454 - 42 CFR §483.70 Physical Environment, §483.70(a) Life Safety from Fire
S&C Letter #14-03
Contingency Plans -- State Survey & Certification Activities in the Event of Federal Government Shutdown
S&C Letter #14-02
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in Nursing Homes
S&C Letter #14-01
2000 Edition National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101® Life Safety Code (LSC) Waivers
S&C Letter #13-58
Escrow and Independent Informal Dispute Resolution (Independent IDR) Process for Nursing Homes – Applicable to All Civil Money Penalties (CMPs)
S&C Letter #13-57
MDS 3.0 Discharge Assessments that Have Not Been Completed and/or Submitted - Action by September 30, 2013
S&C Letter #13-56
August 13, 2013 Deadline - Installation of Automatic Sprinkler Systems in Nursing Homes
S&C Letter #13-55
Notification of Facility Closure: Revisions to Tags F203 and F204 and Issuance of New Tags F523 and F524 in the State Operations Manual (SOM), Appendix PP
S&C Letter #13-50
Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Clearance Process– Changes to State Survey Agency Responsibilities in Obtaining Information for Civil Rights Clearances for Initial Certifications and Changes of Ownership (CHOWs)
S&C Letter #13-46
Public Release of the Five-Star Quality Rating System Three-Year Report
S&C Letter #13-44
Changes to the Nursing Home Compare Website Data that is Available for Download on the Medicare.gov Website (Effective July 2013)
S&C Letter #13-43
Reminder: Access and Visitation Rights in Long Term Care (LTC) Facilities
S&C Letter #13-42
Notice - Revision to the Ninth Opportunity National Background Check Program Funding
S&C Letter #13-41
End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Home Dialysis Only Facilities Offering Home Hemodialysis (HHD), Home Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), or Both HHD and PD Modalities
S&C Letter #13-40
Advanced Copy: Dementia Care in Nursing Homes: Clarification to Appendix P State Operations Manual (SOM) and Appendix PP in the SOM for F309 -- Quality of Care and F329 -- Unnecessary Drugs
S&C Letter #13-35
Release of Mandatory Surveyor Training Program on Care of Persons with Dementia and Unnecessary Antipsychotic Medication Use
S&C Letter #13-34
Cost Allocations for Surveys of Home Health Agencies
S&C Letter #13-31
Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) –Nomenclature Change Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional (QIDP)
S&C Letter #13-28
Update of State Operations Manual (SOM) Chapter 5, Complaint Investigation
S&C Letter #13-27
Report of the National Background Check Program (NBCP) Long-Term Care (LTC) Criminal Convictions Work Group
S&C Letter #13-24, Attachment
FY2013 Sequestration Adjustments for Survey & Certification (S&C)
S&C Letter #13-23
Life Safety Code (LSC) Short Form Survey for Nursing Homes – Limited Option
S&C Letter #13-22
Access to Statements of Deficiencies (CMS-2567) on the Web for Skilled Nursing Facilities, Nursing Facilities, Hospitals,& Critical Access Hospitals
S&C Letter #13-21
F-Tag 322 Naso-Gastric Tubes Revised Advance Copy
S&C Letter #13-17
F-Tag 155 Advance Directives Revised Advance Copy
S&C Letter #13-16
Physician Delegation of Tasks in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and Nursing Facilities (NFs)
S&C Letter #13-15
Luer Misconnection Adverse Events
S&C Letter #13-14
Information Only: New Dining Standards of Practice Resources are Available Now
S&C Letter #13-13
Clarification of Interpretive Guidance at F Tag 441-Laundry and Infection Control
S&C Letter #13-09
Notice -- Eighth Opportunity National Background Check Program Funding
S&C Letter #13-06
Preview of Nursing Home Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement (QAPI) Guide -- QAPI at a Glance
S&C Letter #13-05
Nursing Homes -Clarification of Guidance related to Medication Errors and Pharmacy Services
S&C Letter #13-02
Advance Copy of Interim Guidance - Revisions to State Operations Manual SOM), Appendix P-Traditional Survey Protocol for Long-Term Care (LTC)Facilities and Chapter 9/Exhibits including Survey Forms 672, 802, 802S and 802P
S&C Letter #12-45
"Hand in Hand: A Training Series for Nursing Homes," on Person-Centered Care of Persons with Dementia and Prevention of Abuse
S&C Letter #12-44
Impact of Nursing Shortage on Hospice Care
S&C Letter #12-43
Request to Convey Information: Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes
S&C Letter #12-42
2012 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Action Plan
S&C Letter #12-39
Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) in Nursing HomesActivities Related to QAPI Implementation
S&C Letter #12-38
Redesign Updates to the Nursing Home Compare Website
S&C Letter #12-37
Safe Use of Single Dose/Single Use Medications to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
S&C Letter #12-35
Clarification and Revisions to Interpretive Guidance at F-Tag 492, as Part of Appendix PP, State Operations Manual (SOM) for Long Term Care (LTC)Facilities
S&C Letter #12-34
Use of Insulin Pens in Health Care Facilities
S&C Letter #12-30
Publication of Two Final Rules "Medicare and Medicaid Program; Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction CMS-9070-F" and "Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Reform of Hospital and Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation CMS-3244-F"
S&C Letter #12-29
Utilizing the US Bureau of the Census' (Census Bureau) American FactFinder Database when making a Rural Area Location Determination
S&C Letter #12-27
Home Health Survey and Certification Activities Related to Program Safeguards: Deactivation
S&C Letter #12-26
Revisions to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument RAI) Manual and Item Subsets
S&C Letter #12-25
INFORMATION: Reducing Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents; State Survey Agency Director Role in Applications
S&C Letter #12-23
Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Prevention Program Environmental Scan of State Survey Agency Training Coordinators and State HAI Coordinators
S&C Letter #12-22
Instructions Concerning Waivers of Specific Requirements of the 2012 Edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101, the Life Safety Code (LSC), in Health Care Facilities - Clarification Effective Immediately
S&C Letter #12-21
Survey and Certification Responsibilities Related to Provider Enrollment Revocations
S&C Letter #12-16
Revised Initial Certification Process for Home Health Agencies (HHAs)
S&C Letter #12-15
Home Health Survey and Certification Activities Related to Program Safeguards: Change of Ownership
S&C Letter #12-14
Use of Federally Imposed Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Funds by States (replaces S&C #11-42)
S&C Letter #12-13
Federal Requirements for the Independent Informal Dispute Resolution (Independent IDR) Process for Nursing Homes - Interim Advance Guidance (replaces S&C #12-02)
S&C Letter #12-08
Alert: Smoking Safety in Long Term Care Facilities
S&C Letter #12-04
