Suspension of Routine Medicare Facility Surveys

April 3, 2020

Included in the broad Section 1135 waivers, CMS has temporarily suspended routine, non-emergency survey inspections of Medicare facilities across the country. In its March 31, 2020 National Stakeholder Call, Administrator Verma said that inspectors will continue to conduct surveys focused on cases of abuse or neglect that pose immediate jeopardy and on more targeted surveys around infection control, including the spread of COVID-19 (as discussed in the next paragraph below). On this call, Administrator Verma also clarified that the suspension of routine surveys includes life safety code surveys. CMS has posted separate Coronavirus survey memos for various provider types on its webpage for Coronavirus Updates for State Surveyors and Accrediting Organizations.