Conditions of Participation

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On February 8, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a quality standard memorandum (QSO Memo) updating and revising a memorandum it issued on January 5, 2018, to now permit the texting of patient orders among members of the patient’s health care team. CMS’s 2018 memorandum clarified CMS’s then-current position that texting…

On December 28, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a memo to state survey agency directors clarifying its position on the use of text messaging among health care providers. In its memo, CMS stated that it does not permit texting of patient orders by health care providers, as texting of patient…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a draft of interpretive guidelines (Guidelines) to the Home Health agency Conditions of Participation (the COPs).  After having previously been delayed, the COPs are set to be implemented January 13, 2018.  While feedback is being solicited on the draft and final guidelines have yet to…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the withdrawal of three proposed rules that, in one case, had been pending since 2014. The first proposed rule that CMS decided to scrap was proposed in December of 2014 that would have ensured same-sex spouses were recognized and afforded equal rights as opposite-sex couples…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to delay the effective date for the revised Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for Home Health Agencies (HHAs).  The original effective date was July 13, 2017.  The proposed delay would extend the effective date for an additional six months, until January 13, 2018.  In a previously published post, we discussed the HHA CoPs.
Continue Reading CMS Proposes Delay of Home Health Agency Conditions of Participation

On January 13, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Final Rule updating the home health agency (HHA) Conditions of Participation (CoPs).  HHAs only have until July 13, 2017 to implement these extensive changes. CMS revised the CoPs to focus on a “patient-centered, data-driven, outcome-oriented process that promotes high quality patient care at all times for all patients.”

Below are some of the most significant changes to the CoPs for home health agencies (HHAs) — the Final Rule:
Continue Reading CMS Updates Home Health Agency Conditions of Participation