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Federal – Quality, Safety, and Oversight

Surveys and Enforcement
QSO-20-41-ALL, Guidance related to Emergency Preparedness- Exercise Exemption based on A Facility’s Activation of their Emergency Plan (Revised 6/21/21)

Nursing Homes: Vaccination
QSO-21-19-NH Interim Final Rule – COVID-19 Vaccine Immunization Requirements for Residents and Staff (5/11/21)

Nursing Homes: Testing
QSO-20-38-NH Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency related to Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements and Revised COVID19 Focused Survey Tool (4/27/21)

Hospitals: Surveys and Enforcement
QSO-21-16-Hospitals Resuming Hospital Survey Activities Following 30-day Restrictions (3/26/21)

Hospitals: Surveys and Enforcement
QSO-21-13-Hospitals Hospital Survey Priorities (Revised) (2/18/21)

Nursing Homes: Recommendations for Holiday Season
CMS Alert re Nursing Home Recommendations for Holiday Season (11/16/20)

Hospitals, CAH: COVID-19 Reporting QSO-21-03-Hospitals-CAH, Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC; Requirements and Enforcement Process for Reporting of COVID-19 Data Elements for Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (10/6/20)

Clinical Laboratories: Test Reporting
QSO-20-37-CLIA Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Updating Requirements for Reporting of SARS-CoV-2 Test Results by CLIA Laboratories, and Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (8/26/20)

Nursing Homes: State-Level Responses
 CMS Toolkit on State Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 Prevalence in Nursing Homes

Surveys and Enforcement
QSO 20-35-ALL Enforcement Cases Held during the Prioritization Period and Revised Survey Prioritization (8/17/20)

COVID-19 Management for Dialysis Facilities
QSO 20-36-ESRD Key Components for Continued COVID-19 Management for Dialysis Facilities (8/17/20)

Nursing Homes: Public Posting of COVID-19 Data
QSO-20-32-NH, Release of COVID-19 Nursing Home Data (6/4/20)

Nursing Homes: Public Posting of Survey Results
 QSO-20-33-NH, Posting of Nursing Home Inspections (6/4/20)

Clinical Labs: COVID-19 Reporting Requirements
 COVID-19 Pandemic Response, Laboratory Data Reporting: CARES Act Section 18115 (6/4/20)

> FAQs: Laboratory Data Reporting for COVID-19 Testing

Nursing Homes: FAQs re Data Release
Nursing Home COVID-19 Data Release External FAQs (6/4/20)

Nursing Homes: Visitation
QSO-20-39-NH Nursing Home Visitation – COVID-19 (9/17/20)

Nursing Homes: Public Posting of Survey Results
QSO-20-33-NH, Posting of Nursing Home Inspections (6/4/20)

Nursing Homes: Enhanced CMS Enforcement Actions CMS Press Release
Trump Administration Unveils Enhanced Enforcement Actions Based on Nursing Home COVID-19 Data and Inspection Results (6/1/20)

Nursing Homes: Reopening Recommendations
QSO-20-30-NH Nursing Home Reopening Recommendations for State and Local Officials (5/18/20)

Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes

Nursing Home Reporting
 QSO-20-29-NH: Memo and FAQs re Interim Final Rule Updating Requirements for Notification of Confirmed and Suspected COVID-19 Cases Among Residents and Staff in Nursing Homes (5/6/20)

Nursing Homes
Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System Updates, Nursing Home Staff Counts, and FAQs (4/24/20)

Licensed Independent Freestanding Emergency Departments
Guidance for Licensed Independent Freestanding Emergency Departments to Participate in Medicare and Medicaid during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (4/21/20)

Nursing Homes: Notification to Residents and Representatives
QSO-20-26-NH: Upcoming Requirements for Notification of Confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-19 PUI Among Residents and Staff in Nursing Homes (4/19/20)

Nursing Homes: Surveys, Enforcement
QSO-20-31-ALL. COVID-19 Survey Activities, CARES Act Funding, Enhanced Enforcement for Infection Control deficiencies, and Quality Improvement Activities in Nursing Homes (6/1/20)

Long-Term Care Transfers
QSO-20-25-NH.  COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Transfer Scenarios (4/13/20)

Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs)
QSO-20-24-ASC, Guidance for Processing Attestation Statements from ASCs Temporarily Enrolling as Hospitals during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (4/3/20)

Quality Reporting Exceptions & Extensions
CMS Memo re Exceptions and Extensions for Quality Reporting Requirements (3/27/20)

CLIA FAQ
CMS FAQ: FAQs: CLIA Guidance During COVID (3/27/20)

Survey Activities
QS-20-20-All. Prioritization of Survey Activities (3/23/20)

Quality Reporting Program Relief
CMS Announces Relief for Clinicians, Providers, Hospitals and Facilities Participating in Quality Reporting Programs in Response to COVID-19 (3/22/20)

PACE Organizations
Information for PACE Organizations Regarding Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (3/17/20)

Nursing Homes
QSO-20-14-NH Revised 3/13/20, Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nursing homes (revised 3/13/20)

Dialysis Facilities
QSO-20-19-ESRD, Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in dialysis facilities (3/10/20)

Home Health
QSO-20-18-HHA, Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Home Health Agencies (HHAs) (3/10/20)

Hospitals
QSO-20-13-Hospitals, Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): FAQs and Considerations for Patient Triage, Placement and Hospital Discharge (3/4/20)

    > HLB Alert (3/9/20)

All Providers
QSO-20-12-All, Suspension of Survey Activities (3/4/20)

    > HLB Alert (3/9/20)

Clinical Labs
QSO-20-10-CLIA, Notification to Surveyors of the Authorization for Emergency Use of the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel Assay and Guidance for use in CDC Qualified Laboratories (2/6/20)

All Providers
QSO-20-09-ALL, Information for Healthcare Facilities Concerning 2019 Novel Coronavirus Illness (2019-nCoV) (2/6/20)