CMS Memorandum – Interim Final Rule Updating Requirements for Notification of Confirmed and Suspected COVID-19 Cases Among Residents and Staff in Nursing Homes

To: Skilled Nursing Facilities On May 6, 2020 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum with an interim final rule updating requirements for notification of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases among residents and staff in nursing homes. The memorandum includes more information about the following topics: • On May 8, 2020, CMS published an interim final rule with comment period. • COVID-19 Reporting Requirements: CMS is requiring nursing homes to report COVID-19 facility data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and to residents, their representatives, and families of residents in facilities. • Enforcement: Failure to report in accordance with 42 CFR §483.80(g) can result in an enforcement action. • Transparency: CMS will begin posting data from the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) for viewing by facilities, stakeholders, or the general public. The COVID-19 public use file will be available on https://data.cms.gov/. The full memorandum can be found here: CMS Memorandum - Interim Final Rule Updating Requirements for Notification of Confirmed and Suspected COVID-19 Cases Among Residents and Staff in Nursing Homes Margaret Mohan Branch Chief Acute Care and Nursing Facilities