On January 17, 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a revised Admin Memo: 25-06-NH related to guidance for Federal Monitoring Surveys (FMS). According to the memo, FMS are performed each fiscal year to validate the State Survey Agency’s performance. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 FMS memo, CMS notes FMS will only consist of Resource and Support Surveys (FSS) and Health Comparatives. CMS will not conduct any Focused Concern Surveys (FCS) in FY 2025. In addition, CMS reports RSS will be conducted throughout the year. Previously, they were conducted in the first six months of the year.
CMS also notes that a Health Comparative survey may now follow a standard or complaint survey. Previously they only followed standard surveys. These surveys should be conducted within 60 calendar days of the State Agency’s survey exit.
CMS did add a type of Emergency Preparedness (EP) and Life Safety Code (LSC) FMS. Previously there were four types, and now there are five. The types of EP/LSC FMS include the following:
- An EP/LSC Resource and Support Survey
- An EP/LSC Revisit Resource and Support Survey
- An EP/LSC Revisit Comparative
- NEW: An EP/LSC Desk Audit
CMS Reports that the new type of survey, the EP/LSC Desk Audit, is a desk review conducted by a Federal Surveyor after the State Agency has conducted the facility’s recertification survey. The purpose is to monitor the State Agency’s performance.