USE OF STATE AGENCIES TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE BY PROVIDERS OF SERVICES WITH CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION[582]
Sec. 1864. [42 U.S.C. 1395aa] (a) The Secretary shall make an agreement with any State which is able and willing to do so under which the services of the State health agency or other appropriate State agency (or the appropriate local agencies) will be utilized by him for the purpose of determining whether an institution therein is a hospital or skilled nursing facility, or whether an agency therein is a home health agency, or whether an agency is a hospice program or whether a facility therein is a rural health clinic as defined in section 1861(aa)(2), a critical access hospital, as defined in section 1861(mm)(1), or a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility as defined in section 1861(cc)(2), or whether a laboratory meets the requirements of paragraphs (16) and (17) of section 1861(s) or whether a clinic, rehabilitation agency or public health agency meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B), as the case may be, of section 1861(p)(4), or whether an ambulatory surgical center meets the standards specified under section 1832(a)(2)(F)(i). To the extent that the Secretary finds it appropriate, an institution or agency which such a State (or local) agency certifies is a hospital, skilled nursing facility, rural health clinic, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility, home health agency, or hospice program (as those terms are defined in section 1861) may be treated as such by the Secretary. Any State agency which has such an agreement may (subject to approval of the Secretary) furnish to a skilled nursing facility, after proper request by such facility, such specialized consultative services (which such agency is able and willing to furnish in a manner satisfactory to the Secretary) as such facility may need to meet one or more of the conditions specified in section 1819(a). Any such services furnished by a State agency shall be deemed to have been furnished pursuant to such agreement. Within 90 days following the completion of each survey of any health care facility, ambulatory surgical center, rural health clinic, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility, laboratory, clinic, agency, or organization by the appropriate State or local agency described in the first sentence of this subsection, the Secretary shall make public in readily available form and place, and require (in the case of skilled nursing facilities) the posting in a place readily accessible to patients (and patients’ representatives), the pertinent findings of each such survey relating to the compliance of each such health care facility, ambulatory surgical center, rural health clinic, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility, laboratory, clinic, agency, or organization with (1) the statutory conditions of participation imposed under this title and (2) the major additional conditions which the Secretary finds necessary in the interest of health and safety of individuals who are furnished care or services by any such health care facility, ambulatory surgical center, rural health clinic, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility, laboratory, clinic, agency, or organization. Any agreement under this subsection shall provide for the appropriate State or local agency to maintain a toll–free hotline (1) to collect, maintain, and continually update information on home health agencies located in the State or locality that are certified to participate in the program established under this title (which information shall include any significant deficiencies found with respect to patient care in the most recent certification survey conducted by a State agency or accreditation survey conducted by a private accreditation agency under section 1865 with respect to the home health agency, when that survey was completed, whether corrective actions have been taken or are planned, and the sanctions, if any, imposed under this title with respect to the agency) and (2) to receive complaints (and answer questions) with respect to home health agencies in the State or locality. Any such agreement shall provide for such State or local agency to maintain a unit for investigating such complaints that possesses enforcement authority and has access to survey and certification reports, information gathered by any private accreditation agency utilized by the Secretary under section 1865, and consumer medical records (but only with the consent of the consumer or his or her legal representative).
(b) The Secretary shall pay any such State, in advance or by way of reimbursement, as may be provided in the agreement with it (and may make adjustments in such payments on account of overpayments or underpayments previously made), for the reasonable cost of performing the functions specified in subsection (a), and for the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund’s fair share of the costs attributable to the planning and other efforts directed toward coordination of activities in carrying out its agreement and other activities related to the provision of services similar to those for which payment may be made under part A, or related to the facilities and personnel required for the provision of such services, or related to improving the quality of such services.
(c) The Secretary is authorized to enter into an agreement with any State under which the appropriate State or local agency which performs the certification function described in subsection (a) will survey, on a selective sample basis (or where the Secretary finds that a survey is appropriate because of substantial allegations of the existence of a significant deficiency or deficiencies which would, if found to be present, adversely affect health and safety of patients), provider entities that, pursuant to section 1865(a)(1) are treated as meeting the conditions or requirements of this title. The Secretary shall pay for such services in the manner prescribed in subsection (b).
(d) The Secretary may not enter an agreement under this section with a State with respect to determining whether an institution therein is a skilled nursing facility unless the State meets the requirements specified in section 1819(e) and section 1819(g) and the establishment of remedies under sections 1819(h)(2)(B) and 1819(h)(2)(C) (relating to establishment and application of remedies).
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may not impose, or require a State to impose, any fee on any facility or entity subject to a determination under subsection (a), or any renal dialysis facility subject to the requirements of section 1881(b)(1), for any such determination or any survey relating to determining the compliance of such facility or entity with any requirement of this title (other than any fee relating to section 353 of the Public Health Service Act[583]).
[582] See Vol. II, P.L. 101-508, §4008(h)(1)(A), with respect to nurse aide training and competency evaluations.
See Vol. II, P.L. 108-173, §307, with respect to a pilot program for National and State background checks on direct payment access employees of long-term care facilities or providers.
[583] See Vol. II, P.L. 78-410, §353.