Federal Policy
OIG Finds CMS Oversight Gaps in State Use of Contract Surveyors for Nursing Home Surveys
The HHS Office of Inspector General found that CMS lacks adequate oversight of states' use of contract surveyors to conduct nursing home health and safety surveys. The report identifies weaknesses in how CMS monitors whether contract surveyors meet federal training and qualification requirements, and whether states appropriately use contractors when state survey agency staff are unavailable. OIG recommends CMS strengthen guidance to states on contract surveyor use, improve tracking of contractor qualifications, and enhance monitoring of state compliance with federal surveyor standards. For Medicaid-certified nursing homes, survey deficiencies directly affect provider compliance, certification status, and payment.
Why it mattersWeak oversight of contract surveyors may result in inconsistent survey quality across Medicaid-certified nursing homes, affecting facility compliance determinations, state enforcement actions, and ultimately resident safety and care quality in facilities serving predominantly Medicaid beneficiaries.