Oversight of surveying and certifying nursing homes and continuing care providers is a function of which organization?

• A. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• B. Federal Aviation Administration
• C. American Medical Association
• D. National Institutes of Health

Answer: (A)

The oversight of surveying and certifying nursing homes and continuing care providers is handled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS sets the federal requirements that facilities must meet to participate in Medicare and Medicaid, trains and guides the state survey agencies, and oversees on-site surveys to verify compliance. When facilities meet these standards, they maintain certification and funding; if they don’t, they can lose eligibility or face remedies. In practice, state health departments conduct the surveys under CMS guidelines, and CMS makes the final determination about certification status. The other organizations listed have different roles (for example, the FAA oversees aviation, the AMA is a professional medical association, and the NIH funds biomedical research). Some facilities may seek accreditation through non-governmental bodies like The Joint Commission, but that is voluntary and separate from federal oversight.