CMS is “taking steps to improve healthcare quality and patient safety through enhanced oversight of Accrediting Organizations (AO).”
Announcing its final rule, “Strengthening Oversight of AO and Preventing AO Conflicts of Interest,” CMS stated that it wants to ensure AOs “use Medicare standards.” It added that the final rule also intends to create “greater consistency between State Survey Agencies (SAs) and AOs in their respective survey processes.” It stated that its goal is to “reduce provider burden, strengthen survey policies, and increase transparency.”
CMS stated that “the final rule is designed to:
It stated that the rule “creates a brand-new process for monitoring AO performance; establishes consistent standards, processes, and definitions; updates validation and performance systems; requires AO surveyors to take the same CMS training as SA surveyors; and reduces burden on SAs, AOs, and providers by streamlining the CMS AO validation process.”
The rule also requires that accreditation surveys “be conducted without advance notice, ensuring consistency with previously established CMS policy.” It states, “The rule addresses longstanding concerns by prohibiting AOs from conducting mock surveys for providers they accredit before initial surveys and within 12 months of re-accreditation. This prohibition helps ensure consulting activities do not compromise the objectivity and integrity of the accreditation process. Additionally, variability in accreditation standards has led to inconsistent survey findings and enforcement across Medicare-certified facilities. This rule establishes clear, uniform requirements to eliminate ambiguity. By applying Medicare conditions and requirements as the baseline standards, CMS ensures the application of consistent safety requirements across facilities.”
Read CMS’ fact sheet about the rule, which takes effect June 16, 2027, here.
