Agreements with States

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 1395x(aa)(2) of this title , a critical access hospital, as defined in section 1395x(mm)(1) of this title , or a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility as defined in section 1395x(cc)(2) of this title , or whether a laboratory meets the requirements of paragraphs (16) and (17) of section 1395x(s) of this title , 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 1395x(p)(4) of this title , or whether an ambulatory surgical center meets the standards specified under section 1395k(a)(2)(F)(i) of this title , or whether a facility is a rural emergency hospital as defined in section 1395x(kkk)(2) of this title . 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 1395x of this title ) 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 1395i–3(a) of this title . 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 subchapter 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 and hospice programs located in the State or locality that are certified to participate in the program established under this subchapter (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 1395bb of this title with respect to the home health agency or the hospice program, when that survey was completed, whether corrective actions have been taken or are planned, and the sanctions, if any, imposed under this subchapter with respect to the agency or the hospice program) and (2) to receive complaints (and answer questions) with respect to home health agencies and hospice programs 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 1395bb of this title , and consumer medical records (but only with the consent of the consumer or his or her legal representative).

( Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531 , title XVIII, § 1864, as added Pub. L. 89–97, title I, § 102(a) , July 30, 1965 , 79 Stat. 326 ; amended Pub. L. 90–248, title I, § 133(f) , title II, § 228(b), Jan. 2, 1968 , 81 Stat. 852 , 904; Pub. L. 92–603, title II , §§ 244(a), 277, 278(a)(16), (b)(15), 299D(a), Oct. 30, 1972 , 86 Stat. 1422 , 1452–1454, 1461; Pub. L. 95–210, § 1(i) , Dec. 13, 1977 , 91 Stat. 1488 ; Pub. L. 96–499, title IX , §§ 933(g), 934(c)(2), Dec. 5, 1980 , 94 Stat. 2637 , 2639; Pub. L. 96–611, § 1(a)(2) , Dec. 28, 1980 , 94 Stat. 3566 ; Pub. L. 97–248, title I, § 122(g)(3) , Sept. 3, 1982 , 96 Stat. 362 ; Pub. L. 98–369, div. B, title III, § 2354(b)(17) , July 18, 1984 , 98 Stat. 1101 ; Pub. L. 99–509, title IX, § 9320(h)(3) , Oct. 21, 1986 , 100 Stat. 2016 ; Pub. L. 100–203, title IV , §§ 4025(a), 4072(d), 4201(a)(2), (d)(4), 4202(a)(1), (c), 4203(a)(1), 4212(b), Dec. 22, 1987 , 101 Stat. 1330–74 , 1330–117, 1330–160, 1330–174, 1330–179, 1330–212, as amended Pub. L. 100–360, title IV, § 411 ( l )(1)(C), (6)(B), July 1, 1988 , 102 Stat. 804 , as amended Pub. L. 100–485, title VI, § 608(d)(27)(B) , Oct. 13, 1988 , 102 Stat. 2422 ; Pub. L. 100–360, title II , §§ 203(e)(3), 204(c)(2), (d)(3), title IV, § 411(d)(4)(A), July 1, 1988 , 102 Stat. 725 , 728, 729, 774, as amended Pub. L. 100–485, title VI, § 608(d)(20)(B) , (C), Oct. 13, 1988 , 102 Stat. 2419 , 2420; Pub. L. 101–234, title II, § 201(a) , Dec. 13, 1989 , 103 Stat. 1981 ; Pub. L. 101–239, title VI , §§ 6003(g)(3)(C)(iii), 6115(c), Dec. 19, 1989 , 103 Stat. 2152 , 2219; Pub. L. 101–508, title IV , §§ 4154(d)(1), 4163(c)(2), 4207(g), formerly 4027(g), Nov. 5, 1990 , 104 Stat. 1388–85 , 1388–100, 1388–123; Pub. L. 103–432, title I , §§ 145(c)(3), 160(a)(1), (d)(4), Oct. 31, 1994 , 108 Stat. 4427 , 4443, 4444; Pub. L. 104–134, title I, § 101(d) [title V, § 516(c)(1)] , Apr. 26, 1996 , 110 Stat. 1321–211 , 1321–247; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, § 1(a) , May 2, 1996 , 110 Stat. 1327 ; Pub. L. 105–33, title IV , §§ 4106(c), 4201(c)(1), Aug. 5, 1997 , 111 Stat. 368 , 373; Pub. L. 110–275, title I, § 125(b)(3) , July 15, 2008 , 122 Stat. 2519 ; Pub. L. 116–260, div. CC, title I, § 125(d)(2) , title IV, § 407(a)(3)(A), Dec. 27, 2020 , 134 Stat. 2966 , 3007.)