As directed by CMS, HHSC is currently not conducting initial Medicare certification surveys unless CMS agrees that a verifiable access-to-care issue exists.

It is not known when CMS will direct HHSC to resume initial certification surveys.

Agencies may pursue Medicare certification through the services of accrediting agencies, as discussed in earlier sections of this training.

An Accreditation Organization (AO) may not conduct an initial certification survey of a prospective provider or supplier for Medicare certification purposes until the Medicare Administrator Contact (MAC) has completed its initial review of the enrollment application and has made a recommendation for approval to CMS.

HHSC continues to conduct all other L&CHHS surveys, including complaint surveys, to ensure continuous compliance.

See Provider Letter (PL) #15-09 for more information.

Source: SOM, Chapter 2, The Certification Process