MEDICARE — CMS Needs Additional Authority to Adequately Oversee Patient Safety in Hospitals

July 2004 Medicare CMS Needs Additional Authority to Adequately Oversee Patient Safety in Hospitals JCAHO's pre-2004 hospital accreditation process did not identify most of the hospitals found by state survey agencies in CMS's annual validation survey sample to have deficiencies in Medicare requirements. In comparing the results of the two surveys, CMS considered whether it was reasonable to conclude that the deficiencies found by state survey agencies existed at the time JCAHO surveyed the hospital . . .