U.S. Code

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. 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

The Secretary shall pay any such State, in advance or by way of reimbursement, as may be provided in the agreement with it (and may make adjustments in such payments on account of overpayments or underpayments previously made), for the reasonable cost of performing the functions specified in subsection (a) of this section, and for the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund’s fair share of the costs attributable to the planning and other efforts directed toward coordination of activities in carrying out its agreement and other activities related to the provision of services similar to those for which payment may be made under part A of this subchapter, or related to the facilities and personnel required for the provision of such services, or related to improving the quality of such services.

The Secretary is authorized to enter into an agreement with any State under which the appropriate State or local agency which performs the certification function described in subsection (a) of this section will survey, on a selective sample basis (or where the Secretary finds that a survey is appropriate because of substantial allegations of the existence of a significant deficiency or deficiencies which would, if found to be present, adversely affect health and safety of patients), provider entities that, pursuant to section 1395bb (a)(1) of this title, are treated as meeting the conditions or requirements of this subchapter. The Secretary shall pay for such services in the manner prescribed in subsection (b) of this section.

The Secretary may not enter an agreement under this section with a State with respect to determining whether an institution therein is a skilled nursing facility unless the State meets the requirements specified in section 1395i–3 (e) of this title and section 1395i–3 (g) of this title and the establishment of remedies under sections 1395i–3 (h)(2)(B) and 1395i–3 (h)(2)(C) of this title (relating to establishment and application of remedies).

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may not impose, or require a State to impose, any fee on any facility or entity subject to a determination under subsection (a) of this section, or any renal dialysis facility subject to the requirements of section 1395rr (b)(1) of this title, for any such determination or any survey relating to determining the compliance of such facility or entity with any requirement of this subchapter (other than any fee relating to section 263a of this title).