The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memo to surveyors on Tuesday stating that the expanded reporting requirements for acute respiratory illnesses, which the agency discussed at length during early December’s open door forum, should be incorporated into the survey process.

The new requirements related to acute respiratory illnesses for nursing homes will take effect on Jan. 1, and nursing homes must report data related to, but not limited to, the flu, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

These requirements replace the previous reporting standards and include data on facility census, resident vaccination status for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, confirmed resident cases of these illnesses, both overall and by vaccination status, and hospitalized residents with confirmed cases.

The precise guidelines to surveyors is still pending.

“CMS expects LTC facilities to comply with all facility requirements. These requirements will be incorporated into the survey process once guidance to LTC facility surveyors is released,” the memo stated.

CMS plans to develop guidance for surveyors to evaluate compliance with the new acute respiratory illness reporting requirements and provide information on enforcement actions for noncompliance, the agency said.

“Once surveyor guidance and enforcement action information are developed, CMS will provide notification that the new requirements have been incorporated into the LTC facility survey process,” the memo noted. “LTC facilities are required to electronically report information about COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in a standardized format and frequency specified by the Secretary.”

In 2020, CMS published an interim final rule requiring all long-term care (LTC) facilities to report COVID-19 data through the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), with a final rule extending this requirement until December 31, 2024.

However, last month, CMS introduced the new acute respiratory illness reporting requirements as part of the Calendar Year 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update, broadening the NHSN reporting requirements for nursing homes.