Excerpt from: McKnight's (click for full article)
Some nursing homes may be able to get a two-year extension on a requirement to install an automatic sprinkler system, under a rule proposed Monday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Under a 2008 rule, nursing homes were granted until August 13, 2013, to install an automatic sprinkler system. The new rule would allow certain facilities to get an extension on the deadline if they meet certain stipulations. These could include facilities implementing interim fire safety measures, or certifying that they are undergoing a major renovation or in the process of building a new structure.
CMS says the new rule is designed to “reform Medicare regulations that CMS has identified as unnecessary, obsolete, or excessively burdensome on health care providers and suppliers.”
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