Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Information - Health Facility Program

Healthcare facilities may be certified to participate in the federal Medicare program. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) directs state health agencies or other appropriate agencies to determine if health care entities meet federal standards through surveys and complaint investigations. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)works closely with the CMS Dallas Regional Office regarding certification matters.

DSHS divides the state into 5 geographic areas or zones; view the County Zone List to find your appropriate zone office. Additional Medicare information and CMS contact information can be found at the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services' web site; topics of interest include Medicare initial surveys, outpatient facilities, and observation patients. See the Statutes and Rules link for applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.

• CMS Medicare Hospital Comparison
• Critical Access Hospital (CAH)- This type of hospital is a federal designation. See the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services' web site for information on attaining Medicare certification. The State Office of Rural Health maintains a list of CAHs in Texas.

• Please see our CLIA laboratory program Web page at: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/HFP/clia.shtm

• Please see the CMS CLIA Web site at this link: http://www.cms.gov/CLIA/01_Overview.asp

• Initial Medicare Surveys (To view medicare certification letters, click pdf file below, posted 11/8/2007).

• Hospital Restraint/Seclusion Death Report Worksheet (to view worksheet click here PDF File) 16KB