US · guidance
CMS SOM App. B, Tag G486
§484.50(e)(1) The HHA must—
(iii) Take action to prevent further potential violations, including retaliation, while
the complaint is being investigated.
Interpretive Guidelines §484.50(e)(1)
The HHA should have systems in place to record, track and investigate all complaints.
Written policies and procedures on the acceptance, processing, review, and resolution of
patient complaints should be developed and communicated to staff. These policies should
include intake procedures, timeframes for investigations, documentation, and outcomes
and actions that the HHA may take to resolve patient complaints. Complaint
investigations should be incorporated into the agency’s Quality Assurance Performance
Improvement program.
The HHA should be able to produce documentation for each complaint received that
confirms that an investigation was conducted and records the investigation findings as
well as the ultimate resolution of the complaint. The documentation should also describe
any actions taken by the HHA to remove any risks to the patient while the complaint was
being investigated.
History
Rev. 219; Issued: 04-12-24; Effective: 04-12-24; Implementation: 04-12-24
Provenance
- Source
- cms.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-22
- Edition
- som-2026-07-22
- Content hash
accb8ccef63d6d5498edc01613a87039421ef558a0d2a60ca2a2e0b1908e1250
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