US · guidance
CMS SOM App. H, Tag V661
§ 494.120 – A special purpose renal dialysis facility is approved to furnish dialysis on a
short-term basis at special locations. Special purpose dialysis facilities are divided into two
categories: vacation camps (locations that serve ESRD patients while the patients are in a
temporary residence) and facilities established to serve ESRD patients under emergency
circumstances.
Interpretive Guidance § 494.120:
“Vacation camp” SPRDFs are temporary vacation locations that provide (and bill for)
outpatient hemodialysis treatments at the camp site. Camps that transport hemodialysis patients
to local certified outpatient facilities for dialysis are not considered SPRDFs and do not need to
be certified separately to accept the campers as transient patients. Camps that provide only
peritoneal dialysis on-site are not required to be certified, as the treatment provided would be
considered a “home” treatment.
“Emergency circumstances” for SPRDF applies to a natural or manmade disaster that prevents
the use of established dialysis facilities, and applies to a patient or group of patients who cannot
otherwise be served in an area. The most common use of certification as an emergency SPRDF
is when the usual treatment facility(ies) are incapacitated by weather-related emergencies
causing disruption to electrical service, water supplies, or vehicular access. However, a
Medicare-approved hospital, long-term care facility, or other provider could request SPRDF
certification to provide dialysis to one or more patients that are denied outpatient dialysis by all
dialysis facilities within reasonable driving distance because of medical complications (morbidly
obese, bedbound, respirator-dependent, tracheotomy requiring frequent suctioning, etc.) or a
history of disruptive or threatening behaviors.
In the event a new ESRD facility which has not yet been certified is granted an emergency
SPRDF certification, that facility would need to undergo an initial survey for full certification
within the 8 month SPRDF certification period in order to continue services and to expand its
census beyond those patients who could not otherwise be served in that geographic locality.
History
Rev.
Provenance
- Source
- cms.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-22
- Edition
- som-2026-07-22
- Content hash
422ba7e206af042d8e3bfbc173cd910e4a3b217d7a9f7c5f521d96095a1fe909
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