US · guidance
CMS SOM App. W, Tag C-1010
§485.635(a)(3) The policies include the following:
(i) A description of the services the CAH furnishes, including those furnished
through agreement or arrangement.
Interpretive Guidelines §485.635(a)(3)(i)
The CAH’s written patient care policies must describe the types of health care services
that are available at the CAH, including whether those services are furnished by CAH
staff or through agreements or arrangements. The types of health services described must
include services provided both on-site and off-site.
Healthcare services provided through agreement or under arrangement include those
provided through formal contracts, informal agreements, or lease arrangements.
Services furnished under arrangement or by agreement may include both healthcare
services provided on-site at the CAH by a contractor, as well as healthcare services
provided to the CAH’s patients outside the CAH. For example, the CAH may contract
with a laboratory to provide certain laboratory services on-site, and others at an off-site
laboratory; or it may contract with an imaging center for provision of certain advanced
radiologic diagnostic services, such as MRI, to CAH inpatients who are temporarily
moved to the center for the test and then returned to the CAH.
The descriptions of the services provided may be brief but informative, for example,
statements like “taking complete medical histories, providing complete physical
examinations, laboratory tests including” (with a list of tests provided), radiologic tests
and their interpretation, surgery (with a list of the types of surgery available) would
satisfy this requirement.
Survey Procedures §485.635(a)(3)(i)
Verify that the CAH’s healthcare policies identify and describe all healthcare services
offered by the CAH, including services provided under arrangement or by agreement.
History
Rev. 200, Issued: 02-21-20; Effective: 02-21-20, Implementation: 02-21-20
Provenance
- Source
- cms.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-22
- Edition
- som-2026-07-22
- Content hash
c40cd67f0efc5839d56bb78609679d843b6795107970e59bc54ac24b06636b5f
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