The California Department of Health has issued a new All Facilities Letter (AFL) outlining the federal complaint process and plans of correction for long-term care facilities. The letter states that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) require the Licensing and Certification Program to investigate all complaints using the federal process. Complaint and facility-reported incident investigations will be initiated according to federal protocols and combined with the state citation process. The letter also provides notice of the immediate implementation of existing requirements for the content of plans of correction (POCs) in response to findings of deficiencies by state survey teams. Facilities must submit a detailed POC addressing corrective action for affected residents, measures to prevent recurrence, and monitoring plans. The completion dates for corrective action must be acceptable to the Licensing and Certification Program. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in penalties or loss of certification.

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