CMS hospital discharge-planning survey guidance
CMS revised hospital survey guidance for discharge planning, including guidance relevant to caregiver or support-person involvement and safe post-discharge transitions.
Federal · Effective · Implementation Sep 5, 2025
What it is
- What changed
- CMS revised State Operations Manual Appendix A guidance for hospital surveyors, including discharge-planning interpretive guidance that references caregiver or support-person involvement and safe post-discharge transitions.
- Why it matters
- Unsafe discharge is a recurring caregiver burden; this gives a source-backed accountability hook for explaining what hospitals are expected to document and discuss.
- Who it touches
- Family caregivers, Care providers and plans, People receiving carehospital patients, family caregivers, patient representatives, discharge planners
- What it does
- Plans, studies, registries or guidance
Sources
Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026. This is information, not legal advice; check the source for the current text.