‘Who watches the watchmen?’ CMS tightens oversight of accrediting bodies — 8 things to know

Becker’s Hospital Review – Friday, June 12, 2026
By Mackenzie Bean

CMS published a final rule June 12 to increase oversight of the nine accrediting organizations that survey more than 9,000 healthcare organizations annually for compliance with federal health and safety requirements.

CMS highlighted several areas of concern and potential conflicts of interest the final rule aims to address. These include accredited healthcare providers retaining status after termination from Medicare or Medicaid, accrediting organizations selling consulting services to the same facilities they survey, and survey inconsistencies that undermine standardization across the accreditation process.

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