Why “The Dusty Binder” Won’t Cut It: Preparing for Home Health Surveys in 2025
In an April 2025 Home Health Care News article, SimiTree’s own Lynn Smith, Senior Manager of Compliance and Regulatory, weighed in on a critical topic that continues to challenge home health providers: survey readiness.
“The ones we obviously don’t want to see would be a complaint survey,” Lynn told HHCN. “They’ll come, and they don’t give you a lot of information, but you’ll find that they want certain records… There’s really not a set time frame for something like that.”
With increasing scrutiny from federal and state regulators, providers can no longer afford to treat compliance as a one-time project. Surprise complaint surveys, extended surveys, and gaps in documentation can result in license suspensions, Medicare enrollment issues, or financial penalties.
Survey Preparedness Requires More Than a Binder
As the article outlines, successful providers are shifting to a proactive, system-wide approach to home health compliance, including:
- Ongoing QAPI and quality assurance protocols
- Regularly updated policies and documentation
- Designated representatives are prepared to engage surveyors
- Routine internal reviews and staff education
Critically, Lynn Smith emphasized the importance of continuous quality improvement and maintaining updated documentation, not relying on outdated manuals. “You need to have a QA program in place where you’re doing QAPI, data collection, and reviewing records. This should be just an ongoing survey readiness process,” she shared.
SimiTree Can Help
SimiTree supports agencies across the post-acute care continuum with a full suite of compliance and regulatory services, including mock surveys designed to uncover gaps before real surveyors do. Whether you’re preparing for recertification, facing a complaint survey, or just need to ensure operational alignment, our team provides the insights and tools you need to stay compliant and confident.