What to put in a plan of correction
Short answer
A plan of correction answers each CMS-2567 citation: what you will fix, how, who owns it, by when and how you will check it stays fixed. Nursing homes cover five elements, other providers four. It is due in 10 calendar days, signed by an official, and public.
A plan answers each cited deficiency
A plan of correction (PoC) is your written answer, on the right side of Form CMS-2567, to each deficiency a survey cited. The form lists deficiencies on the left. Your response goes opposite each one.
CMS's State Operations Manual calls the 2567 the basic document disclosed to the public about a provider's deficiencies and what is being done about them. For nursing homes, it calls the PoC the facility's allegation of compliance.
Without it, CMS and the state cannot verify compliance. See CMS-2567, plan of correction and deficiency.
The plan is due in 10 calendar days
Ten calendar days from the day you receive the CMS-2567. Both the nursing home chapter and the general certification chapter of the State Operations Manual use that deadline.
| Provider | Plan due | If you do not submit an acceptable plan |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing homes (SNFs and NFs) | 10 calendar days after receiving Form CMS-2567 | The state recommends remedies. Federal rules require termination of the provider agreement. |
| ASCs and other providers and suppliers | 10 calendar days after receiving Form CMS-2567 | Termination of the provider agreement is possible. |
The plan also sets correction dates. For providers other than nursing homes, a reasonable period is generally no longer than 60 calendar days, and 42 CFR 488.28 says providers are ordinarily expected to act within 60 days of notice.
Construction or other things outside your control can justify longer.
Nursing homes face a tighter backstop. With no immediate jeopardy, a facility still out of compliance three months after the last survey day faces mandatory denial of payment for new admissions. Termination is effective no later than six months after.
A nursing home may ask for informal dispute resolution within the same 10 days.
Four elements for most providers, five for nursing homes
| What the plan answers | ASCs and other providers (Chapter 2) | Nursing homes (Chapter 7) |
|---|---|---|
| How you fix the cited problem | The plan for correcting the deficiency, addressing the processes that led to it | How corrective action will be done for residents affected |
| Who else could be affected | Not a separate element | How the facility will find other residents who could be affected |
| How you prevent a repeat | The procedure for implementing the plan | The measures or systemic changes that stop it recurring |
| How you check it stays fixed | The monitoring procedure | How the facility will monitor its performance so solutions last |
| Who owns it | The title of the person responsible | Not a separate element |
| By when | The planned action and expected completion date | Completion dates acceptable to the state |
Chapter 2 says plans must be specific and realistic, stating exactly how the deficiency was or will be corrected. An authorized official signs and dates the plan.
For nursing homes, that should be the administrator, though the director of nursing or a corporate representative with management authority may sign. If you already fixed the problem, say so and give the approximate date.
Nursing homes need no plan for deficiencies at scope and severity level A, or cited as past noncompliance.
A skeleton plan for a resident fall
This skeleton is for a nursing home citation about a resident fall, such as F689. It is illustrative. Sample sizes and frequencies are placeholders, and CMS does not prescribe wording. Replace each bracket with your facts.
| Element | Skeleton wording |
|---|---|
| Affected resident | Reassessed for fall risk on [date]. Care plan updated [date]. Alarm function verified [date]. |
| Others who could be affected | On [date], leaders reviewed every resident with a fall-risk score of [x] or higher for care plan interventions and working devices. |
| Systemic changes | Alarms are checked and initialed each shift. The care plan template lists required interventions. [Number] failed alarm units were replaced on [date]. |
| Monitoring | The director of nursing audits [number] rooms a week for [number] weeks, then monthly. Results go to the QAPI committee. Below [target], the plan is revised. |
| Responsible title | Director of nursing |
| Dates | Resident actions done [date]. Review of others done [date]. Systemic changes done [date]. Monitoring runs [start] to [end]. |
| Signature | [Administrator], Administrator, [date] |
Vague plans and missing proof get sent back
The state reviews each plan for appropriateness, legibility and completeness, and rejects an unacceptable one in writing. It does not rewrite your plan without your agreement.
- "Staff will be educated." Say who, on what, by when, and how you check.
- No monitoring. Show the fix holds with an audit schedule and a reviewer.
- No owner. Name a title, not a committee.
- Blame or comparison. The manual bars maligning a person or citing another provider.
- Arguing severity. You may dispute accuracy, not the surveyor's judgment on scope or severity.
- Unsigned or undated.
For each cited deficiency you have three options. Accept it and submit a plan. Record your objection and submit a plan. Or record your objection and give convincing, documented evidence that the deficiency is invalid. You may send a modified plan at any time.
The state checks that you did what you said
The state decides if the plan is acceptable, then verifies you did it. For a nursing home, an acceptable plan is confirmed by phone or email and an unacceptable one in writing.
The manual warns facilities they stay accountable for their own compliance even if that notice is late.
For nursing homes, credible written evidence sets the date of substantial compliance: dates of actions and how they corrected the problem and prevent repeats. It is not automatically the date in your plan or the revisit date. Remedies continue until compliance is verified.
Assume everyone can read your plan. For providers other than nursing homes, the form is public within 90 calendar days of the last survey day. For nursing homes, the law requires disclosure within 14 calendar days after it is made available to the provider.
An accreditor receives the plan of an accredited ASC too.
Treat every promise as a task with proof
Give every promise in the plan an owner, a date and a piece of proof from the day you write it. The revisit asks for proof of what you did and when, and the monitoring data that shows it held.
In IncidentKit each corrective action has an owner, due date, evidence and effectiveness check. Nothing closes until verified. The audit trail records who changed what and when. Compliance packets gather survey packets for a person to review.
See always survey-ready, the corrective action plan template and plan of correction readiness.
Frequently asked questions
How long do we have to submit a plan of correction?
Ten calendar days from the day you receive Form CMS-2567. If you need more time, the state asks you to complete the plan as precisely as current information allows, then follow with a more specific plan early. A nursing home may ask for informal dispute resolution in the same 10 days.
Can we dispute a citation instead of submitting a plan?
You can record objections and still submit a plan. Or object with no plan, if you give convincing, documented evidence that the deficiency is invalid. You can contest accuracy, not the surveyor's judgment on scope, severity or level. Without an acceptable plan or successful refutation, termination can follow.
Who signs the plan of correction?
The administrator or another authorized official signs and dates it. For nursing homes, the signer should have management authority: usually the administrator, though the director of nursing or a corporate representative may sign. It is the facility's statement of what it will do and by when.
Is a plan of correction public?
Yes. Form CMS-2567, with your responses, is disclosed to the public. For providers other than nursing homes, disclosure is due within 90 calendar days of the last survey day. For nursing homes, it is within 14 calendar days of being made available to the facility.
What if we already fixed the problem before we submit the plan?
Say so on the form and give the approximate date. Still describe how you will monitor, and the state follows up to confirm. Nursing homes cited for past noncompliance, where the problem was fixed before it was cited, need no plan for that deficiency.
Sources
- CMS State Operations Manual, Chapter 7: Survey and enforcement for skilled nursing facilities (Rev. 244, June 2026)
- CMS State Operations Manual, Chapter 2: The certification process, section 2728
- 42 CFR 488.28: Providers or suppliers, other than SNFs, NFs, HHAs and hospice programs, with deficiencies
- CMS notice, Federal Register, July 18, 2024: Joint Commission ASC program (accreditor response to plans of correction)
Reviewed against the sources above on Oct 5, 2026. Rules change: confirm current requirements with the issuing body or your counsel before relying on any summary.
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