How to Read the Indiana CMS ‘2567’ Deficiency Report

How to Read the Indiana CMS ‘2567’ Deficiency Report

How to Read the Indiana CMS ‘2567’ Deficiency Report

The CMS Form 2567, known as the “Statement of Deficiencies,” is the official Indiana nursing home deficiency report generated by the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) after a state or federal survey of a nursing facility. This report is a critical document for understanding a facility’s compliance history and often forms the bedrock of nursing home abuse and neglect cases. It’s not just a record of a facility’s failure; it can be the most compelling piece of evidence detailing the inadequate nursing home care that led to a resident’s injury.

What is a Form 2567, and Why Does It Matter?

In Indiana, as in every state, nursing facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding must comply with comprehensive federal regulations (found in 42 CFR Part 483). When surveyors from the IDOH investigate a facility—either through a routine annual survey or a complaint investigation—they document every violation of these regulations on the CMS Form 2567.

A deficiency report matters because it details the specific instances where a facility’s care was identified as substandard. For a family pursuing a legal claim, the 2567 serves as an official, governmental confirmation of fault regarding the standard of care.

It is critically important for readers to remember that the vast majority of neglect and abuse incidents are never investigated or cited by the state. A clean record or the absence of a recent CMS Form 2567 report should therefore not be taken as definitive proof that the care provided by a facility was proper or adequate. If a patient suffered an injury, the failure to generate an Indiana nursing home deficiency report simply means the state was unaware of the problem or did not find sufficient evidence to issue an official citation.

Where to Find the 2567 Reports

All official reports are public documents. Families can access them through:

1. CMS Care Compare: The federal government’s official website for comparing nursing homes. The deficiencies are listed in the Health Inspections section.
2. State Department of Health: In Indiana, the IDOH maintains records that may include more detail than the federal site. Families can also be assisted in Filing a Nursing Home Complaint directly with the IDOH.
3. The Facility Itself: Federal law requires nursing homes to make their most recent survey results available to the public upon request.

Decoding the 2567: A Step-by-Step Guide

The report can seem like bureaucratic alphabet soup. Here is a practical, step-by-step guide on how to read CMS 2567 and translate the key components used in every Indiana 2567 report.

1. The F-Tag Citation (Federal Regulation)

The core of the finding is the F-Tag. This is the citation number corresponding to the specific federal regulation that the facility violated, officially known as the Indiana nursing home F-Tag or nursing home survey citation Indiana.

• Example: F-689 is the tag for “Free from Accident Hazards/Supervision/Devices.” A citation under this tag means the facility failed to ensure a resident was free from accidents or failed to provide necessary supervision or assistive devices.
• Common High-Risk F-Tags to Watch For:
  • F-686: Pressure Ulcers — Prevention and Treatment
    F-689: Accidents and Safety — Falls, Elopement, or Lack of Supervision and Assistive Devices
  • F-725 / F-726: Sufficient and Competent Staffing — Ensuring enough qualified staff are on duty
  • F-758: Psychotropic Medications — Unnecessary psychotropic drug use or chemical restraint concerns (Note: this tag does not cover general medication error rates)
  • F-641: Accuracy of Assessments — Ensuring resident assessments are complete and accurate

Key Takeaway: The F-Tag tells you exactly which federal regulation was violated and what aspect of resident care was substandard.

2. The Deficiency Narrative (The Story of Neglect)

This section, often referred to as the Statement of Deficiencies, is the story of the violation and is arguably the most important section to read. The surveyor uses this section to provide factual support for the F-Tag citation and is typically broken into three parts:

A. The Requirement

This part simply states the exact federal regulation (the F-Tag) the facility is required to follow.

B. The Findings (The Core Evidence)

This section is the most crucial. It details the surveyor’s objective findings, direct observations, staff interviews, and review of resident medical charts that collectively support the violation. It outlines the specific events that occurred.

Legal Relevance: This narrative provides the timeline and specific facts necessary to link the facility’s negligent act (or failure to act) to the resident’s injury. For instance, the narrative may detail how a nurse failed to turn a resident for 12 hours, which supports an F-686 (Pressure Ulcer) citation.

C. The Provider’s Plan of Correction (POC)

The POC is an administrative document that outlines how the facility plans to correct each cited deficiency and prevent it from recurring. It is not a legal admission of fault, but it is a binding commitment subject to follow-up by state surveyors. If residents are harmed after the facility’s stated compliance date, the unimplemented or ineffective POC can serve as strong evidence that the facility failed to follow its own corrective plan.

3. The Scope and Severity Grid (The Letter Grade)

Every deficiency on the Form 2567 is assigned a letter grade, spanning from A through L, which immediately indicates both the seriousness (Severity) and the prevalence (Scope) of the violation. The Severity axis defines the degree of harm: Level 1 (A, B, C) is minimal potential for harm; Level 2 (D, E, F) is potential for more than minimal harm; Level 3 (G, H, I) signifies Actual Harm has occurred; and Level 4 (J, K, L) represents Immediate Jeopardy, meaning the substandard care is likely to cause serious injury or death. Simultaneously, the Scope defines prevalence, ranging from Isolated incidents (A, D, G, J) to a Pattern affecting multiple residents (B, E, H, K), up to Widespread systemic failures (C, F, I, L). 

For legal claims involving abuse or neglect, citations graded G, H, I, J, K, or L are the most powerful, as they officially signify Actual Harm or Immediate Jeopardy, providing crucial government-backed evidence that the facility’s failures directly caused, or were highly likely to cause, serious injury. This analysis of the Scope and Severity Grid explanation is fundamental to understanding the legal significance of CMS 2567 findings.

What “Immediate Jeopardy” (J, K, L) Means

A Level 4 deficiency (J, K, L) is a finding that the facility’s non-compliance poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of its residents. This is often referred to as Immediate Jeopardy nursing home Indiana news. When this is found, the facility is mandated to correct the situation immediately, often resulting in heavy fines or being barred from receiving Medicare/Medicaid payments. These findings are essentially a declaration that the environment was actively dangerous.

Using the 2567 for Family Screening and Claims

1. Screening Facilities

Before choosing a nursing home, families can use prior 2567 reports as an invaluable screening tool.

• Identify Red Flags: A facility with a history of Widespread (C, F, I, L) or Pattern (B, E, H, K) deficiencies suggests a systemic problem that affects many residents, rather than a single lapse in judgment.
• The “Immediate Jeopardy” (J, K, L) Warning: Any facility with a recent J, K, or L citation is demonstrating a reckless disregard for resident safety and should be avoided entirely.
• Check the Type of Citations: Look for tags related to common injury types (F-686, F-689, F-725/F-726). If a facility has repeated citations in one area, it has a chronic, dangerous problem.
• Compare to State Averages: Compare the total number of deficiencies found at the facility to the state and national averages, usually available on Care Compare. A facility far above the average is a major concern.

2. Documenting a Legal Claim

The Form 2567 is powerful evidence in an Indiana lawsuit because it helps satisfy the element of breach of duty in a negligence claim. The report provides foundational nursing home abuse evidence Indiana legal teams can use.

• Establishes the Standard of Care: The F-Tag shows what the law requires of the facility (e.g., F-686 requires facilities to prevent pressure ulcers).
• Proves the Breach: The Level 3 (G-I) or Level 4 (J-L) letter grade, coupled with the Deficiency Narrative, constitutes an official finding that the facility failed to meet that standard, and this failure resulted in harm.
• Linking to Causation: The attorney’s critical step is to connect the specific deficiency described in the narrative (e.g., failure to assess a change in condition) to the resident’s resulting injury (e.g., delayed hospitalization leading to sepsis). The facility’s own government-generated report establishes the substandard care, making the case significantly stronger. This investigation, including the collection of medical records and the preparation of a lawsuit, is typically handled by your attorney.

Next Steps

If you are reviewing an Indiana Form 2567 and believe the documented deficiencies relate to an injury or death of a loved one, your next and most critical step is to consult with an attorney experienced in Indiana nursing home negligence law. Understanding the 2567 can be one of the foundations of your case; a lawyer will ensure this critical evidence is used effectively to hold the facility accountable. When navigating the legal process, understanding the deadline to File a Lawsuit Against a Nursing Home in Indiana and knowing How to Select an Indiana Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer is crucial. Filing a lawsuit and investigating your claim is typically handled by your attorney.

The Powless Law Firm is an Indiana law firm that represents victims and families statewide in serious cases involving nursing home neglect, birth injury, medical negligence, personal injury, and wrongful death. If you have concerns about nursing home negligence, please contact us at (877) 469-2864. Together, we can make a difference.

The Powless Law Firm represents families across Indiana—from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne and Evansville—in cases involving birth trauma lawsuits, medical malpractice birth injury claims, and cerebral palsy lawsuits. As experienced medical malpractice attorneys in Indiana, we are here to listen to your story and help you find the way forward.

Call (877) 469-2864 now for a free, confidential consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case.