NAC449.003. “Deficiency” defined.

     1. “Deficiency” means noncompliance with any federal or state statute or of the rules or regulations of the Division or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or conditions and standards of or requirements for participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program pertaining to a facility.

     2. The term includes an incident concerning a facility where there are no extenuating circumstances or where the facility has made an inappropriate response to a complaint, including the failure to:

     (a) Prevent an incident from occurring, if the incident could have been avoided;

     (b) Identify an incident;

     (c) Take action to correct an incident before the identification of the incident by the Bureau; or

     (d) Implement a contingency plan if permanent action to correct an incident has not been undertaken.

     3. In determining whether an incident is a deficiency, the right of the recipient to refuse treatment, where applicable, shall be deemed an extenuating circumstance.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Health, eff. 8-1-91; A by R051-02, 7-24-2002)