Here's one form letter you never want to toss. If your eyes glaze over when you read the cover letter that accompanies the CMS 2567, you may be missing vital information about the facility's survey fate.
"The letter looks like a bureaucratic form letter, so some people don't pay that much attention to it," observes Eleanor Alvarez, a survey expert in Columbus, OH. "But it contains invaluable information about fines and sanctions as well the various deadlines which need to be met," Alvarez points out.
Chicago attorney Matthew Murer agrees, noting that "sometimes people get so used to seeing the cover letter that they don't read it carefully." The cover letter can change and include new information, Murer cautions.