Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Funds

Announcements

Special CMP Funding for COVID-19 Communicative Technology and In-Person Visitation Aids Ended January 1, 2025 & Applications Are No Longer Being Accepted.

In February 2022, CMS approved additional funding to support improved air quality in nursing homes.  This additional funding included items such as indoor portable fans, indoor portable air cleaners with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA, H-13 or -14) filters to increase or improve air quality and shipping costs for the in-person visitation aids.  As of December 2024, funding has been approved to support improved air quality in over 165 nursing homes totaling nearly $500,000 in the State of Washington.  

In addition, funding for communicative technology was approved for more than 165 nursing homes in the State of Washington, totaling over $450,000.  The funds were used to purchase devices such as iPads and tablets as well as accessories like protective covers, headphones, and device cleaning and disinfectant products.

Previously facilities were authorized to request up to $3,000 for in-person visitation aids (e.g., tents or other shelter for outdoor visitation and/or clear dividers) including installation, installation materials, and shipping costs for in-person visitation aids.  Nearly $200,000 in funding was approved for these in-person visitation aids in 75 nursing homes in the State of Washington. 

Nursing Home Grant Program

Washington state participates in the Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Fund Grant Program.  Civil money penalties (CMPs) are fines imposed on nursing facilities that do not meet federal health and safety standards.  Washington state receives a portion of the funds collected to be reinvested in support of projects that improve the overall quality of life and/or care of nursing facility residents. 

CMP

Nursing facility providers, stakeholders and other organizations are encouraged to submit CMP fund grant applications for the development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives that directly or indirectly benefit nursing facility residents.  Learn more

States must obtain approval from CMS before using federally imposed CMP funds to pay for projects. The Department will evaluate applications using criteria developed by CMS and published in CMS QSO -19-19-NH,CMS S&C 12-13-NH, and CMS QSO-23-23-NHs.

Currently, the State of Washington accepts applications for CMP funding on a on a continuous, year-round basis.  Applications are first reviewed by the CMPRP Committee at the state and if approved at the state level, then the application is sent to the CMPRP Review Team at CMS for their review and consideration.  The state committee meets every other month and is comprised of the Director of Residential Care Services (RCS), the Nursing Home Policy Program Manager, senior RCS field management staff, and the CMP Grant Specialist.

Please ensure that your application includes a detailed budget, evidence of support from the proposed nursing home participants, and any other supporting information that the committee may find helpful in their review.

Questions should be addressed to cmpapplications@dshs.wa.gov

Application & Resources

Starting October 1, 2024, ALL applications for CMP funding submitted to State Agencies must include a letter of support (LOS) with an acknowledgement that the proposed project funding will count against the nursing home’s allocated budget for that project category. All non-nursing home applicants are required to provide LOS showing that all stated nursing homes referenced within the application are committed to the project.  The commitment letter must display the project title, time frame, and the nursing home's CMS certification number (also known as the CCN). The letter must be signed by an individual who is authorized to commit the nursing home to the project during the proposed duration. If a nursing home corporation submits a CMP Reinvestment Application, all CMS criteria may be entered into one LOS that lists all of their participating nursing homes with their corresponding CCNs.

Projects