Health Provider Standards

The Bureau of Health Provider Standards is Alabama's regulatory agency responsible for licensing and/or certifying health care facilities. The bureau consists of the Division of Health Care Facilities and the Provider Services Unit.

Hurricane Response

The State Health Officer has issued an Emergency Order to assist facilities in preparing for and responding to Hurricane Milton.

The State Health Officer has issued an Emergency Order to assist facilities in preparing for and responding to Hurricane Helene.

Annual License Renewal for 2025

The Online License Renewal period for 2025 has begun. The renewal season runs from October 1st through December 31st. All 2024 health care facility licenses expire on December 31, 2024. Any health care facility that does not renew its license by December 31, 2024, or renew its license and pay the accrued late fees by January 31, 2025, is no longer licensed. The initial licensure process is required after a license has been terminated. Operating this facility without an appropriate license from this agency is a violation of Alabama law.

You will need your FacID and PIN to log in and print an online facility license.

If you have any questions, please contact the Alabama Department of Public Health Provider Services Unit at (334) 206-5175.

• Print Your License Certificate for 2025
• Renew Your License for 2025

Alabama Board of Nursing Alert

The Alabama Board of Nursing has become aware that nurses employed by home infusion companies operating in Alabama are delivering nursing services and nursing care infusion therapy services to include PICC lines and intrathecal infusions. These procedures are considered practice beyond basic nursing education, and nurses may not perform these procedures in Alabama unless they are doing so pursuant to a standardized procedure which has been approved in accordance with the requirements of Alabama Board of Nursing Administrative Code § 610-X-6-.12.

Health Care Facilities

The Division of Health Care Facilities certifies facilities for participation in the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs; works to ensure the level of care being delivered complies with state and federal standards and is continually upgraded; and makes sure patients/residents are protected from abuse and neglect.

The division conducts surveys of health care facilities. When facilities are found to be noncompliant with federal and state regulations a corrective action plan is required of the facility. Follow-up visits verify that corrective actions have been implemented to rectify cited deficiencies. View Health Care Facility Deficiencies.

• Health Care Facilities Descriptions
• Health Care Facilities Directory
• Health Care Facilities Rules
• Tips for Selecting a Nursing Home
• Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry

Provider Services

The Division of Provider Services processes initial licensure and certification applications, maintains and distributes health care facilities and certified provider directories, and publishes, maintains and distributes facility licensure rules. The division also processes bed change requests, change of ownership applications, and provides consultation to health care providers and the general public relating to health care licensure requirements and certification standards and procedures.

If you would like to receive a Medicare certification enrollment application, please contact us at (334) 206-5175.

Notice to All Independent Clinical Laboratories

Effective October 1, 2020

Any clinical Laboratory that meets the definition of an Independent Clinical Laboratory (ICL), including those that perform waived testing only, will be required to obtain the state license for laboratories and follow the rules set forth by the Alabama State Board of Health. The application and fee requirements can be found on this website.

All clinical laboratories that perform testing on human specimens for diagnosis, treatment, or preventative medicine are required to obtain and maintain a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certificate as required by CMS.

Notice to All Certified Health Care Facilities and Those Seeking Certification

The Department of Public Health Licensure and Certification section must have a correct facility name and address that is consistent with the official name and address on record with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) - the Fiscal Intermediary.

To that end it is the policy of the department to: (1) grant an initial license; (2) grant a new license reflecting a name change or address change or relocation of a licensed facility; and (3) approve certification of a licensed facility -- only when written confirmation has been received from the MAC that the facility has been approved. The name and address entered on the licensure application forms must be the exactly the same as that on the certification forms.

Informal Dispute Resolution (IDR) Process

Pursuant to 42 CFR § 488.331, each state survey agency must offer a skilled nursing facility an informal opportunity, at the facility's request, to dispute deficiencies listed on the CMS form 2567. The process outlined in this policy is the means by which the Alabama survey agency will provide informal dispute resolution. The objectives of this informal resolution process are to facilitate resolution of differences from the survey process and to promote mutual exchange of information which enhances understanding of survey decisions.

The, Division of Health Care Facilities, through coordinated efforts, will provide informal dispute resolutions to skilled nursing facilities in a timely manner. Facilities should be aware that in order to participate in an IDR conference, a written request for informal dispute resolution must be made by the facility. It is the agency's policy to establish communication with the facility throughout the survey and during the decision making process. The agency encourages facilities to be aware of the opportunities to discuss concerns with the survey agency before the deadline for requesting the informal dispute resolution expires. The survey agency's experience has been that many disputes can be resolved without the necessity of an IDR conference. The complete IDR Process is posted here for public information.

Independent Informal Dispute Resolution (IIDR) Policy and Procedure

In accordance with Section 6111 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, all State Survey Agencies were required to develop a process for Independent Informal Dispute Resolution (IIDR). This type of dispute resolution applies only to situations in which a nursing home survey, begun after January 1, 2012, results in deficiency citation(s) at the scope and severity level of G or above and for which CMS has imposed a civil monetary penalty which will be collected and placed in escrow.

CMS provided Interim Advance Guidance about the IIDR Policy to the states in S&C: 12-08-NH, detailing the requirements for such a plan. The Atlanta Regional Office of CMS recently approved the plan for the ADPH. The complete IIDR Policy is posted here for public information.

If questions arise about IDR and IIDR policies, please send a written inquiry to: Ken Reid, IDR/IIDR Coordinator, Bureau of Health Provider Standards, Alabama Department of Public Health, P. O. Box 303017, Montgomery, Alabama 36130-3017 or email to [email protected].