In healthcare in the United States, immediate jeopardy (IJ) is a term for situations in which a medical entity is noncompliant with regulations and requirements in a way that has placed the health and safety of recipients in its care at risk for serious injury, serious harm, serious impairment, or death.
[1] Following a periodic survey of an entity and a thorough investigation, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or a state health agency acting on behalf of CMS may issue an immediate jeopardy warning (also called a notice, finding, or tag) to an entity.
Removal of the immediate jeopardy may include termination of noncompliant employees, being placed under federal temporary management, or in severe cases, closure of the entity.
[4][5] A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that in 2019, 23% of nursing homes in the US had an actual harm or immediate jeopardy deficiency.
[7] Immediate jeopardy warnings are not necessarily reflected in third-party patient safety rankings.