The Most Commonly Cited F-Tags in Nursing Homes
A small number of F-tags account for a disproportionate share of nursing home citations nationally. Knowing which ones — and why — helps focus limited compliance time where it matters most.
Quick answer
Based on CASPER survey data as of April 2025, the most frequently cited F-tags nationally were led by F0880 (Infection Prevention & Control), F0812 (Food Safety/Sanitary Conditions), and F0761 (Label/Store Drugs and Biologicals) — followed by F0689 (Accident Hazards), F0656 (Comprehensive Care Plans), and F0684 (Quality of Care). Rankings shift over time and by state; treat this as a directional guide to where survey risk concentrates, not a fixed list.
National top 10, by citation frequency
| # | F-Tag | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F0880 | Infection Prevention & Control Program |
| 2 | F0812 | Food Procurement, Store/Prepare/Serve — Sanitary Conditions |
| 3 | F0761 | Label/Store Drugs and Biologicals |
| 4 | F0689 | Free of Accident Hazards / Supervision / Devices |
| 5 | F0656 | Develop/Implement Comprehensive Care Plan |
| 6 | F0684 | Quality of Care |
| 7 | F0695 | Respiratory/Tracheostomy Care & Suctioning |
| 8 | F0550 | Resident Rights / Exercise of Rights |
| 9 | F0677 | ADL Care for Dependent Residents |
| 10 | F0584 | Safe/Clean/Comfortable/Homelike Environment |
Source: CASPER survey data as of April 27, 2025, compiled by CMS Compliance Group. National rankings fluctuate; check current data for your state before treating this as authoritative for a specific facility.
Why these tags keep recurring
The pattern is consistent across years: the top tags are the ones tied to daily, auditable processes rather than one-off clinical judgment calls. Infection control (F0880) and food safety (F0812) depend on consistent staff behavior across every shift — hand hygiene, PPE use, temperature logs — which makes them easy for a surveyor to spot-check and easy for a facility to let slip without noticing. Accident hazards (F0689) and comprehensive care plans (F0656) are similarly process-driven: the underlying requirement rarely changes, but consistency across a large staff, on every shift, is genuinely hard to sustain.
Quality of Care (F0684) shows up high on the list for a different reason — it's the broadest tag in its category, often cited alongside a more specific Quality of Care tag when overall care delivery fell short of professional standards.
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Browse the F-Tag Library →Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top 3 most frequently cited F-tags nationally?+
Based on CASPER survey data as of April 2025, the top three were F0880 (Infection Prevention & Control), F0812 (Food Procurement, Store/Prepare/Serve — Sanitary Conditions), and F0761 (Label/Store Drugs and Biologicals).
Why do infection control and food safety F-tags get cited so often?+
Both depend on consistent staff behavior across every shift — hand hygiene, PPE use, temperature logs — which makes them easy for a surveyor to spot-check and easy for a facility to let slip without noticing.
Why does F0684 (Quality of Care) rank so high?+
It's the broadest tag in its category, and is often cited alongside a more specific Quality of Care tag when overall care delivery fell short of professional standards.
Are these F-tag rankings fixed nationally?+
No. Rankings shift over time and by state, so this should be treated as a directional guide to where survey risk concentrates rather than a fixed list for any specific facility.