Nursing Home COVID-19 Data and Inspections Results Available on Nursing Home Compare

Table of Content

• Connect with CMS
• for About the Surveys
• Other Nursing Home related data and reports can be found in the downloads section below.
• CMS Releases Nursing Home Survey Guidance for Phase 3 Requirements
• Want to check a facility's Survey results?
• Nursing Homes
• Nursing Home COVID-19 Data and Inspections Results Available on Nursing Home Compare

This page provides basic information about being certified as a Medicare and/or Medicaid nursing home provider and includes links to applicable laws, regulations, and compliance information. Since March 4, CMS and its network of state-based inspectors have conducted over 8,300 surveys with the results of a total of 5,700 available today. The results of the completed surveys and the reports are available on Nursing Home Compare. CMS plans to post the results of the inspections monthly on an ongoing basis as they are completed. The data released today shows that as of May 31, 2020, about 13,600 nursing homes – approximately 88 percent of the 15,400 Medicare and Medicaid nursing homes – had reported the required data to the . These facilities reported over 95,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and almost 32,000 deaths.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has the authority to impose civil money penalties in nursing homes participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The fines for these facilities can be obtained through a freedom of information request at Freedom of Information Act Request Service Center. The nursing home inspection information can be accessed at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at Nursing Home Compare. Information is also available on the Nursing Home Quality Initiative.

Connect with CMS

There are necessary regulatory delays between when a nursing home is inspected and when fines or findings from the inspection will appear on this web site. Therefore, when visiting a nursing home, we encourage you to request copies of more recent inspection results. An Initial is a survey for initial Medicare/Medicaid certification survey of Skilled Nursing Facilities or Nursing Facilities in order to participate in the Medicare/Medicaid programs.

When viewing a home's report, click on theScope and Severitylink, then theScoring Methodologylink to see how scores are calculated. Announcedthat hospitals, laboratories, and other entities can perform tests for COVID-19 on people at home and in other community-based settings outside of the hospital – including nursing homes. Industry professionals know that healthcare is a local business, and that sometimes means comparing homes across state lines. But it’s important to remember that Nursing Home Survey Star Rating results always need to be considered only in the context of their own state, not their region. The middle 70% of facilities receive2, 3 or 4 Stars, with an equal number (approx 23.33%) in each category.

for About the Surveys

Only those facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid are included on the Survey Performance Tool and Nursing Home Compare. Sign up to get the latest information about your choice of CMS topics in your inbox. Memorandumto State Survey Agency directors providing more details on the new reporting requirements of the Interim Final Rule.

A Complaint is a survey to investigate allegations and reported incidents to protect Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries from abuse, neglect, exploitation, inadequate care or supervision. The CCN is a unique identifying number that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services assigns to participating providers. The top performing 10% of facilities in the state receive a rating of5 Stars.

Other Nursing Home related data and reports can be found in the downloads section below.

Severe or repeated instances of abuse can earn a facility the "Red Hand" designation and an automatic demotion to 1 Star. CMS elected to incorporate the results of Focused Infection Control Surveys into the Survey Rating in a manner similar to Complaint Surveys. We expect the FICs to continue, so facilities need to remain vigilant in order to avoid deficiencies, repeat visits, and fines. Sign up to get the latest information about your choice of CMS topics. Other Nursing Home related data and reports can be found in the downloads section below. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

The Division inspects nursing homes at least every 9-15 months to assess compliance with federal standards of care. This includes adequacy of staffing, quality of care, and cleanliness of facilities. Also, as necessary, we investigate complaints and serious incidents occurring within nursing homes.

Abuse

The goal of inspections is to assess how well the nursing home complies with applicable laws and regulations affecting the quality of care provided. Inspections are typically conducted on an annual basis and when the State receives complaints. Inspections conducted on an annual basis typically last four days. Complaint inspections may last one or more days depending upon the number of allegations and what surveyors find during the course of the inspection. CMS has posted publicly available training for nursing home surveyors and providers in theQuality, Safety, and Education Portal that explains the updates and changes of the regulations and guidance. Search the Training Catalog for "Long Term Care Regulatory and Interpretive Guidance and Psychosocial Severity Guide Updates – June 2022." This portal is free to use, but registration is required.

This plan of correction must include information on how and when the problem was corrected, as well as how it will be prevented in the future. Facilities have the right to informally appeal any deficiencies found during a survey through an informal dispute resolution process. For nursing homes, months will typically pass between inspections and much could change for the better or worse in a facility between inspections. Therefore, it is advised that you inspect the facility yourself before making such an important decision. Nursing homes are for people who need chronic or rehabilitative care, who, on admission are not acutely ill and who do not usually require special facilities such as an operating room, X ray facilities, laboratory facilities, and obstetrical facilities.

In order to remain certified to treat Medicare and Medicaid patients, each facility is subject to an annual Health Inspection, or Nursing Home Star Rating Survey. Each year, a team of independent state examiners inspect patient safety, physical hazards, cleanliness and regulatory compliance during an unannounced visit. Our reports are technical in nature, so they can sometimes difficult for consumers to interpret. In an effort to make survey results more available and understandable, we created a tool calledSearch for a Nursing Home. Surveyors are health care professionals such as registered nurses, dietitians, and social workers.

In addition to this, nursing homes are required to report COVID-19 cases and deaths directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and today CMS is making this data publicly available. As part of today’s announcement CMS is also posting the results from the targeted inspections announced on March 4, 2020, to allow inspectors to focus on the most serious health and safety threats like infectious diseases and abuse during the pandemic. This is part of the Trump Administration’s historic transparency efforts to ensure residents, families and the general public have information about COVID-19 in nursing homes.