CMS Announces Forthcoming Updates to Nursing Home Compare

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced updates to Nursing Home Compare, including a revised inspection process, enhancements to staffing information, and the addition of new quality measures, coming in April 2019, according to a March 5, 2019, news release. These updates officially end the "freeze" on health inspection ratings that was instituted in February 2018 as the new inspection process was phased in, allowing all long-term care facilities to be inspected at least once under the new process and making the data to be released in April 2019 the most up to date for consumers. In regard to staffing levels, CMS will reduce from seven to four the number of days in a given quarter that a facility can lack an onsite registered nurse (which triggers an automatic one-star rating).