OIG Finds Some States Neglect to Respond to Serious Nursing Home Complaints in Timely Fashion

​The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that half of all nursing home complaints merit prompt on-site investigations into quality of care or treatment practices, but some states failed to adhere to required timeframes, according to a report released by the agency in September 2017. OIG analyzed data from 2011 to 2015 and found that about 30% of complaints were verified with evidence, but almost one-quarter of states did not meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) requirements for on-site investigations of high-priority complaints (those that allege serious injury or harm to nursing home residents) that require rapid response.