Improvements Needed to CMS Rating System for Nursing Homes, Says GAO

​Improvements are needed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality rating system for nursing homes, said the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a December 6, 2016, report. GAO found that CMS lacks a systematic process for prioritizing and implementing potential improvements to its five-star rating system. CMS's current approach to reviews and their implementation is "fragmented," GAO said. The organization also found that CMS's rating system was not designed for national comparison, which limits the ability of consumers who live near state borders to choose among multistate options. CMS's rating system also fails to take into account consumer satisfaction survey information, GAO said. Including consumer satisfaction results would help consumers differentiate between nursing homes that received the same star rating from CMS, GAO said.