Nursing Home Care Compare Update Delay: 5 Star Implications for Nursing Homes
Recent developments have left nursing homes without the anticipated update on CMS’s Care Compare website. The scheduled January 29th refresh of key quality measures—including discharge function scores, changes in resident assistance needs, mobility decline, and pressure ulcer prevalence—has been postponed. These measures, which have been on hold since last April, were expected to provide essential insights for both providers and consumers.
The delay appears to stem from a White House communications freeze, leaving CMS unable to offer a definitive explanation. Consequently, the data currently available on Care Compare reflects figures from October 2024, while providers only have access to preview reports that demonstrate the expected changes. In light of these developments, nursing home leaders are advised to thoroughly review preview reports, prepare to discuss potential quality metric changes with stakeholders, and closely monitor updates from CMS. At this time, further updates are uncertain and may be delayed until an off-cycle event or the next quarterly refresh.
Written By:
Shelly Mafia, MSN, MBA, RN, LNHA, QCP, CHC, CPC, CLNC
Director of Regulatory Services
Proactive LTC Consulting
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