The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has announced that the Nursing Home Compare Five Star Quality Rating System will soon undergo some changes. The rating system has experienced recent criticism for relying too heavily on self-reported data and CMS is taking action. A facility’s star rating, from one to five stars, is based upon three categories of information, “onsite inspections,” “quality measures,” and “staffing levels.” Currently, the only category that is not self-reported is onsite inspection.

To address potential weaknesses in the current system, CMS will be implementing improvements to Nursing Home Compare. Look for increased numbers of quality measures that are not solely based on self-reported data and also for staffing information that will be electronically collected quarterly and verified against payroll records. Also expect the addition of new quality indicators, such as staffing turnover and retention and rate of antipsychotics use. This revised rating system is intended to provide greater transparency and objectivity for individuals seeking information on Nursing Home Compare.

A fact sheet from CMS summarizing these new improvements is available here.