Nursing homes
Senators press Medicare on shorter inspections for top-rated nursing homes
Four Democratic senators, including New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, want Medicare to explain a new process that gives about 1,700 high-rated nursing homes shorter inspections with fewer surveyors. Here is how to read the new Care Compare icon.
Key facts
- Four senators asked Medicare on October 27 to explain shorter inspections for about 1,700 top-rated nursing homes.
- Qualifying homes now show an icon on Care Compare, but every home is still inspected at least every 15 months.
What happened
Senator Elizabeth Warren led a letter on October 27 to Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, asking for details on the agency's new risk-based survey, Bloomberg Law reported. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Mazie Hirono and Richard Blumenthal also signed. The letter asks how CMS chose the roughly 1,700 nursing homes that now get a less comprehensive review.
CMS began the process nationwide on September 8 after testing it in 22 states since 2023. Its guidance says a qualifying home must have a five-star overall rating, accurate data, no harm-level or substandard-care citations in its last inspection cycle and no recent ownership change. These inspections take about half the time with fewer surveyors. Every home is still inspected at least every 15 months, and a complaint can still trigger a full inspection. CMS has said survey budgets have been flat since 2015. Since October 8, qualifying homes show a high-performance icon on Medicare's Care Compare website.
What it means for families
The icon tells you a home qualified for a lighter inspection based on its past record. It does not replace your own look at recent reports and staffing.
For example: a daughter comparing three homes for her father's rehab stay sees the icon on one. She still opens each home's latest inspection report, compares nurse staffing hours and asks during a tour how the home handles complaints.
The senators' letter does not change the program. CMS has not said whether it will revise the criteria.
What this means in New York: a list from the advocacy group Consumer Voice, based on CMS's October 8 data, counted 51 New York nursing homes as eligible, including several in Western New York. Complaints can be filed with the New York State Department of Health.
What to do this week
- Look up any home you are considering on Medicare's Care Compare and read the latest inspection report, not just the star rating.
- Compare staffing hours and staff turnover between homes.
- If you see a problem, file a complaint with your state health department; a complaint can still trigger a full inspection.
Sources
More from Nursing homes
- Senate Democrats' report calls for nursing home ownership transparency and stronger oversight
- Nursing homes have cut use of agency staff by 44% since 2022, research firm says
- Medicare confirms daily therapy alone can qualify a nursing facility stay