In April 2019, the threshold that triggers the automatic downgrade to one star will be reduced from seven days to four days without an RN on site in a quarter, increasing the likelihood for facilities to end up with a one-star staffing rating. CMS previously found that as staffing levels increase, quality increases, and assigned an automatic one-star rating when a nursing home reports “no registered nurse is onsite” for seven or more days in a quarter. Staffing LevelsĪ second change is that CMS is setting higher thresholds for nursing homes’ staffing levels. The degree of potential change in the state thresholds is as yet unknown. The state averages set the thresholds for health inspection stars, which are the most heavily weighted component for the overall rating. The freeze was intended to allow all nursing homes to be surveyed at least once under the new survey process so the health inspection rankings in the star rating system would be consistent across all facilities.Īn important implication of the lifting of the freeze is that the underlying data that makes up the state averages for the health inspection star rating will now change-possibly significantly in some cases. In February 2018, CMS froze the health inspection star ratings category after implementing a new survey process. The forthcoming changes include a lifting of the “freeze” on the health inspection ratings. These changes mean added pressure on nursing homes as the star ratings are often viewed by consumers and referral sources and used as criteria in selecting facilities for participation in value-based payment programs (e.g., 3-star requirement for waiver of three-day hospitalization requirement for Medicare). These updates are part of larger efforts over the last several years that include revisions to the inspection process, enhancement of staffing information, and implementation of new quality measures. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced updates coming in April 2019 to Nursing Home Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System. ApCMS Changes Star Ratings for Nursing Homes: Lifting the Freeze on Health Inspection Scores and Raising the Bar on Staffing
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |